    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [October 21, 1999]
    [Pages 1843-1844]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Signing the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and
    Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area Act of 1999
    October 21, 1999

        Today I have signed into law S. 323, the ``Black Canyon of the
    Gunnison National Park and Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area Act
    of 1999.''
        This Act represents more than a decade of hard work by the people of
    the Western Slope of Colorado to bring to the Black Canyon of the
    Gunnison the recognition it deserves. Bipartisan support from the
    Colorado delegation and both Houses of Congress led this effort to
    establish the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park--our 55th
    National Park--and the adjacent Gunnison Gorge National Conservation
    Area. I would like to commend Representatives Mark Udall, Scott McInnis, and Diana
    DeGette for their leadership on this
    legislation in the House of Representatives, and I would particularly
    like to commend and congratulate Senator Ben Nighthorse
    Campbell, who has worked for over a
    decade on this effort.
        In the 1930s, President Herbert Hoover established and President
    Franklin D. Roosevelt

    [[Page 1844]]

    expanded the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument under the
    authority provided by the Antiquities Act. S. 323 redesignates the
    Monument as a National Park and expands its size. These actions add
    geographical and recreational diversity and protect the rural scenic
    backdrop of this spectacular gorge. The expansion will also enhance
    existing park resources and provide greater opportunities for visitor
    use and enjoyment.
        Like other National Parks, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison belongs
    to all Americans, an heirloom to be passed on from generation to
    generation. As such, it deserve the highest level of protection to
    ensure that the outstanding characteristics and qualities that make it
    worthy for National Park status will never be degraded.
        In the words of geologist Wallace Hansen, ``[n]o other canyon in
    North America combines the depth, narrowness, sheerness, and somber
    countenance of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.'' Through this Act, we
    recognize for all future generations the unique combination of geologic
    and biologic features that make the canyon such an awe-inspiring place.
        The Act represents a continuing commitment to the protection of our
    Nation's wilderness resources, by expanding the existing Black Canyon of
    the Gunnison Wilderness by over 4,400 acres and by establishing the
    17,700-acre Gunnison Gorge Wilderness that will be managed by the Bureau
    of Land Management.
        The Act also creates the 57,725-acre Gunnison Gorge National
    Conservation Area, which includes the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness. This
    recognition is deserved for an area that offers a variety of natural and
    geologic features and unsurpassed recreational opportunities. The Bureau
    of Land Management will be responsible for managing these lands, and as
    directed by the Act, will develop a management plan to ensure the long-
    range protection of the conservation area.
        Finally, S. 323 calls for a land study for Curecanti National
    Recreation Area. This study will seek solutions to protect Curecanti's
    scenic, natural, and cultural resource values and determine the best
    management strategies for this popular recreation area.
        This Act will protect unique natural resources that will continue to
    be enjoyed by all Americans for many years. We can be proud of the
    legacy of park, public land, and wilderness protection that we are
    leaving for the generations to come.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,

    October 21, 1999.

    Note: S. 323, approved October 21, was assigned Public Law No. 106-76.