A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Army to carry out critical restoration projects along the Middle Rio Grande.

Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleague Senator Johnson in introducing the Commodity Distribution Act of 2003.

Children are our future. I strongly believe each child deserves at least one warm, nutritious meal every day. I stand before you today with a new bill that will restore $500 million to the School Lunch Program. The positive impacts of this program are endless. Children should not have to pay the price of not having enough money for food.

Originally enacted in 1946, the school launch program set goals to improve children's nutrition, increase low-income children's access to nutritious meals, and to help support the agricultural industry. A family of four has to have an income at or below 130 percent of the Federal poverty level to qualify for a free lunch. The income for these families is tragically low. Congress has a role in providing these children with assistance their families cannot provide.

In 1999, Congress enacted the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act. This legislation amended the School Lunch Act to require the United States Department of Agriculture to count the value of bonus commodities when it determines the total amount of commodity assistance provided to schools. This change continues to provide a $500 million budget cut for the school lunch program over its 9-year projection.

In 2001, the school lunch program comprised over 90 percent of schools, with some 99,000 public and private schools enrolling approximately 50 million children. Today over 28 million children receive free or low-cost lunches every school day. Each State and millions of children are affected. This program provides a basic requirement of food for needy children.

The 2002 Farm Bill passed almost a full year ago included language that extended this authorization language until the end of this fiscal year. Without Congressional action, $50 million will be cut from the food budget for school districts. This legislation would further extend this support through 2007, when the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch act is scheduled for reauthorization.

It is my belief that no child should be without food. The Commodity Distribution Act of 2003 would ensure that schools receive the full value of entitlement commodity assistance, and allow the School Lunch Program to continue to meet its dual purpose of supporting American agriculture when it needs it most while providing nutritious food to schools across the country. I urge members to support this bill, support children, and support our future.

Mr. President I rise to introduce legislation that will remove any ambiguity as to the intent of the Central Idaho Wilderness Act of 1980 to provide for continuation of the historical use of outfitter hunting camps on the Salmon River. In short, these lodges were established well before the river designation, have been managed as a part of the river designation for 23 years and allow users, in particular the elderly and the physically challenged, to have access to and enjoy the spirit of this wild area. Their rustic nature upholds the ideals envisioned by Congress, and they are used in accordance with all provisions of the law.

I am mystified as to why someone would want to eliminate this historical use. However, that is what some extreme wilderness organizations would like to do. They want the Forest Service and the Courts to ignore the intent of Congress in establishing the Central Idaho Wilderness Act and re-establish a pristine area which blocks access to many current users.

In the Findings Section of the Central Idaho Wilderness Act, it is clearly stated that ``protection can be provided--to the Salmon River-- without conflicting with established uses.'' It is my understanding that a great deal of time and effort was put into crafting this designation so that established and historic uses of the area would be maintained while preserving one of our Nation's treasures--the River of No Return.

In reading the voluminous hearing record and report language, I found references to ``lodges,'' ``hunting lodges,'' ``outfitters lodges,'' and ``commercial services may be performed'' throughout the record. It is clear to me that Senator Church, of Idaho, the main proponent of the legislation, intended for these lodges to remain. The report language specifically states, ``We favor administration of the main Salmon River under the provisions of the Wild and Scenic River Act so as to permit continuation, as appropriate, of motorized travel on the river and outfitter and camping facilities.''

However, I believe the record shows Senator McClure of Idaho was more of a prophet when he stated, ``Whether it is this year, next year, or 5 years from now, or 10 years from now, some forest administrator in the area is going to say it would be a lot more convenient for us to manage that problem if we did not have to deal with that guy that is there. . . . We all know that it was intended for the wild and scenic river classification as attached to that river, that the existing use was going to be permitted to continue; and then, all of a sudden, we find out that that is now unacceptable.''

Senator McClure is off by only 20 years and it is not a forest administrator, but an extreme wilderness organization that is seeking the elimination of these well established lodges.

This legislation clarifies that these three specific lodges are an established and historical use in the Central Idaho Wilderness Act and should remain a part of the legacy of this great river.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Healthy Children Learn Act with my colleague from Maine, Senator Collins. I am also pleased to have Senator Clinton as an original cosponsor of this measure. This legislation focuses on eliminating some bureaucratic barriers that make it more difficult for schools to provide their students with health care services, if they so choose.

Many schools have found that the health of a child can significantly affect his or her ability to learn. To enhance children's learning ability and to increase the well-being of their students, these schools sometimes choose to provide health care services including health care screenings.

One example of a disease that significantly affects children's education is asthma. Asthma is the single greatest reason for school absenteeism today. Over five million children in America suffer from asthma. Forty-nine percent of children with asthma missed school in the last year, and 48 percent of children with asthma are limited in sports and recreation. Lack of physical activity, in turn, can lead to childhood obesity with its concomitant health care problems.

``America is in the middle of an asthma epidemic--an epidemic that is getting worse, not better.'' So says the PEW Environmental Health Commission in its most recent report on asthma. The prevalence of asthma continues to rise at astounding rates, in every region of the country and across all demographic groups, whether measured by age, race or sex.

My home State of Illinois has some of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the country. Unfortunately, Chicago has the highest childhood asthma-related death rate in the Nation. Over 60 percent of childhood admissions to the emergency room in Chicago are for asthma. This disease exacts a very significant toll on children in my State.

For the next 15 minutes, imagine breathing through a tiny straw the size of a coffee stirrer, never getting enough air. Now imagine suffering through the process three to six times a day. This is asthma. Can a child really concentrate on learning when he or she is gasping for air?

Due to the very high rates of asthma in Chicago and its effects on absenteeism and children's ability to learn

when at school, the Chicago Public Schools, CPS, instituted an asthma screening program. The school system developed an asthma manual to provide a standard plan of care for all students with asthma. They provided citywide nurse training to develop a uniform, high standard for approaching students with asthma and their parents and high-quality education about the environmental triggers for asthma and how to lessen them, together with education on how to use asthma inhalers. In 1999, they identified 12,374 cases of asthma. CPS continues to monitor and evaluate this program, and they have also partnered with other organizations such as the American Red Cross Asthma Program, the University of Chicago and the Chicago Department of Public Health Asthma Programs. CPS has also developed parent tutoring programs and has linked asthmatic children with primary health care providers for appropriate follow-up.

All of these efforts are extremely important, but they are resource intensive. This legislation addresses a barrier to children receiving vital health screenings in schools. It provides for a $10 million grant program for school districts such as CPS to apply for funds for asthma screening for those children who are not eligible for either S-CHIP or Medicaid. The grants would be targeted to those districts that have the highest prevalence or deaths associated with asthma.

CPS has also found that a child's ability to learn is affected by impaired vision and hearing, and as a result, children with vision deficits are far more likely to fail academically. In 1998, CPS found that children who were retained failed their school-based vision screening at a rate 50 percent higher than children who were not failing. Likewise, children who have difficulty hearing often struggle with language development, social processes and communication. This can seriously impair all aspects of the educational process. Through these programs, CPS has provided more than 5,000 free eye exams, and 4,000 free pairs of glasses have been dispensed. They currently are reimbursed less than 40 percent of the cost of the vision and hearing screenings. To address some of these funding shortfalls, this legislation creates a $10 million grant program for vision and hearing screening.

This legislation would also remove barriers that prevent school systems from receiving reimbursement for health screenings are services. Schools that make the extra effort to provide their students health care services should be adequately reimbursed. For an example, when they provide Medicaid-eligible children with Medicaid-covered services, they should receive appropriate reimbursement for those services. Likewise, reimbursement for the S-CHIP program should be available for covered services for children enrolled or eligible for the program. and clarifies Medicaid payment rules so that schools can be reimbursed when they provide a Medicaid covered service to a Medicaid child.

No child should have his or her education threatened by the lack of effective screening to diagnose these health problems. The treatments or corrective devices are available and we should see to it that the children receive them when necessary. The Healthy Children Learn Act will help children receive the health care services they need so that they can seize the educational opportunities available to them.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the ``Good Samaritan Volunteer Firefighter Assistance Act of 2004.'' On September 11, 2001, the Nation witnessed the tragic loss of hundreds of heroic firefighters. Amazingly, every year quality firefighting equipment worth millions of dollars is wasted. In order to avoid civil liability lawsuits, heavy industry and wealthier fire departments destroy surplus equipment, including hoses, fire trucks, protective gear and breathing apparatus, instead of donating it to volunteer fire departments.

The basic purpose of this legislation is to induce donations of surplus firefighting equipment by reducing the threat of civil liability for organizations, most commonly heavy industry, and individuals who wish to make these donations. The bill eliminates civil liability barriers to donations of surplus firefighting equipment by raising the liability standard for donors from ``negligence'' to ``gross negligence.''

The ``Good Samaritan Volunteer Firefighter Assistance Act of 2004'' is modeled after a bill passed by the Texas State legislature in 1997 and signed into law by then-Governor George W. Bush which has resulted in more than $6 million in additional equipment donations from companies and other fire departments for volunteer departments which may not be as well equipped. Now companies in Texas can donate surplus equipment to the Texas Forest Service, which then certifies the equipment and passes it on to volunteer fire departments that are in need. The donated equipment must meet all original specifications before it can be sent to volunteer departments. Arizona, Missouri, Indiana, and South Carolina have passed similar legislation at the state level.

The legislation saves taxpayer dollars by encouraging donations, thereby reducing the taxpayers' burden of purchasing expensive equipment for volunteer fire departments. in the 107th Congress, Representative Castle introduced the Good Samaritan Volunteer Firefighter Assistance Act which had 104 bipartisan cosponsors in the House of Representatives. It is also supported by the National Volunteer Fire Council, the Firemen's Association of the State of New York, and a former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), James Lee Witt. The bill has been reintroduced as H.R. 1787 in the 108th Congress.

This bill does not cost taxpayer dollars nor does it create additional bureaucracies to inspect equipment. The bill eliminates unnecessary inspection bureaucracies. This is for three reasons. First, bureaucracies are not necessary for inspections because the fire chiefs make the inspections themselves. Second, some of the State bureaucracies control who gets the equipment. These donations are private property transactions, not a good that is donated to the State, allowing the State to pick who will get the equipment. Third, there is no desire to create the temptation for waste, fraud, and abuse in a State bureaucracy in charge of picking winners and losers.

The bill reflects the purpose of the Texas State law. Federally, precedent for similar measures includes the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Act (Public Law 104-210), named for the late Representative Bill Emerson, which encourages restaurants, hotels and businesses to donate millions of dollars worth of food. The Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-101) also immunizes individuals who do volunteer work for non-profit organizations or governmental entities from liability for ordinary negligence in the course of their volunteer work. I have also previously introduced three Good Samaritan measures in the 106th Congress, S. 843, S. 844 and S. 845. These provisions were also included in a broader charitable package in S. 997, the Charity Empowerment Act, to provide additional incentives for corporate in-kind charitable contributions for motor vehicle, aircraft, and facility use. The same provision passed the House of Representatives in the 107th Congress as part of H.R. 7, the Community Solutions Act, in July of 2001, but was not signed into law.

Volunteers comprise approximately 73 percent of firefighters in the United States. Of the total estimated 1,078,300 firefighters across the country, 784,700 are volunteer. Of the more than 30,000 fire departments in the country, approximately 22,600 are all volunteer; 4,800 are mostly volunteer; 1,600 are mostly career; and 2,000 are all career. In 2000, 58 of the 103 firefighters who died in the line of duty were volunteers.

This legislation provides a commonsense incentive for additional contributions to volunteer fire departments around the country and would make it more attractive for corporations to give equipment to fire departments in other states. All of America has witnessed the heroic acts of selflessness and sacrifice of firefighters in New York City and in the Washington, D.C. area. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this incentive for the provision of additional safety equipment for volunteer firefighters who put their lives on the line every day throughout this great nation.

Mr. President, today, I am joined by my colleagues Senators Brownback, Edwards and Graham in introducing the Amateur Sports Integrity Act of 2003. This legislation would make it illegal to gamble on Olympic, college, or high school sports, and it would authorize appropriations for the National Institute of Standards and Technology to fund research into methods of detection and prevention of the use athletic performance-enhancing drugs. The bill is similar to legislation that has been reported twice in previous Congresses.

The legislation is designed to respond to a number of troubling issues plaguing amateur athletics, including a gambling epidemic among high school and college students, and a significant increase among our youth in the use of performance-enhancing drugs and supplements. This bill is essential to ensuring the integrity and legitimacy of amateur athletics--an important institution in the social fabric of this country.

This bill would codify a recommendation made by the congressionally- created National Gambling Impact Study Commission, NGISC, to ban betting on collegiate and amateur athletic events. In the summary of its comprehensive report to Congress dated June 1999, the NGISC noted growing concern regarding increasing levels of sports wagering by high school and college students. The NGISC cites a 1996 study sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which found that of the over

200 student athletes surveyed in Division I basketball and football programs, more than one in four admitted to betting on college sports while in school.

More recently, a study conducted by the Psychology Department of Central Connecticut State University contends that the problem of gambling among college students has been relatively overlooked when studying student risk-taking behavior. The study links legal and illegal gambling by indicating that, ``it is reasonable to expect that the growth of legalized gambling over the past decade would result in an increase in student gambling and gambling problems, including students who gamble at a pathological level.'' It is important to understand that gambling is not a problem that occurs in a vacuum. The Connecticut study found that one out of nine students at four Connecticut universities suffered from a gambling problem that was ``significantly connected'' to substance and dietary problems, such as marijuana use, cigarette smoking, and binge eating and drinking.

Just as the use of performance-enhancing drugs threatens the integrity of amateur sports, so does gambling, as it invites public speculation as to their legitimacy and transforms student athletes into merely objects to be bet upon. Betting can also provide unnecessary temptation to amateur athletes to agree to point-shaving and other outcome-fixing schemes at the expense of their teammates, their fans, and their futures. Many of the same pressures that lead college players to cheat also push these young people to use performance-enhancing drugs. The combination of stresses placed on student athletes to perform athletically, handle newly-found notoriety, and pursue professional athletic careers drive many to seek an edge through the use of such substances.

Although the Amateur Sports Integrity Act would ban legal gambling on amateur athletics, it may also reduce a substantial amount of illegal gambling. The relationship between legal and illegal gambling was addressed by the NGISC, which observed that ``legal sports wagering-- especially the publication in the media of Las Vegas and offshore- generated point spreads fuels a much larger amount of illegal sports wagering.''

In 1992, Congress recognized the Federal interest in protecting amateur sports from the harmful effects of gambling, and prohibited state-sanctioned sports betting in the overwhelming majority of states. Although Congress ``grandfathered'' Nevada, Oregon, Montana, and Delaware, only Nevada has chosen to permit legal gambling on amateur sports. Recently, however, the gaming industry has lobbied aggressively in an effort to convince the Delaware State legislature to exploit the loophole by legalizing gambling on amateur and professional sports.

Congress must act quickly to close the loophole that currently allows just a handful of States to serve as national clearinghouses for betting on our youth. By allowing betting in any state, we send a confusing message to our youth as to whether gambling on amateur athletics is, in fact, legal or illegal. While I do not pretend that this bill solves all problems associated with gambling and the use of performance-enhancing drugs, I do believe that it will send a clear message that gambling on amateur athletics and the use of these substances is dangerous and wrong.

I urge my colleagues to respond to the pleas of prominent college presidents and coaches, and join in supporting this important measure.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today Senator Durbin and I are introducing legislation strengthening current law concerning certification marks, collective marks, and service marks.

While some of our colleagues may not recognize these terms, I doubt there is any Senator who has not come into contact with one of these marks. For example, if you bought the best baking potatoes in the world, you are familiar with the ``Grown in Idaho '' or ``Idaho Potatoes '' certification mark. Perhaps you know the certification mark ``UL,'' which stands for Underwriters Laboratory and signifies that an electrical product meets certain safety standards. If you watch network television and have seen the CBS ``eye,'' you have seen a service mark. The union labels on many products are collective marks.

To explain the differences among these marks: service marks are words, names, symbols, or characters that distinguish the mark holder's services, while trademarks distinguish the mark holder's goods. Collective marks are trademarks that are used by organization or association to identify goods or services produced by members of a group. The certification mark is a trade or service mark used to certify characteristics about a product or service; it may indicate that the product or service originates in a specific geographic region, or meets certain standards of quality or mode of manufacture, or the work that went into it was performed by members of an organization.

While they are somewhat different, these marks all serve the same purpose--that is, they enable the public to distinguish among products and services and prevent consumers from being deceived by similar brands. Congress

determined that marks would serve the public interest by enhancing product quality and safety, and provided legal protection to these marks under the Lanham Act. The federal law protects all four kinds of marks equally; specifically, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1503 and 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1504 provide that service marks, collective marks, and certification marks ``shall be entitled to the protection provided'' to trademarks, except where Congress provides otherwise by statute.

The principle of equal treatment also applies to ``no challenge'' provisions in license agreements for the use of a trademark, service mark, collective mark, or certification mark. It is common for such agreements to include provisions under which licensees acknowledge the validity of and agree not to challenge the marks. By protecting the validity of the marks, these provisions reduce potential litigation costs for mark owners and protect the investment made by licensees. A long line of cases has upheld ``no challenge'' provisions in trademark licenses and dismissed validity challenges.

Unfortunately, the clarity of the Lanham Act on these points has been confused by a recent decision of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Idaho Potato Commission v. M&M Produce Farm and Sales. That decision interpreted the Lanham Act as requiring that certification marks should be treated differently from trademarks with respect to ``no challenge'' provisions. The court mistakenly likened the public policy considerations surrounding certification marks to those surrounding patents.

This decision has raised great consternation among the holders of certification marks and their licenses throughout the United States-- more than two dozen of whom joined in an amicus brief challenging the court's reasoning. Congress should be equally concerned, because this decision has the potential to undermine the Lanham Act and the certification mark system itself.

The legislation we are introducing today would not change current law, but would only underscore the policy that Congress clearly intended in the first place. We propose to add the words ``rights an privileges'' to the two sections of the law that I quoted above, which would clarify that registered service marks, collective marks, and certification marks are ``entitled to the protections, rights, and privileges'' provided to trademarks. While I have learned never to call legislation ``simple,'' I would stress that at least our intention is simple: to reinstate the original intent of Congress and indicate our support of the view that these marks are to be given equal legal treatment.

I invite all my colleagues to review this legislation and consider the important public policy interests it would protect. It is not only the mark holders and licensees in your State, but all consumers across the nation who have a stake in this bill, and I hope the Senate will act swiftly to approve it.

I ask unanimous consent the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Higher Education Affordability, Access and Opportunity Act of 2004 with my colleagues Senators Baucus, Alexander, Dole and Lieberman.

We are introducing this bipartisan legislation because we are aware that the American workforce is in the midst

of its most significant changes since the 1940s. In the past year, this economy has created nearly 1.7 million new jobs, yet the complaint from employers continues to be that they cannot find skilled workers to fill the jobs that are being created. Our educational systems must recognize this changing reality and be ready to provide the support for a new group of students that represents a workforce revolution.

This skills gap promises to get worse unless Congress acts now to provide the assistance necessary to train a generation of workers that will fill the jobs of tomorrow. The Department of Labor has estimated that as many as 80 percent of the jobs being created over the next 10 years will require some postsecondary education. This will include many adult learners who will return to college for additional training. This also includes new students attending college for the first time later in life to obtain new skills or to improve their current skills.

Congress needs to ensure that we have a comprehensive system of workforce education and training established, one that includes the Workforce Investment Act, the Higher Education Act, and career and technical education, as well as elementary and secondary education. The needs of the new workforce will require a lifelong commitment to learning, where workers are able to return to school and re-enter the workforce seamlessly.

Many workers in my home State are leaving to find better jobs elsewhere. To create the kind of good jobs with good futures that will keep people in Wyoming, we need workers with the skills that the new, global economy demands. Whether a company decides to open a plant in Casper or China, they depend on a qualified local workforce.

This legislation would help meet the needs of businesses today and into the future. It would help postsecondary institutions develop and implement curriculum related to high skilled or high-wage occupations. It would also provide support for institutions to increase their capacity to serve adult learners and students pursuing high-growth occupations.

This legislation would provide additional assistance for first-time college students who are attending school to receive advanced skill training or are looking to improve their skill set to enter high-wage or high-skilled occupations.

This legislation also provides support for small business owners, operators, and their employees to receive skill training at institutions of higher education so our small businesses can continue to lead the economic growth of our Nation.

This legislation also provides support for rural communities to recruit and retrain elementary and secondary education, so these areas can prepare their students for college and entry into the workforce with the skills they need to succeed, not only in postsecondary education, but in life.

This legislation also helps students better understand the cost of attending college by making the information collected by the Department of Education more accessible. Helping prospective students understand how to obtain aid and help pay for college is just as important as making sure students have access to the financial aid to support them through college.

I look forward to working with Chairman Gregg to advance these ideas to ensure that the American workforce is prepared with the skills necessary to successfully compete in the global economy.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce today with my respected colleague from Indiana, Senator Lugar, a bill designed to improve the health of our Nation's schoolchildren. I am also pleased to have the support of Senators Bingaman, Dodd and Jeffords, who have worked with me in past Congresses on this bill. I am hopeful that in the coming weeks many more Senators will join us in this important effort.

We have an obesity crisis in America. Too many children are gaining too much weight. Advertisements for soda and candy bombard them from television, vending machines, and grocery store aisles. Schools, however, should be a healthy refuge from the outside world, where kids can learn to make the right choices when it comes to their diets. Nutrition education needs to be a critical component of every child's school day. But with all of the funds that Congress rightly appropriates each year for nutrition education and healthy school lunches and meals, our Nation's efforts are severely undermined when children have to walk through a gauntlet of vending machines offering unhealthy choices on the way to the cafeteria.

Under current regulations, schools may not offer soda, hard candies or other foods of minimal nutritional value in the cafeteria during lunch or breakfast. Unfortunately, some private companies have offered schools signing bonuses to openly flout this restriction, at times lining the halls to the cafeterias with foods that provide absolutely no nutritional value. In February 2001, the Washington Post reported that a school in Maryland had signed a contract with a soda company that contained a clause forbidding the school from enforcing the Federal ban on soda machines in schools. The clause read ``If the Board of Education actively enforces the policy in which vending machines are turned off during the school day, the commission guarantee will be suspended.'' In other words, the schools could only get commissions from the vending machines if they broke the law.

We can not sell our children's health to the highest bidder on a sodas contract. That is why our bill would give the Secretary of Agriculture authority to more effectively restrict the sale of soft drinks and other foods of minimal nutritional value in schools that participate in the Federal school lunch program. We would give the Secretary authority to regulate these foods throughout the school grounds, until the end of the school lunch period. Our bill also mandates that the Secretary use the best science available to determine which foods provide no nutritional value. My bill will ensure that students are not substituting empty calorie sodas and snacks for their nutritious federally subsidized school meals.

According to a report issued by the Center for Science and the Public Interest, 20 years ago boys consumed more than twice as much milk as soda; now boys and girls drink twice as much soda as milk. This is a huge problem, particularly for girls--the teenage years are critical for building up a woman's lifetime supply of calcium. Girls who substitute soda for milk are at a greater risk for developing osteoporosis later in life. We must provide our kids with better options. I have no problem with vending machines themselves, but let's get vending machines that sell fresh milk, fruits and vegetables into our schools.

Senator Lugar and I have successfully worked together on many important issues relating to child nutrition and agriculture in the past. I am extremely pleased that we can work together again to create healthier schools and healthier children.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the Better Nutrition for Schoolchildren Act of 2003 be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today along with Senators Lautenberg, Specter, Schumer, Dodd, Clinton and Lieberman, I am introducing the Highlands Stewardship Act. I am proud to be joining Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen and other colleagues from the New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut congressional delegations, who are introducing identical legislation in the House of Representatives.

This legislation would help to preserve one of the last open space treasures in this country, the Highlands forest region that stretches from northwestern Connecticut, across the lower Hudson River valley in New York, through my State of New Jersey and into east-central Pennsylvania. This region encompasses more than 2 million acres of forests, farms, streams, wetlands, lakes and reservoirs and historic sites. It includes the Green, Taconic and Notre Dame Mountains. It also includes such historic sites as Morristown National Historic Park and West Point.

The value of the ecological, recreational and scenic resources of the Highlands cannot be overstated. One hundred seventy million gallons are drawn from the Highlands aquifers daily, providing quality drinking water for over 11 million people. Two hundred forty seven threatened or endangered species live in the Highlands including the timber rattlesnake, wood turtle, red-shouldered hawk, barred owl, great blue heron and eastern wood rat. There also are many fishing, hiking and boating recreation opportunities in the Highlands that are used by many of the 1 in 12 Americans who live within 2 hours of travel of the Highlands.

Unfortunately, much of Highlands is quickly vanishing. According to the most recent study issued by the United States Department of Agriculture, we have lost over 3,000 acres of forest and 1,600 acres of farmland in New York and New Jersey sections of the Highlands annually to development between 1995 and 2000.

This legislation would designate a Stewardship Area amongst the four States in order to protect the most important Highlands projects. It would create a source of funding for conservation and preservation projects in the Highlands to preserve and protect the open space that remains. Two million dollars a year for 10 years would be provided for conservation assistance projects in the four Highlands States. This funding could be used for items such as smart growth initiatives and cultural preservation projects. Twenty-five million dollars a year over 10 years

also would be provided for open space preservation projects in the four Highlands states. The source of this funding would be the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

I am proud to introduce this legislation to ensure that we protect this resource, which is so critical to our quality of life, and I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.