Highlands Conservation Act

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee be authorized to meet on Wednesday, September 15, 2004, at 10 a.m., on ``Impacts of Climate Change.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on Wednesday, September 15 at 9:30 a.m., to consider pending calendar business.

Agenda Item 1: S. Con. Res. 121--A concurrent resolution supporting the goals and ideals of the World Year of Physics.

Agenda Item 2: S. 437--A bill to provide for adjustments to the Central Arizona Project in Arizona, to authorize the Gila River Indian Community water rights settlement, to reauthorize and amend the Southern Arizona Water Rights Settlement Act of 1982, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 3: S. 511--A bill to provide permanent funding for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 7: S. 1064--A bill to establish a commission to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 9: S. 1354--A bill to resolve certain conveyances and provide for alternative land selections under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act related to Cape Fox Corporation and Sealaska Corporation, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 12: S. 1462--A bill to adjust the boundary of the Cumberland Island Wilderness, to authorize tours of the Cumberland Island National Seashore, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 13: S. 1466--A bill to facilitate the transfer of land in the State of Alaska, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 14: S. 1614--A bill to designate a portion of White Salmon River as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

Agenda Item 15: S. 1649--A bill to designate the Ojito Wilderness Study Area as wilderness, to take certain land into trust for the Pueblo of Zia, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 16: S. 1678--A bill to provide for the establishment of the Uintah Research and Curatorial Center for Dinosaur National Monument in the States of Colorado and Utah, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 17: S. 1852--A bill to provide financial assistance for the rehabilitation of the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the development of an exhibit to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin.

Agenda Item 18: S. 1876--A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain lands and facilities of the Provo River Project.

Agenda Item 19: S. 2086--A bill to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to improve the reclamation of abandoned mines.

Agenda Item 20: S. 2142--A bill to authorize appropriations for the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 21: S. 2181--A bill to adjust the boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park in the State of Colorado.

Agenda Item 23: S. 2334--A bill to designate certain National Forest System land in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Agenda Item 24: S. 2374--A bill to provide for the conveyance of certain lands to the United States and to revise the boundary of Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Oklahoma, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 25: S. 2408--A bill to adjust the boundaries of the Helena, Lolo, and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forests in the State of Montana.

Agenda Item 26: S. 2432--A bill to expand the boundaries of Wilson's Creek Battlefield National Park, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 27: S. 2567--A bill to adjust the boundary of Redwood National Park in the State of California.

Agenda Item 28: S. 2622--A bill to provide for the exchange of certain Federal land in the Santa Fe National Forest and certain non- Federal land in the Pecos National Historic Park in the State of New Mexico.

Agenda Item 31: H.R. 1113--To authorize an exchange of land at Fort Frederica National Monument, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 32: H.R. 1446--To support the efforts of the California Missions Foundation to restore and repair the Spanish colonial and mission-era missions in the State of California and to preserve the artworks and artifacts of these missions, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 33: H.R. 1964--To assist the States of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in conserving priority lands and natural resources in the Highlands region, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 34: H.R. 2010--To protect the voting rights of members of the Armed Services in elections for the Delegate representing American Samoa in the United States House of Representatives, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 35: H.R. 3706--To adjust the boundary of the John Muir National Historic site, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 36: H.R. 4516--To require the Secretary of Energy to carry out a program of research and development to advance high-end computing.

In addition, the committee may turn to any other measures that are ready for consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet in open executive session during the session on September 15, 2004, at 10 a.m., to consider favorably reporting S. 333, a bill to promote elder justice, and the nomination of Joey Russell George, to be Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, U.S. Department of Treasury.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, September 15, 2004, at 9:30 a.m., to hold a hearing on ``Accelerating U.S. Assistance to Iraq.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, September 15, 2004, at 10 a.m., in room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a business meeting on pending committee matters.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Wednesday, March 24, 2004, at 9:30 a.m., on Port Security.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on

Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on Wednesday, March 24, at 11:30 a.m., to consider pending calendar business.

Agenda Item 1: To consider the nomination of Sue Ellen Wooldridge, to be Solicitor at the Department of the Interior.

Agenda Item 10: S. 1910--A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out an inventory and management program for forests derived from public domain land.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet on Wednesday, March 24, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing to examine the environmental impacts on the U.S. natural gas supply. The meeting will be held in SD- 406.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, March 24, 2004, at 11 a.m., in room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing on S. 1529, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act Amendments of 2003.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Wednesday, March 24, 2004, at 9:00 a.m. on ``Judicial Nominations'' in the Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226.

Witness list

Panel I: Senators.

Panel II: Paul S. Diamond to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, March 24, 2004, at 9:00 a.m., for a hearing entitled ``Profiteering in a Non-Profit Industry: Abusive Practices in Credit Counseling.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Airland of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 24, 2004, at 2:00 p.m., in open session to receive testimony on Navy and Air Force aviation programs, in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2005 and the future years defense program.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Housing and Transportation of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 24, 2004, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing on ``The Real Estate Appraisal Industry.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 24, 2004, at 2:30 p.m.

The Purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 433, A bill to provide for enhanced collaborative forest stewardship management within the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests in Idaho, and for other purposes; S. 2180, a bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange certain lands in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in the State of Colorado; and H.R. 1964, a bill to assist the States of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in conserving priority lands and natural resources in the highlands region, and for other purposes.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 24, 2004, at 9:30 a.m., in open session to receive testimony on strategic forces and capabilities, in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2005.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time to me, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 1954, the Highland Stewardship Act. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill. I pledged that I would do everything in my power to pass this bill, and I am delighted that this bill is on the floor today.

I want to start by thanking the Committee on Resources chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), the ranking member, and the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich), the subcommittee chairman, and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen), the subcommittee ranking member, for their assistance and support.

More importantly, I want to commend the sponsor of this legislation the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen). It is because of his vigorous and stalwart support of this bill and his active participation in moving it forward that we are here today. It has been a pleasure to work with him, and this is a very, very important bill not only for his district and my district, but for many, many districts and many, many States in the Northeast.

I represent Rockland County. We have a pristine area there which is very, very important, and we need to protect this area. We very often talk about suburban sprawl and development, which is unwanted and which would mar this pristine land. This bill gives us the opportunity to balance that. That is what is so important.

The Highlands in my district encompasses an area totally of 1.5 million acres from the lower Hudson River Valley in New York to the Delaware River in New Jersey. Within this area are some spectacular things to see and do, and, of course, many people, 1.4 million people, live within the Highlands area.

The Highlands adjoins a metropolitan area, the New York metropolitan area, with a population of more than 20 million people. More than 11 million people rely on the Highlands' drinking water resources, which serves at least half of New York City's water supply. More than 14 million people visit the Highlands each year for recreational opportunities. Over 240 species of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles depend on Highlands habitat, and more than 160 historical and cultural sites have been identified in the region.

Where once apple farms and bungalows dotted the landscape, we now have 300,000 people living in Rockland County, and as I mentioned before, it is very, very important to have that balance between development and preserving pristine areas such as this.

The Federal Government has an important role to play in protecting our area of national significance here in our own backyard. I have supported increased funding for Forest Service programs such as the Forest Legacy Program, the Forest Stewardship Program and the new Forest Land Enhancement Program that protect environmentally sensitive forestlands such as the Highlands.

Again, I want to say that it is vitally important that the Federal Government facilitate partnerships between all levels of government to protect the Highlands and prevent the region from suffering from further urban sprawl. My district is a combination of an urban district and a suburban district, and I am very, very sensitive to the needs of the suburbs, and this bill and the money put into this bill goes a long way in keeping that balance and keeping these lands pristine.

The Highlands Act will really move us far along in this effort because we do not want further urban sprawl. So I thank the chairs and ranking members and, again, most of all, my friend from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen). This is truly bipartisan and truly a very, very good day for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of H.R. 1964, the Highlands Conservation Act.

I want to congratulate the chairmen and ranking members for getting this to the floor, but I want to pay particular attention, and I know he does not like this but I will do it anyway, to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen). This has been a continuation, Mr. Speaker, of his work in the New Jersey State Legislature, not to balance anything, but to secure and preserve lands not only in New Jersey, but to set a model throughout the United States, and I think he has done that, and he has done it in a most professional way.

I am proud to work with my colleagues across the aisle for years to preserve and protect this magnificent sweep of the Appalachian ridges, stretching for 1.5 million acres across New Jersey and New York.

The Highlands are an essential source of drinking water, we have heard that already, clean air, and wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities for nearly 25 million people located right in the backyard of our Nation's most densely populated region. The irony is staring us right in the face.

The Highlands region has been in grave danger throughout the last decade. The region lost 5,200 acres a year to intensive development of strip malls and office campuses. Development also threatens the water supply for millions of residents in New Jersey and endangers critical wildlife.

In land right next to my district, millions of residents enjoy the drinking water and the recreational resources of the Ramapo Mountains, the Wyanokie Highlands and the Pequannock Watershed. This bill will provide millions of dollars in land preservation assistance to protect this core of wilderness in our region.

The Highlands Conservation Act should be a model for future land preservation efforts. We have debated land preservation on this very floor, and yes, we need to have a sensible approach to it and respect, as the gentleman from California pointed out, property rights.

This legislation encourages a strong partnership between the Federal, State and local communities, and the gentleman from New Jersey, my colleague in the State legislature, this has been the center of his work on preservation, and it is fitting, it is fitting on this floor that we salute his efforts, particularly at a time when things can get downright contentious here.

The bipartisan efforts we have made to create innovative legislation that preserves critical land while respecting the rights of property owners should set a standard for this House. Advocates for this bill worked tirelessly with environmentalists and private industry to create a worthy compromise that does a service to the legislative process.

So preservation of the Highlands will benefit all Americans. Indeed, the Highlands is not just a New Jersey resource. As in any other parts in this country, it is a national treasure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Highlands Conservation Act.

To anyone in this Congress who questions the value of efforts to preserve open space, I invite them to come to New Jersey. My constituents, like most people around the state, have seen the ills of sprawl and the consequences of poor planning and meager preservation efforts.

Despite the fact that many see rampant commercial and industrial development in New Jersey, however, there are still some wonderful tracts of land left in some areas of our state. One in particular is part of this tract we are trying to save through today's legislation, the Highlands Region. These are important not just for aesthetically pleasing vistas, but especially for the health of our environment, our water, our air, and mostly our people.

The Highlands is an incredible 2 million acre swath across four states--New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. This tract is home to nearly one and a half million people and is still a quick drive away from New York City and other major metropolitan areas.

Even more importantly, the Highlands provides and protects the drinking water supplies for over 15 million people who live in the Philadelphia-New York-Hartford metropolitan area, which cuts right through my central New Jersey district.

That is why it is so important that the House today pass the Highlands Conservation Act. This bill authorizes federal Land and Water Conservation Fund money that will be matched at least one to one by local, state, and private funding. The governors of the four Highlands states will identify which lands are best eligible for conservation efforts, then apply to the federal government for funding. I know that the governor of New Jersey is ready and eager to get to work identifying these areas and preserving more green space in the state.

I also want to highlight provisions in the bill that provide technical assistance to communities and organizations involved in conservation efforts for the Highlands. So many people in the region have already done so much wonderful work to help preserve the area, and they will now get the added benefit of assistance and expertise from the federal government.

I want to recognize Mr. Frelinghuysen for his leadership on this issue and his hard work to get the legislation on the floor. I also want to salute the work of former Representative Ben Gilman, who led the effort on this legislation during the last Congress.

I also want to thank Chairman Pombo, Ranking Member Rahall, Subcommittee Chairman Radanovich, and Ranking Member Christensen for helping see this legislation through the Resources committee. This bill means a lot to New Jersey, and I urge my colleagues to support it.