    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [October 3, 1996]
    [Page 1751]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1751]]

    Statement on the Bipartisan Agreement on Omnibus Parks Legislation
    October 3, 1996

        I am gratified tonight that we could reach a bipartisan agreement on
    an omnibus parks bill that protects some of this Nation's most precious
    treasures. This legislation will improve the management of our Nation's
    parks and public lands, and protect some of our most valued resources.
        This bill encompasses my top priorities for parks legislation,
    including measures to improve management of the Presidio, acquire the
    Sterling Forest, and establish the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.
    It also deletes almost all of the provisions that I had found
    objectionable, including those that would have adversely affected the
    Shenandoah National Park and Richmond Battlefield National Park in
    Virginia, the Sequoia National Park in California, the Tongass National
    Forest, and other national parks and Federal lands.
        Though not perfect, this bill represents a great victory for the
    American people and proves what we can accomplish if we work together.