Ashland Breakwater Light Transfer Act

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Labrador) for yielding, and I thank the gentleman from Minnesota for his kind remarks about my ads, which I know there weren't many positive ads in the Duluth market, but I did have one. So I appreciate that, Mr. Nolan, and thank you for your support of what is a very important bill for folks in northern Wisconsin.

I have a picture of what this actual lighthouse looks like right off the community of Ashland. This bill, H.R. 4049, is the bill that will transfer the Ashland Breakwater Light from the Coast Guard to the National Park Service.

This lighthouse has stood here for over 100 years, standing strong on the shores of Lake Superior in dark nights and in storms, guarding our ships in their safe passage to our harbor, but also welcoming back travelers who have left the greater Ashland community and on the way home.

I had a chance to live in Ashland for 10 years, raising my children. My second-born son was born there. I think my third, fourth, and fifth were born there as well. I lose count after a while, but it is a great community. This lighthouse is a big part of our identity in Ashland.

Right now, the lighthouse has an uncertain future because the Coast Guard has indicated several times, most recently in 2012, that they are going to give up management of the lighthouse. No public entity, aside from the National Park Service's Apostle Islands National Lakeshore have stepped forward and indicated that they would obtain and maintain this very important lighthouse in our community.

Absent this legislation, there is no guarantee that this historic lighthouse would be maintained and continue to operate and be accessible for educational purposes. H.R. 4049 will allow the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore to maintain the lighthouse alongside, as Mr. Nolan and I think Mr. Labrador mentioned, eight other lighthouses they maintain.

Just a little trip down history lane: in 1986, the Coast Guard transferred eight of these lighthouses to the National Park Service, but they didn't transfer this one. All we are doing right now is saying let's redraw that line and include this one with the other eight, so the National Park Service can now manage this lighthouse as well.

If I were looking at this bill, I might say, ``Well, I have a concern if I am a fisherman or a boater who might use the waters outside the lighthouse.'' I can guarantee you that the way this is written and the way the line is drawn there will be no additional rules or regulations coming from the Feds that are going to affect your ability to fish or boat right around the lighthouse.

We have adequately addressed that concern in this House by having so many different folks come together, people across the aisle who share a border and a lake, but also share a love for the environment and all it has to offer.

We also have support of the National Park Service who supports this bill; the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore; the U.S. Coast Guard; the Wisconsin DNR; the Wisconsin Historical Society; the Ashland Chamber of Commerce, which is very important; the city of Ashland; and a lot of local outdoor recreational communities.

With that, I would urge passage of H.R. 4049, and I want to thank everyone for their support for what is a very important bill to my community in northern Wisconsin.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4049) to amend the Act to provide for the establishment of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in the State of Wisconsin, and for other purposes, to adjust the boundary of that National Lakeshore to include the lighthouse known as Ashland Harbor Breakwater Light, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

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

The Ashland Harbor Breakwater Light is an operational lighthouse located near Ashland, Wisconsin, and is currently owned and managed by the U.S. Coast Guard. In 2007, the Coast Guard announced its intent to give up ownership of the Ashland light, and only the National Park Service expressed interest in maintaining the public access to it.

H.R. 4049 adjusts the boundaries of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore to include the light station, but protects the ability of the Coast Guard to maintain the light as an aid to navigation.

Congressman Sean Duffy should be commended for his work on this issue, which also has the support of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Natural Resources,

Washington, DC, November 14, 2014.

Hon. Bill Shuster,

Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,

Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: On June 19, 2014, the Committee on

Natural Resources ordered reported without amendment H.R.

4049, the Ashland Breakwater Light Transfer Act by unanimous

consent. The bill was referred primarily to the Committee on

Natural Resources, with an additional referral to the

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

I ask that you allow the Transportation and Infrastructure

Committee to be discharged from further consideration of the

bill so that it may be scheduled by the Majority Leader. This

discharge in no way affects your jurisdiction over the

subject matter of the bill, and it will not serve as

precedent for future referrals. The Committee on Natural

Resources concurs with the mutual understanding that when the

House considers H.R. 4049, it will consider amended text

negotiated between the staffs of our two committees. In

addition, should a conference on the bill be necessary, I

would support your request to have the Committee on

Transportation and Infrastructure represented on the

conference committee. Finally, I would be pleased to include

this letter and your response in the bill report filed by the

Committee on Natural Resources, as well as in the

Congressional Record during floor consideration, to

memorialize our understanding.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Doc Hastings,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Duffy).

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

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

First of all, I would like to commend Representative Duffy, with whom I share lakeshore on the world's largest freshwater lake and also borders on our district. I tell you, Mr. Duffy, I found the television commercial with you and your family to be my favorite commercial of the last election, of which there were not many favorable commercials for anyone.

So it is with a fun and joyful spirit that I rise in support of your legislation to prove to those beautiful children of yours that a lot of us really like each other and know how to get along and support the efforts of one another.

Mr. Speaker, with that in mind, H.R. 4049 transfers ownership and management of the Ashland Harbor Breakwater Light to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Thanks to the leadership of the late Democratic Senator Gaylord Nelson, Congress established the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in 1970.

The area consists of 21 islands and 70 acres of shoreline in Lake Superior. It is a popular tourist destination in the summer and home to the 35,000-acre Gaylord Nelson Wilderness area.

Apostle Islands already manages eight historic lighthouses which were transferred to the National Park Service in 1986. This bill would add one more to the collection and contribute to the mission of protecting these historic cultural resources. Additionally, the text of this bill ensures that the Coast Guard will continue to maintain historic access to the lighthouse.

We support passage of this bill and look forward to working with the majority to advance more legislation that helps to enhance our national parks.

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

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