[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2084-2085]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 DELAWARE WATER GAP NATIONAL RECREATION AREA IMPROVEMENT ACT AMENDMENT

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3620) to amend the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation 
Area Improvement Act to provide access to certain vehicles serving 
residents of municipalities adjacent to the Delaware Water Gap National 
Recreation Area, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3620

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. VEHICULAR ACCESS AND FEES.

       Section 4 of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation 
     Area Improvement Act (Public Law 109-156) is amended to read 
     as follows:

     ``SEC. 4. USE OF CERTAIN ROADS WITHIN THE RECREATION AREA.

       ``(a) In General.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
     section, Highway 209, a federally owned road within the 
     boundaries of the Recreation Area, shall be closed to all 
     commercial vehicles.
       ``(b) Exception for Local Business Use.--Until September 
     30, 2020, subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to the 
     use of commercial vehicles that have four or fewer axles and 
     are--
       ``(1) owned and operated by a business physically located 
     in--
       ``(A) the Recreation Area; or
       ``(B) one or more adjacent municipalities; or
       ``(2) necessary to provide services to businesses or 
     persons located in--
       ``(A) the Recreation Area; or
       ``(B) one of more adjacent municipalities.
       ``(c) Fee.--The Secretary shall establish a fee and permit 
     program for the use by commercial vehicles of Highway 209 
     under subsection (b). The program shall include an annual fee 
     not to exceed $200 per vehicle. All fees received under the 
     program shall be set aside in a special account and be 
     available, without further appropriation, to the Secretary 
     for the administration and enforcement of the program, 
     including registering vehicles, issuing permits and vehicle 
     identification stickers, and personnel costs.
       ``(d) Exceptions.--The following vehicles may use Highway 
     209 and shall not be subject to a fee or permit requirement 
     under subsection (c):
       ``(1) Local school buses.
       ``(2) Fire, ambulance, and other safety and emergency 
     vehicles.
       ``(3) Commercial vehicles using Federal Road Route 209, 
     from--
       ``(A) Milford to the Delaware River Bridge leading to U.S. 
     Route 206 in New Jersey; and
       ``(B) mile 0 of Federal Road Route 209 to Pennsylvania 
     State Route 2001.''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       Section 2 of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation 
     Area Improvement Act (Public Law 109-156) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as 
     paragraphs (2) through (6), respectively; and

[[Page 2085]]

       (2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated 
     by paragraph (1) of this section) the following:
       ``(1) Adjacent municipalities.--The term `adjacent 
     municipalities' means Delaware Township, Dingman Township, 
     Lehman Township, Matamoras Borough, Middle Smithfield 
     Township, Milford Borough, Milford Township, Smithfield 
     Township and Westfall Township, in Pennsylvania.''.

     SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

       Section 702 of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands 
     Management Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-333) is repealed.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McClintock) and the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. 
Tsongas) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 3620, introduced by Congressman Tom Marino, amends the Delaware 
Water Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act to allow a road in 
the recreation area to continue to be used by commercial vehicles that 
serve the local communities adjoining this federally designated land. 
It is entirely in keeping with one of our principal objectives for 
Federal land use policy: to restore the Federal Government as a good 
neighbor to the communities impacted by the Federal lands.
  Before the Federal Government took control of 70,000 acres of land 
adjacent to the Delaware River in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, highway 
209 served as a major trucking route for commerce. Legislation that 
created the recreation area and implemented it sought to prohibit 
commercial vehicles from using this public highway, promising to 
establish alternate routes. Yet, despite three extensions of the 
deadline, local residents and businesses in the communities of Delaware 
Township, Dingman Township, Lehman Township, Metamoras Borough, Middle 
Smithfield Township, Milford Borough, Milford Township, Smithfield 
Township, and Westfall Township in Pennsylvania are directly threatened 
by the impending limitation.
  H.R. 3620 would protect the people of these communities from this 
unnecessary disruption and inconvenience by allowing commercial 
vehicles serving these communities to continue to use this long-
established highway. Specifically, it directs the Department of the 
Interior to establish a fee and permit program for commercial vehicles 
serving these communities.
  This bill enjoys broad support in the affected communities, and 
Congressman Marino should be commended for his efforts to resolve this 
vexing issue for his constituents.
  I urge the passage of the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  This bill amends the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area 
Improvement Act to extend the authorization of a waiver for certain 
commercial traffic on U.S. Route 209, a federally owned highway that 
runs through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
  When Congress decided to restrict commercial traffic on the portion 
of the highway that runs through the recreation area, the law included 
an exemption for certain vehicles that belong to nearby businesses and 
municipal governments. This bill provides a 5-year extension of that 
exemption in order to facilitate continued access for local residents.
  It is supported by the National Park Service, and I urge my 
colleagues to support its adoption.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the author of this measure, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Marino).
  Mr. MARINO. I thank the chairman.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill to reauthorize commercial 
traffic along Route 209 through the Delaware Water Gap National 
Recreation Area.
  For nearly 5 months now, uncertainty has reigned over this 21-mile 
stretch of road that is running through my district. Over 30 years ago, 
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania--as the chairman so eloquently 
stated--transferred Route 209, then a State road, to the National Park 
Service.
  As commercial thru traffic is banned on roads within our national 
parks, it would also be so on this stretch of Route 209; but, at that 
time, a 10-year exemption was made to support the local freight 
transportation industry and because acceptable alternative routes were 
unavailable. After multiple extensions, the most recent commercial 
vehicle authorization expired at the end of September of 2015.
  To address the problem, county and township officials from the 
surrounding areas met with the National Park Service and my staff to 
negotiate a new plan. They recognized the continued need to allow some 
commercial vehicle access, and they settled on the carefully crafted 
language we are considering today.
  The work to produce this extension acknowledges the continued need of 
employers, businesses, and homeowners I represent in Pike and Monroe 
Counties. The expiration in September cast a cloud on the local 
business community and put countless jobs in jeopardy. Passing this 
bill so that it can be swiftly considered by the Senate is imperative 
as the weather warms and business activity increases through the 
region.
  I thank Chairman Bishop for his support and assistance in bringing 
this bill to the floor as quickly as possible. I urge my colleagues to 
support this bill.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3620.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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