[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 8781-8782]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING VIRGINIA STATE PARKS

  (Mr. WITTMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of our Virginia State 
parks. From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay, the 
Commonwealth boasts some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in 
the United States, and for the past 80 years, the Virginia State Parks 
have served as an avenue for families to enjoy the outdoors together.
  Outdoor recreation is such an important part of our national 
heritage, and our 36 Virginia State parks have fostered that tradition 
by helping generations of Virginians explore and understand our natural 
resources. With more than 600 miles of trails and convenient access to 
Virginia's major waterways, our Virginia State parks offer no shortage 
of opportunities for Virginians to go places they have never been 
before.

[[Page 8782]]

  I commend the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation for 
their role in maintaining the Commonwealth's State parks and for 
preserving our lands in the public trust.
  I thank Virginia State Parks for keeping our Commonwealth beautiful. 
I wish them a happy 80th anniversary and many, many more to come.

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