Beaver Basin Wilderness Act

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill to rename the Lakeview Post Office after Dr. Bernard Daly. I am pleased to have my colleague Senator Wyden join me in this effort by serving as original cosponsor of this bill.

Dr. Bernard Daly was an American country doctor, businessman, banker, rancher, state representative, state senator, county judge, and regent of Oregon State Agricultural College, today's Oregon State University. As early as 1888, Dr. Bernard Daly began actively encouraging young people to apply for college. When families could not afford the tuition, Daly quietly paid the bill.

During a Christmas Eve party in 1894, an oil lamp started a fire in a crowed community hall in the small town of Silver Lake, Oregon. Forty- three people were killed in the blaze, and many more were badly injured. Dr. Daly traveled by buggy from Lakeview to Silver Lake, a distance of 95 miles, over bad, snow covered roads to help victims of the tragedy. It took 24 hours of continuous travel for him to reach Silver Lake. Despite the long journey, he began treating burn victims as soon as he arrived, and continued without rest until everyone had been seen. Dr. Daly saved all but three of the badly burned persons, and his methods of healing were later published in detail in a medical journal. The fire was widely reported and written about in The Oregon Desert. Dr. Daly's efforts to reach and treat the victims earned state- wide recognition and many admirers.

When Dr. Daly died, he gave his fortune to the people of Lake County in the form of the Bernard Daly Educational Fund. Dr. Daly wrote in his will: ``It is my earnest desire to help, aid and assist worthy and ambitious young men and women of my beloved county of Lake, to acquire a good education, so that they may be better fitted and qualified to appreciate and help to preserve the laws and constitution of this free country, defend its flag, and by their conduct as good citizens reflect honor on Lake county and the state of Oregon.'' The fact that his will specifically directed that Daly scholarships be granted to women as well as men was very progressive for that era.

Each year, approximately 40 graduates of Lake County high schools receive Daly scholarships. To date, well over two thousand students from Lakeview and other Lake County communities have used Bernard Daly's generous scholarships to attend college. Dr. Daly's educational trust fund has financed college educations for generations of Lake County, Oregon students, a legacy that continues to this day.

I have received several messages from across the country and even one from Australia supporting the renaming of the Lakeview Post Office after Dr. Bernard Daly. Each one told a story of sincere appreciation for Dr. Daly's generosity.

We urge our colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.

Mr. President, today I am introducing with Senator Stabenow the Beaver Basin Wilderness Act, which would permanently protect 11,740 acres within the Pictured Rocks National Park located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula along the south shore of Lake Superior. Also known as the Beaver Basin area, this area comprises about 16 percent of the national lakeshore. The Wilderness designation would ensure that opportunities to appreciate and enjoy nature in a relatively undisturbed state at this national lakeshore are preserved for future generations.

The bill responds to many of the concerns expressed during the 5-year development of the General Management Plan for Pictured Rocks, which included a wilderness study, and involved extensive public involvement. Boats powered by electric motors would be allowed on Little Beaver and Beaver Lakes within the Wilderness area. All motor boats would be allowed to access the miles of the Lake Superior shoreline, as the wilderness area does not include the Lake Superior surface water.

Also, the access road to Beaver Lakes and Little Beaver campground is not included in the wilderness area, so vehicles would still have access to this popular area. Importantly, the Wilderness designation would not change the fundamental way this land has been managed since 1981, ensuring continued public access, use, and enjoyment of this land.

It is critical that the highly valued, pristine natural features of the Beaver Basin area remain the treasure they are today. This area provides a unique and distinct landscape that highlights one of the most beautiful backdrops of the Great Lakes, and it is vital that we do all we can to protect it. Significantly, several miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail, also known as the Lakeshore Trail, run through this wilderness area. This bill would help preserve the serene quality of this segment of the trail, and protect the outstanding scenery along the shoreline. The wilderness designation will benefit current and future generations by protecting this natural and undisturbed landscape for the enjoyment of thousands of people in Michigan and across the Nation.

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

Mr. President, today I am introducing with Senator Stabenow the Beaver Basin Wilderness Act, which would permanently protect 11,740 acres within the Pictured Rocks National Park located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula along the south shore of Lake Superior. Also known as the Beaver Basin area, this area comprises about 16 percent of the national lakeshore. The Wilderness designation would ensure that opportunities to appreciate and enjoy nature in a relatively undisturbed state at this national lakeshore are preserved for future generations.

The bill responds to many of the concerns expressed during the 5-year development of the General Management Plan for Pictured Rocks, which included a wilderness study, and involved extensive public involvement. Boats powered by electric motors would be allowed on Little Beaver and Beaver Lakes within the Wilderness area. All motor boats would be allowed to access the miles of the Lake Superior shoreline, as the wilderness area does not include the Lake Superior surface water.

Also, the access road to Beaver Lakes and Little Beaver campground is not included in the wilderness area, so vehicles would still have access to this popular area. Importantly, the Wilderness designation would not change the fundamental way this land has been managed since 1981, ensuring continued public access, use, and enjoyment of this land.

It is critical that the highly valued, pristine natural features of the Beaver Basin area remain the treasure they are today. This area provides a unique and distinct landscape that highlights one of the most beautiful backdrops of the Great Lakes, and it is vital that we do all we can to protect it. Significantly, several miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail, also known as the Lakeshore Trail, run through this wilderness area. This bill would help preserve the serene quality of this segment of the trail, and protect the outstanding scenery along the shoreline. The wilderness designation will benefit current and future generations by protecting this natural and undisturbed landscape for the enjoyment of thousands of people in Michigan and across the Nation.

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

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks.

The hearing will be held on June 17, 2008, at 2:30 p.m, in room SD- 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 1774, to designate the John Krebs Wilderness in the State of California, to add certain land to the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park Wilderness, and for other purposes; S. 2255, to amend the National Trails System Act to provide for studies of the Chisholm Trail and Great Western Trail to determine whether to add the trails to the

National Trails System, and for other purposes; S. 2359, to establish the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission, and for other purposes; S. 2943, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail; S. 3010, to reauthorize the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program; S. 3017, to designate the Beaver Basin Wilderness at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the State of Michigan; S. 3045, to establish the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Forest Heritage Area in the State of Alaska, and for other purposes; and H.R. 1143, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to lease certain lands in Virgin Islands National Park, and for other purposes.

Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by e-mail to [email protected] .gov.

For further information, please contact David Brooks at (202) 224- 9863 or Rachel Pasternack at (202) 224-0883.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Police Sergeant Timothy P. Grace who faithfully served the residents of the city of Fairfield for 31 years.

Sergeant Grace began his service with the Fairfield Police Department on September 27, 1975, where he worked in several capacities including drunk driving enforcement grants, the traffic unit, patrol, investigations and the training and communications unit. Sergeant Grace continued to serve as a defensive tactics instructor as well as a field training officer.

Sergeant Grace earned his well-deserved promotion to the position of police sergeant in 2000. He worked as a valiant leader in both the patrol and the professional standards unit, where his dedication to these units made a valuable impact on the operations of the overall department.

Sergeant Grace evidenced a commitment to his community on a daily basis. He served as a loyal representative of the law and is admired by his community for his hard work, dedication and positive influence on the entire department.