[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.