[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 10336-10337]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             JOHN MUIR NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE EXPANSION ACT

  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1719) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire 
approximately 44 acres of land in Martinez, California, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1719

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``John Muir National Historic 
     Site Expansion Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Historic site.--The term ``Historic Site'' means the 
     John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, California, 
     established by Public Law 88-547 (78 Stat. 753).
       (2) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``John 
     Muir National Historic Site Proposed Boundary Expansion'', 
     numbered 426/127150, and dated November 2014.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.

     SEC. 3. JOHN MUIR NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE LAND ACQUISITION.

       (a) Acquisition.--The Secretary may acquire by donation the 
     approximately 44 acres of land and any interests in the land 
     that is identified on the map.
       (b) Boundary.--On the acquisition of the land authorized 
     under subsection (a), the Secretary shall adjust the 
     boundaries of the Historic Site to include the acquired land.
       (c) Administration.--The land and any interests in land 
     acquired under subsection (a) shall be administered as part 
     of the National Historic Site.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. LaHood) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1719 would authorize the expansion of the John Muir 
National Historic Site by approximately 44 acres.
  Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, in Martinez, California, this 
site preserves the 14-room Italianate Victorian mansion where John Muir 
lived, as well as a 325-acre tract of native oak woodlands and 
grasslands owned by the Muir family.
  The additional proposed acreage in this bill is directly adjacent to 
the current site and will allow for better public access to trails in 
the area. This acreage will be donated to the National Park Service and 
will not be acquired with any Federal dollars.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this measure, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1719 authorizes the National Park Service to expand 
the boundary of the John Muir National Historic Site and acquire 44 
acres of land from the Muir Heritage Land Trust. The donation will 
expand the site and help carry on Muir's important legacy of 
conservation and environmental stewardship.
  John Muir is one of our Nation's most respected and revered 
ecologists. His writings have inspired millions, and his activism and 
advocacy led to the establishment of some of our first and most iconic 
national parks.
  From the moment he set foot in Yosemite Valley, John Muir was 
consumed with its natural wonder and beauty. He became Yosemite's most 
vocal champion, but he didn't spend his whole life there.
  From 1890 until his death in 1914, Muir lived on a farm not far from 
San Francisco. It was from this corner of the bay area that Muir 
cofounded the Sierra Club and helped lay the groundwork for a century 
of conservation.
  John Muir's tireless advocacy led to the creation of Yosemite and 
Sequoia National Parks, and his spirit and enduring legacy led to the 
protection of much more.
  Passage of H.R. 1719 will contribute to John Muir's legacy and it 
will help to protect and conserve the place where he found solace and 
inspiration in his later years.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the bill's sponsor, Representative DeSaulnier 
from California, and I urge swift passage of this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. DeSaulnier).
  Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from 
California for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 1719, the John Muir 
National Historic Site Expansion Act. This bipartisan legislation will 
expand the Martinez, California, historic site in my district that 
celebrates the life and legacy of John Muir.
  Muir was a lifelong conservationist, a leading advocate of the 
National Park Service, and a cofounder of the Sierra Club. He worked to 
establish and protect national parks, including Yosemite, Sequoia, 
Grand Canyon, and Mount Rainier.

[[Page 10337]]

  The John Muir National Historic Site, which includes the home where 
he lived, covers 330 acres of Contra Costa County where Muir championed 
the revolutionary idea that wild spaces should be set aside for all to 
enjoy.
  This bill would make it possible for the National Park Service to 
accept a donation of 44 acres of land from the John Muir Land Trust, 
improving access to the park and its scenic trails, including those on 
Mount Wanda, named after Muir's eldest daughter.
  The trail systems are accessible for hikers, bikers, and equestrians, 
including critical connections to the 550-mile Bay Area Ridge Trail and 
to nearby protected lands along the Franklin Ridge corridor.
  As John Muir once said, ``everybody needs beauty, as well as bread, 
places to play in . . . where nature may heal and cheer and give 
strength to body and soul alike.''
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my predecessor, Congressman George Miller, who 
championed this bill. I also thank the Natural Resources Committee 
chair, Chairman Bishop; Ranking Member Grijalva; the subcommittee 
chairman, Mr. McClintock from California; and subcommittee ranking 
member, Ms. Hanabusa for their leadership in bringing H.R. 1719 to the 
floor today.
  I am grateful for the support of 21 of my colleagues from both sides 
of the aisle who cosponsored this legislation, and to Senator Kamala 
Harris for leading the bill's counterpart in the U.S. Senate.
  I also thank the John Muir Land Trust for its hard work and 
dedication preserving and protecting this valuable parkland and 
shoreline in Contra Costa County for future generations.
  This legislation puts a fitting emphasis on the National Park 
Service's centennial celebrations, helping to preserve the trails and 
lands that surround the longtime home of the man known as the 
``father'' of the U.S. National Park Service.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bipartisan 
legislation, the John Muir National Historic Site Expansion Act.
  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the legislation, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Natural 
Resources, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1719, the ``John Muir 
National Historic Site Expansion Act,'' authorizing the Department of 
the Interior to acquire an additional 44 acres of land to expand the 
John Muir National Historic Site, which currently stretches across 330 
acres in the East Bay of San Francisco and includes the home where 
legendary naturalist John Muir lived until he died in 1914.
  The John Muir National Historic Site, established by Congress in 
1964, is located in Martinez, California and honor one of the nation's 
foremost conservationists, whom historians refer to as the ``Father of 
the National Park Service.''
  The historic site preserves the 14-room Italianate Victorian mansion 
where the naturalist and writer John Muir lived, as well as a nearby 
325 acre tract of native oak woodlands and grasslands historically 
owned by the Muir family.
  H.R. 1719 authorizes the Department of the Interior to acquire by 
donation approximately 44 acres to expand the boundary of John Muir 
National Historic Site.
  The acreage to be acquired is directly continuous with Mount Wanda 
and will allow for better public access to trails.
  In the 114th Congress, H.R. 1289, a bill identical to H.R. 1719, 
passed the House by voice vote.
  Additionally, a similar bill, H.R. 5699, was introduced in the 113th 
Congress by former Congressman George Miller, and passed the House by a 
vote of 361-39.
  Companion legislation, S. 729, has been introduced in the Senate by 
Senator Kamala Harris of California.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1719 is a fitting tribute to one of America's 
greatest citizen activists, the co-founder of the Sierra Club, and a 
central actor in the successful effort to establish Yosemite National 
Park.
  I urge all Members to join me in voting for H.R. 1719.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1719, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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