Eastern Legacy Extension Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3045) to amend the National Trails System Act to extend the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, 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 include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3045, which comes to us by Congressman Luke Messer of Indiana, would extend the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

Its purpose is to preserve and interpret for future generations the Corps of Discovery's important preparations for its trailblazing journey into the Western United States.

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson charged Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with finding a water route to the Pacific Ocean across the United States' newly purchased Louisiana Territory and with seeking out and identifying wildlife, vegetation, and native populations along the way.

The journey contributed greatly to the scientific knowledge and helped to foster profound political, social, economic, cultural, and environmental changes to the lands and the peoples of the North American continent.

The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail was established in 1978 and spans 3,700 miles following the route of the Lewis and Clark expedition west of the Mississippi River from Wood River, Illinois, to Astoria, Oregon.

H.R. 3045 would extend the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail by 1,200 miles, with a new eastern boundary at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, following the path of the Ohio River.

The Eastern Legacy Extension of the trail encompasses important history and key moments for the expedition.

In February of 2018, at the direction of Congress, the National Park Service completed a study on the proposed extension of this trail. The study found the route proposed for inclusion in H.R. 3045 to be nationally significant, suitable and feasible for inclusion in the existing Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

The Eastern Legacy Extension provided by this legislation recognizes the significance of the planning, preparation, and beginning preparations for the expedition, and will provide new opportunities for Americans to learn about the Corps of Discovery and the lands along the Ohio River where Lewis and Clark refined the techniques that prepared them for the hardships of the long trip west.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Messer), the author of this measure.

Mr. Speaker, the Lewis and Clark Expedition was literally one of the seminal events that produced this great Nation, spanning from coast to coast, and the completion of this full trail is an important step in recognizing the heroism and the vision of those who came before us to build this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask for adoption of the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California, Chairman McClintock, for his help on this bill; the gentlewoman from Guam, my friend, Ms. Bordallo, for her support as well; Chairman Bishop and all the members and staff of the Natural Resources Committee for their important work and for bringing this legislation to the House floor today.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to recognize my son, Hudson, I guess named after a river, for tagging along with me and being here as well.

Mr. Speaker, as most of us learned in high school history, in 1803, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were commissioned by President Jefferson to find a water route to the Pacific Ocean across the United States.

This bill, the Eastern Legacy Extension Act, formally recognizes the important role States like Indiana, my home State, played in the expedition by extending the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail to the east.

Currently, the trail only marks the western portion of Lewis and Clark's expedition. However, these explorers, as other speakers have said, traveled nearly 1,000 miles along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers in States like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois before arriving in present day Missouri.

In fact, the town of Clarksville, Indiana, is named after William Clark after he famously stopped there to recruit members for the expedition.

To properly recognize this historic expedition and preserve the entire route Lewis and Clark took, Congress previously requested the National Park Service to study extending the trail along the route they took east of the Mississippi.

In February 2018, the final study was released, recommending that Congress designate the eastern leg of the expedition as part of the trail. This bill makes that a reality, and by recognizing the eastern portions of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, we make the entire national trail stronger.

This legislation will increase tourism opportunities for communities in Indiana and the rest of the 4,900-mile route and promote historic appreciation for the role Lewis and Clark played in making our country what it is today.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation for their work on this legislation and, again, thank the committee and the chairmen for their work, too. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill extends the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail by 1,200 miles to include three new segments that correspond to the preparation and return phases of the expedition.

Under the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2018, the study of possible additional Eastern Legacy sites to add to the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail identified three nationally significant trail segments.

The first trail identified is a segment of the Ohio River that Meriwether Lewis used as a testing ground for supplies and weapons prior to his epic journey.

Another trail, stretching from the falls of Ohio to the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, recognizes where Lewis and Clark first met.

The last trail that will be included under this bill begins at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi River and stretches until the Wood River in Illinois, which is the current starting point of the National Historic Trail.

The Lewis and Clark story is an important part of our collective history, and I hope that we can continue working together to discover and preserve pieces of America's legacy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill sponsored by Representative Luke Messer.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.