Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Conservation and Recreation Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 23) to designate as wilderness certain land and inland water within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in the State of Michigan, and for 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.

This bill reflects decades of work, work by local citizens who organized to reject the dictates of the Federal bureaucracy and to protect public access and recreation. At the same time that this bill designates new wilderness, it also provides critical protections for the public's ability to visit and enjoy the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in the State of Michigan. Let me give you a little bit of background.

In 1981, the National Park Service proposed a general management plan for the lakeshore in Michigan. The plan was so restrictive as to be punitive towards recreation, and it sparked a local backlash. After years of collaboration, a new plan was agreed upon that realigned the wilderness boundaries to restore sensible public access.

This legislation would codify these negotiated changes into law and ensure the continued availability of roads for visitors traveling to remote trailheads, to beaches, to backcountry areas, and to historic areas within this geography. The bill also protects motorboater access to the shoreline. It specifically protects private property rights. It preserves hunting and fishing rights, and it does not expand Federal land ownership or add any additional costs to taxpayers.

As I stated, this effort has been going on for several decades. After the House votes today, this bill will go to the President for his signature in order to become law. Yet, Mr. Speaker, the real

credit for this legislation, even though it is a Senate bill, is owed to our colleague from Michigan, Dr. Benishek, for making this happen. He is the lead sponsor of this legislation, or the companion legislation, in the House of Representatives. Dr. Benishek has been a persistent and persuasive advocate for this local proposal.

As the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, which oversees this bill, I can state with certainty that it is because of his, Dr. Benishek's, bipartisan efforts that this bill will pass the House tonight. He has worked closely with both Republicans and Democrats, especially his senior Senator, Senator Levin of Michigan, to make this a reality. Without their personal efforts, today's vote would not happen.

Dr. Benishek certainly deserves recognition for this success, and I congratulate him and the people of Michigan, whom he represents, for this legislation.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Benishek), the author of the House legislation which is the companion to what we are voting on from the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Camp), another cosponsor of this legislation and the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of S. 23, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Conservation and Recreation Act.

As you know, this bill, which passed the Senate by unanimous consent on June 19, 2013, is identical to H.R. 163, legislation I introduced by the same title last January with the full support of the Michigan delegation.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a treasured area of my home district and for the entire Nation. The park has been named America's most beautiful place by ``Good Morning America,'' and over 1 million visitors from around the world come to see the dunes and the surrounding lakes each year.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore plays a vital role in our State's outdoor recreation economy, which contributes over $18 billion in consumer spending and over 194,000 jobs to the State of Michigan. As Pamela of Lake Township said, ``Sleeping Bear is vital to the economy of northern Michigan. Most of the money earned in this area is during the summer months when tourists from all over the country visit.'' From gas stations to ice cream stands to local hotels, our local businesses look forward to a full and thriving park season each year.

In 1981, Congress determined that wilderness areas should exist within this park, and over 30,000 acres of park have been managed as wilderness since that time. When the National Park Service began to update the proposed map for the first time since 1981, the local residents discovered for the first time that the map included a number of county roads, beaches, and historic sites in this proposed wilderness area.

As you can imagine, local residents in Benzie, Leelanau, and Grand Traverse County were not pleased, and a lengthy public planning period began. Because of the very public local opposition to the original land management plan, the Park Service agreed to go back to the drawing board. They worked together with the local citizens and interest groups, ranging from area businesses to environmental groups. After gathering extensive public involvement, review, and comment, a final general management plan was adopted in January 2009. This plan ensures that all county roads will remain in control of the local governments, and beaches and historic sites will be excluded from the wilderness map.

The bill on the floor here today represents the hard work of these engaged citizens. It has been introduced each Congress, in both the House and the Senate, since 2009. This legislation, like the park, itself, has always enjoyed wide support from the entire Michigan delegation on both sides of the aisle. While we may not agree on every issue, we can agree that our local communities know best when it comes to planning for the future of our parks.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have worked with those who have come before me--from Chairman Camp, to former Representative Hoekstra, to Representative Huizenga and Senator Levin--to shepherd this bill through Congress. My goal is simple. Like all of those who love this amazing stretch of shoreline, I want to ensure that those beaches and roads remain open.

I hope everyone will join me in visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes soon. You will get to see how truly blessed northern Michigan is to have this amazing natural wonder.

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

(Mr. HORSFORD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank our chairman from the Natural Resources Committee, and I am proud to be here on behalf of the minority to speak in favor of S. 23, which is a locally driven conservation initiative that will make the management of a national park unit more efficient and will create the first new acres of wilderness enacted into the system since 2009. Adding approximately 30,000 acres of wilderness will protect the special character of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan.

The passage of this bill is going to make a lot of people very happy, and I hope it is a sign of change to come. Congress should not stand in the way of locally driven conservation initiatives, and we look forward to working with the majority to identify more opportunities in which to work together and to move legislation that merits our attention. There are a lot more wilderness bills, monument designations, and wildlife and scenic river bills that the House should consider. We happily support the adoption of S. 23.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, just to reiterate, we fully support S. 23. I look forward to its passage, and I look forward to one day visiting this beautiful location in Michigan.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the bill offered by my colleague and friend, Mr. Dan Benishek of Michigan.

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is not just a Michigan but a national treasure. It is enjoyed by over 1 million visitors from across the State, country, and world each year. In fact, in 2011, Sleeping Bear was voted the ``most beautiful place in America'' by a poll conducted by ``Good Morning America.''

This bill is the product of years of work between members of the public, the National Park Service, and local, State, and Federal officials. It strikes a careful balance between conservation and recreation. In addition to protecting this vital natural resource, the bill ensures that the beaches of Lake Michigan will be accessible to the public and that hunting and fishing rights, as well as boating access, will be maintained.

I hope the rest of the House will join me today in supporting the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Conservation and Recreation Act so that this national treasure can be enjoyed to its fullest now and for many generations to come.