Recognizing the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the East Bay Regional Park District in California, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 211) recognizing the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the East Bay Regional Park District in California, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as a lifelong citizen of Contra Costa County in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay area, I have witnessed firsthand the East Bay Regional Park District's steady drive to protect open spaces, benefiting millions of East Bay residents over several generations. The East Bay Regional Park District is today the largest regional park agency in the country.

Over the last 75 years, they have preserved nearly 100,000 acres of parkland, established 65 regional parks, and built over 1,100 miles of trails. Almost every weekend, I visit the East Bay Regional Parks on one of their trails, one of the regional park systems, to walk with my family and enjoy the outdoors in the parks. Generally it is the Briones Regional Park that is near my home.

I commend the East Bay Regional Park District and all of the various board members throughout the last 75 years on not only reaching this milestone, but the vision that they conceptualized many, many years ago to provide this incredible asset to the residents of the San Francisco Bay area, specifically to the East Bay of San Francisco Bay.

I rise in strong support of this resolution commending the 75th anniversary of the East Bay Regional Park District. I want to thank Chairman Rahall, Chairman Grijalva, Chairwoman Bordallo, and Ranking Member Bishop for their work to bring this resolution to the floor.

As a resident of this area, and very often talking to my neighbors and to people I represent in this area, the pride that our area has in the East Bay Regional Parks, the support that the citizens of this region have given the park district over the last 75 years is testament to a well-run system of parks throughout our area, of recreational facilities, of trails, of support for families with children, for people who ride horses, people who ride bikes, people who run, people who walk, and accommodating the open spaces and historical and cultural uses of the areas within the boundaries of the East Bay Regional Parks in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

I don't represent this area alone. I share the representation of the park district with Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congressman Pete Stark, Congressman John Garamendi and Congressman Jerry McNerney, and I know all of them share the pride that I do in the East Bay Regional Park System.

As I stated earlier, the vision that they have presented to the public and the support that it has received, and the cooperation they have received from farmers, from ranchers, from cities, from the counties, has just been an incredible model for other areas that have to deal with the issues of preserving open space and the competing uses of that space by various governmental jurisdictions and private landowners.

I also want to pay tribute to the grand old man in implementing this plan and working with all of the various landowners and the local jurisdictions and procuring these lands at a fair price to the taxpayers of our region, and that is Hewlett Hornbeck, who for so many years brought about the implementation of that vision of the board of directors of the regional parks.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock) for his comments, and what he said is one of the reasons why this park district has such a high level of support among its citizens. They voted many times to tax themselves, knowing this money was going to be wisely used and they were going to get a good and a fair bargain for all parties involved.

At this time, I yield such time as he may consume to Congressman Pete Stark, another longtime supporter and beneficiary of the East Bay Regional Park system.

I thank the gentleman, and I yield myself 2 minutes.

Congressman Stark mentioned Pat O'Brien, and I want to thank him because he has been such a wonderful manager of this system, along with his entire staff, and certainly all of the volunteers who come to the park, which number in the thousands, all of the time to take care of these parks and make them accessible to the public, to host special events. I thank the magnificent staff, the rangers of the park system, who live in our communities and know the people who use the parks and accommodate them.

It was said at one time, I don't know if it is accurate or not, but it was suggested you could get on horseback and ride for 7 days and never leave the park and never use the same trails. The park hosts numerous stables that the private sector has outside of the park. Again, thousands of people a year use the parks on horseback. It is a great opportunity for children to be around horses and see people riding them and learn about them from their owners.

This is a remarkable community asset in the midst of one of the most urban areas in the United States in terms of density, and clearly highly appreciated by the people. I would hope that all of my colleagues in Congress would join us in voting for and supporting the 75th anniversary recognition of this world class park system of the East Bay Regional Parks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 211 to recognize the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the East Bay Regional Park District in California.

I would also like to thank Representative George Miller for his leadership in introducing this resolution and for his tireless work as a representative of California's 7th Congressional District which neighbors my home, the 9th Congressional District.

The success of the East Bay Regional Parks District is rooted in the history of our own country, and in the belief that during times of economic and social adversity, investments in people and environmental preservation can be instrumental in promoting economic recovery while benefiting current and future generations.

This resolution celebrates the 75th anniversary of the ballot measure to create the East Bay Regional Parks District, a measure that passed overwhelmingly during a time of great economic upheaval in 1934.

With the help of federal public works agencies, and sustained public and private engagement, the Parks District established its first regional parks including Tilden, Sibley, and Temescal Parks, all in my home District.

Today the East Bay Regional Park District is the largest local park agency in the United States and serves a population of 2.5 million residents along with countless visitors seeking the unique sights, sounds, and outdoor activities of the District's parks just a short walk or drive from the some of the San Francisco Bay Area's largest urban centers.

I am so proud of the legacy of the East Bay Regional Parks District throughout the California Bay Area and its inspiring illustration of the need to preserve our recreational and wilderness resources across the nation.

I would also like to take a moment to recognize the supporters of the East Bay Regional Park District, as well as its board members, general managers, and staff.

Through the hard work of these individuals, and backed by the unwavering support of local residents, the East Bay Regional Park District remains committed to conserving and expanding park resources for the recreational, educational, and scenic enjoyment of these open spaces for generations to come.

With that in mind, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and in doing so, join in honoring the East Bay Regional Parks District during this historic commemoration of its past, present, and future in serving millions of residents and visitors in the California Bay Area.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in enthusiastic support of House Concurrent Resolution 211, which honors the board members, general managers, and staff of the East Bay Regional Park District. For 75 years, these public servants and their predecessors have admirably preserved the great outdoors for the Bay Area's communities and millions of visitors.

The East Bay Regional Park District has grown to the largest regional park agency in the United States, covering nearly 100,000 acres. District employees have admirably protected the land and native wildlife while providing invaluable recreational opportunities. This harmonious interaction is demonstrated all over the park system. The stewardship of fisheries allows anglers to catch striped bass, rainbow trout, and sturgeon. The management of livestock grazing reduces the threat of fires and preserves diversity of vegetation. The conservation of water resources permits swimmers to enjoy our lakes and lagoons. The East Bay Regional Park District also provides opportunities for archeologists, hikers, scientists, and other recreationalists and students.

Bay Area residents recognize that the Park System has contributed greatly to their living environment and helped make the region one of the best places in the country to live. In 1934, 1988, and most recently in 2008, Bay Area voters extended its funding, maintaining this natural treasure for the enjoyment of present and future generations.

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congressman George Miller for introducing this Resolution and Chairman Nick Rahall for his outstanding leadership of the Natural Resources Committee. From the East Bay to the East Steps of the Capitol, they have been good stewards to this country's natural wonders.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the East Bay Regional Park District serves the people of San

Francisco, and the test of their satisfaction is the fact that they have continued to support it with voter-approved bonds, each vote being a vote of confidence in its work and each vote backing that confidence with local funds.

It used to be that local projects that benefited local communities were paid for by those local communities, and the East Bay Regional Park is an example of this bygone era. Today the Federal Treasury is too often treated as a grab bag for local projects, literally robbing St. Petersburg to pay St. Paul. The success of the East Bay Regional Park District is a reminder that the most successful local projects are those that are paid for with local funds and superintended by local voters. It is a reminder that Federalism works and that we need to return to it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman for recognizing me.

The 75th anniversary of the East Bay Regional Park District really goes back to the early grassroots days of actually the Depression, when people in our district banded together in that time to organize and tax themselves to create this district. These parks are owned by everyone. In the Great Depression, they created the district and the Civilian Conservation Corps, and the WPA were the initial workers in these parks.

It would be remiss for me not to recognize general manager Pat O'Brien, who has worked so hard to keep these parks open. In my district, you can move from the hills of Freemont to the crown park in Alameda, to the hills behind Oakland and never be beyond walking distance of these marvelous parks. So it is a compliment to the chairman, and I would like to join with him in recognizing the importance of our regional park district, and thanking the local people in hopes that others may follow suit.