[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 5545-5546]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 117--DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF APRIL 15, 2017, THROUGH 
               APRIL 23, 2017, AS ``NATIONAL PARK WEEK''

  Mr. DAINES (for himself, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Murkowski, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. 
Alexander, Mr. Udall, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Heinrich, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Wyden, 
Mr. Blunt, Mr. Franken, Mr. Rubio, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Gardner, Mr. 
Warner, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Portman, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
Barrasso, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Collins, Mr. Reed, 
Mr. Cotton, Mr. Tester, Mr. Corker, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. 
Peters, Mr. Schatz, Mr. King, Mrs. Shaheen, and Mr. Leahy) submitted 
the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 117

       Whereas, on March 1, 1872, Congress established Yellowstone 
     National Park as the first national park for the enjoyment of 
     the people of the United States;
       Whereas, on August 25, 1916, Congress established the 
     National Park Service with the mission to preserve unimpaired 
     the natural and cultural resources and values of the National 
     Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of 
     current and future generations;
       Whereas, in 2017, the National Park Service began its 
     second century of stewardship of the National Park System 
     after the 2016 National Park Service Centennial, which 
     celebrated 100 years of the work of the National Park Service 
     to protect and manage the majestic landscapes, hallowed 
     battlefields, and iconic cultural and historical sites of the 
     United States;
       Whereas the units of the National Park System span from 
     Maine to Hawaii and Alaska and many of the units embody the 
     rich natural heritage of the United States, reflect a unique 
     national story through people and places, and offer countless 
     opportunities for recreation, volunteerism, cultural 
     exchange, education, civic engagement, and exploration;
       Whereas the national parks of the United States attracted 
     record-breaking visitation during the National Park Service 
     Centennial, with 331,000,000 recreational visits to these 
     incredible places in 2016;
       Whereas the dedicated employees of the National Park 
     Service carry out their mission to protect the national parks 
     of the United States so that the vibrant culture, diverse 
     wildlife, and priceless resources of the parks will endure 
     for perpetuity; and
       Whereas the people of the United States have inherited the 
     remarkable legacy of the National Park System and are 
     entrusted with its preservation as the United States marks 
     the beginning of the second century of the National Park 
     System: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of April 15, 2017, through April 
     23, 2017, as ``National Park Week''; and
       (2) encourages the people of the United States and the 
     world to visit and experience the treasured national parks of 
     the United States.

  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, as a fifth-generation Montanan who grew up 
just a short drive from our Nation's first national park, Yellowstone 
National Park, and as chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources 
Subcommittee on National Parks, I am excited to introduce this 
resolution to reassure the public that Congress recognizes the 
remarkable value that our National Parks bring to our national 
heritage. From America's hallowed battlefields in Gettysburg and 
Fredericksburg, to the glacial peaks, geysers, and big game in my home 
State of Montana, to the ancient cultural resources, volcanoes, and 
marine life of

[[Page 5546]]

Hawaii and all across the plains, many of the units of the National 
Park System bring remarkable opportunities for cultural education and 
outdoor recreation for people from around the world to enjoy. I am 
excited to be joined by ranking member Mazie Hirono and over 30 of our 
bipartisan colleagues from Alaska to Maine and Florida in introducing 
this resolution. The support of this resolution is a reflection that 
our National Parks bridge political divides and make our Nation 
uniquely American. As the National Park System begins its second 
century this year, we have seen record visitation with 331 million 
visits in 2016, but record visitation also brings additional strain on 
the National Park Service's failing infrastructure. I am hopeful that 
Congress, the Trump administration and future administrations will 
continue to invest in our National parks to ensure their legacy endures 
for our children and generations to come.

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