Blue Ridge Parkway and Town of Blowing Rock Land Exchange Act of 2009

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

The hearing will be held on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 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. 1369, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to

designate segments of the Molalla River in the State of

Oregon, as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers

System, and for other purposes;

S. 1405, to redesignate the Longfellow National Historic

Site, Massachusetts, as the ``Longfellow House-Washington's

Headquarters National Historic Site'';

S. 1413, to amend the Adams National Historical Park Act of

1998 to include the Quincy Homestead within the boundary of

the Adams National Historical Park, and for other purposes;

S. 1767 and H.R. 1121, to authorize a land exchange to

acquire land for the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Town of

Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and for other purposes;

S. Res. 275, honoring the Minute Man National Historical

Park on the occasion of its 50th anniversary;

H.R. 2802, to provide for an extension of the legislative

authority of the Adams Memorial Foundation to establish a

commemorative work in honor of former President John Adams

and his legacy, and for other purposes; and

H.R. 3113, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to

designate a segment of the Elk River in the State of West

Virginia for study for potential addition to the National

Wild and Scenic Rivers System, 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 email to [email protected] .gov.

For further information, please contact David Brooks at (202) 224- 9863 or Allison Seyferth at (202) 224-4905.

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the hearing before the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests to receive testimony on managing Federal forests in response to climate change, including for natural resource adaptation and carbon sequestration has been rescheduled.

The rescheduled hearing will be held on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

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 email to: [email protected] .gov.

For further information, please contact Scott Miller at (202) 224- 5488 or Allison Seyferth at (202) 224-4905.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Washington and my colleague from Guam for bringing my bill forward, and I especially want to thank the committee for bringing H.R. 1121, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Town of Blowing Rock Land Exchange Act forward for consideration.

This is noncontroversial, bipartisan legislation, which is recognized by the North Carolina delegation as essential to the Blue Ridge Parkway's vital tourism industry and the town of Blowing Rock's access to public drinking water. My two colleagues have done a phenomenal job of explaining the need for this legislation and the fact that it is noncontroversial and very, very positive legislation.

In recent years, the North Carolina mountain region has experienced remarkable population growth and increased tourism, increasing the need for a reliable water supply in the towns like Blowing Rock. A testament to its importance in the region, this legislation is cosponsored by the entire North Carolina delegation.

I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation and again thank the committee for bringing it to the floor for consideration.

This land exchange will ensure an adequate public drinking water supply for the Town's citizens, guests and Parkway travelers. The Town's economy is heavily based on tourism generated primarily by the Blue Ridge Parkway. With thousands of annual visitors, the transfer will benefit the town's residents and the many North Carolinians who visit Blowing Rock each year.

The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Town of Blowing Rock have had a long, successful relationship and history of working together in order to serve their constituencies. This land exchange will continue to provide demonstrable benefits to both parties and the region.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1121) to authorize a land exchange to acquire lands for the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Town of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1121 is sponsored by our colleague Representative Virginia Foxx of North Carolina. The bill authorizes the exchange of approximately 192 acres of land owned by the Town of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, for roughly 20 acres of land within the Blue Ridge Parkway, a unit of the National Park System. Both the town and the National Park Service support this exchange. All applicable laws and policy regarding environmental compliance and equalization of values will be followed.

This is a good bill, Mr. Speaker, that resolves a longstanding management issue for both parties, so I ask my colleagues to support the passage of this measure.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests for time and would inquire of the minority whether they have any additional speakers.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

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

Mr. Speaker, the reservoir that supplies the water to Blowing Rock, North Carolina, is on land that was donated to the Blue Ridge Parkway over 50 years ago. After the Park Service acquired the land, the reservoir continued to operate under an informal agreement until recently when the National Park Service decided to require an annual special use permit for the site and imposed water rights fees. The Park Service pronouncement means that the town faced the prospect of renting its longstanding sole source of water 1 year at a time and being charged for the water.

So I want to compliment Dr. Foxx for this legislative solution to the problem. Her bill will allow Blowing Rock to own and manage its 20-acre municipal water supply, rather than accessing it through the Park Service permitting process.

I must say, though, that I am dismayed because of the price extracted by the National Park Service because it forced the town to come up with 192 acres in exchange for 20. I think that is a bad ratio. Nevertheless, I support this legislation. I think it's a good piece of legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the author of this legislation, the gentlelady from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).

Mr. Speaker, I have no more requests for time, and so I'll yield back my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order for the Senate to proceed en bloc to consideration of the following calendar items: Calendar No. 261, S. Res. 297; Calendar No. 262, S. Res. 275; Calendar No. 287, S. 1053; Calendar No. 291, S. 1405; Calendar No. 295, H.R. 689; Calendar No. 297, H.R. 1121; Calendar No. 300, H.R. 1442; Calendar No. 305, H.R. 2802.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to en bloc; the preambles be agreed to en bloc; that the committee- reported amendments, where applicable, be agreed to; the bill, as amended, if amended, where applicable, be read a third time and passed, as amended, if amended, where applicable, en bloc; the motions to reconsider be laid on the table en bloc; that the consideration of these items appear separately in the Record; and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.