Rattlesnake Mountain Public Access Act of 2011

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2719) to ensure public access to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain in the Hanford Reach National Monument for educational, recreational, historical, scientific, cultural, and other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative

days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

H.R. 2719 directs the Department of the Interior to ensure public access to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain, located within the Hanford Reach National Monument in my district.

At 3,600 feet, Rattlesnake Mountain is the highest point in the region and provides unparalleled views for miles around the monument, the Hanford Site, the Columbia River, the Yakima River and the Snake River. Unfortunately, it took the Fish and Wildlife Service 8 years to write a management plan that effectively closed Rattlesnake Mountain to public access, despite the public comments favoring just the opposite.

After I introduced this bill last Congress, the Fish and Wildlife Service, in October of 2010, offered two public tours for selected individuals, and then suddenly reneged on the offer just days before the tours were to occur without any explanation. During a recent committee hearing on the bill, the Interior Department's testimony suggested that the Fish and Wildlife Service supports tours of Rattlesnake Mountain, but very carefully didn't go the extra step of ensuring that the Service would allow public access to the actual summit. Access to the mountain and access to the summit are two entirely different matters.

To put it bluntly, Mr. Speaker, the Service has had more than 10 years, and they say it will take several more before they can determine if it will allow the American people to have access to this portion of the monument. That is why this bill is so necessary to guarantee public access by law and to do so in a very timely manner.

Mr. Speaker, I might add the tallest mountain in Washington State is Mount Rainier at 14,410 feet. People have access up to that under certain conditions. This is a mountain that has no trees; it's 3,600 feet. There's no reason why people shouldn't have access.

And to that extent, the legislation is supported by the Tri-Cities Development Council, the Board of Benton County Commissioners in which Rattlesnake Mountain is located, the Tri-Cities Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau, and the Back Country Horsemen of Washington.

The American people deserve to have access to public lands, including Rattlesnake Mountain. I ask that the House pass this reasonable legislation today to help make that possible.

I note that the bill was reported by the Committee on Natural Resources by unanimous consent, and I appreciate the support of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for this measure.

With that, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues 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 such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 2719, which would require the Fish and Wildlife Service to provide both motorized and non-motorized access to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain. This bill would allow the Fish and Wildlife Service to enter into cooperative agreements with the Department of Energy, the State of Washington, local governments, and other interested persons to provide guided tours to the summit of the mountain and to maintain the access road to the summit.

In 2008 the Fish and Wildlife Service completed a management plan for this area and determined that Service-sponsored or led tours and a hiking trail are appropriate and compatible uses of the area. In October, at the hearing on H.R. 2719, the Fish and Wildlife Service supported the bill's intent to provide appropriate public access on Rattlesnake Mountain that gives due consideration to all stakeholders, including the Yakima tribe.

I commend Chairman Hastings from Washington for introducing this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, December 15, 2011, I was unable to vote due to an important family event.

Had I been present, I would have voted:

On rollcall No. 933--``yes''--Approval of the Journal.

On rollcall No. 934--``yes''--H.R. 886--U.S. Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act.

On rollcall No. 935--``yes''--H.R. 2719, Rattlesnake Mountain Public Access Act.

On rollcall No. 936--``yes''--H.R. 443, To Provide for the conveyance of certain property from the U.S. to the Maniilaq Association in Kotzebue, AK.

Mr. Speaker, due to a personal family matter on December 15, 2011, I was absent from votes. As such, I am submitting these remarks to indicate how I would have voted if I were here: I would have voted No on the Journal Vote, and Yes on H.R. 886, H.R. 2719, and H.R. 443.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall 935, I was away from the Capitol due to prior commitments to my constituents. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''