Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 217) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the 50th anniversary of the flooding of Celilo Falls.

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

The purpose of House Resolution 217, introduced by our colleague from Oregon, Mr. David Wu, is to express the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the 50th anniversary of the flooding of Celilo Falls. Celilo Falls was a unique natural feature formed as the Columbia River carved a path

through the hard volcanic rock east of the Cascade Mountains. On March 10, 1957, the Dalles Dam was completed, flooding the historic fishing and trading area around Celilo Falls.

For over 10,000 years, the falls had been an area of intense trading and commerce for Indian tribes from as far away as Alaska, the Great Plains, and the Southwest. The falls were also noted as an extremely abundant fishery, where tons of Columbia River salmon were caught, dried, and traded.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution simply seeks to recognize the 50th anniversary of the flooding of the falls, and to remember Celilo Falls as an important area of fishing and trading for many tribal peoples.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting House Resolution 217, and I offer my congratulations to Congressman Wu for his leadership on this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) as much time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, let me, if I may, inquire of the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce) if he has any additional speakers.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 609) to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Central Texas Water Recycling and Reuse Project, 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 as much time as I may consume.

We support the passage of H.R. 609 and commend our colleague, Representative Chet Edwards, for his persistence and hard work to secure authorization for this important project.

The purpose of this legislation is to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Central Texas Water Recycling and Reuse Project. This project would treat and recycle waste water generated by the City of Waco and six neighboring communities. Recycling and reuse of this water would decrease the strain on older treatment plants in the area and help meet future demands, providing reclaimed water for golf courses, landscaping, and other industrial uses.

The water recycling project identified in this bill will be eligible for limited financial assistance from the Bureau of Reclamation's title 16 water recycling program. Water recycling and desalination projects are proven technologies that can help stretch limited water supplies in areas such as Texas. The City of Waco is keenly aware that additional sources of water will be required to meet future water demands and should be commended for looking for sustainable solutions.

In the 109th Congress, the Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing on almost identical legislation. This legislation was subsequently passed by the House under suspension of the rules.

I want to express our full support for this legislation. I offer my congratulations to Congressman Edwards for his leadership.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards), the sponsor of this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 786) to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Los Angeles County Water Supply Augmentation Demonstration Project, and for other purposes.

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

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

The purpose of H.R. 786, sponsored by our colleague from Lakewood, California, Linda Sanchez, is to authorize the Secretary of Interior to participate in the Los Angeles County Water Supply Augmentation Demonstration Project.

The legislation will authorize Federal financial assistance for a unique water reuse and conservation project in the Los Angeles area. The initiative will demonstrate that small-scale neighborhood projects can be built to increase local water supplies and reduce urban runoff pollution. Projects like this can help residents of southern California increase local water supplies, reduce our dependence on imported water from northern California and the Colorado River.

This is an innovative project and a good bill that deserves our support. I congratulate my colleague, Congresswoman Sanchez, for championing this legislation.

In the 109th Congress, the Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing on similar legislation. This legislation was subsequently passed by the House under suspension of the rules.

We strongly support H.R. 786, and I would like, once again, to thank and commend my friend, Linda Sanchez, for her work on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California, Linda Sanchez.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 309) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a demonstration program to facilitate landscape restoration programs within certain units of the National Park System established by law to preserve and interpret resources associated with American history, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 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.

Many units of the National Park System were established to conserve U.S. military history. All these units have restoration of their historic landscapes as an important management goal. This restoration entails removal of landscape features, including trees, which were not present at the time of the relevant historic event. However, removal of any natural resources from a National Park must be undertaken extremely carefully. In addition, many of these park units report a lack of funding for such work.

H.R. 309, introduced by my colleague on the Natural Resources Committee, Representative Steve Pearce, would create a revenue source for such projects by allowing individual units to retain proceeds from the sale of timber removed from the unit. Importantly, the legislation is narrowly written as a demonstration project to apply within a defined list of 24 military parks and to prevent any change to existing environmental requirements governing logging on NPS land.

Representative Pearce has worked tirelessly on behalf of this legislation and is to be commended for his efforts.

We strongly support the passage of H.R. 309, as amended, by the House today.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 815) to provide for the conveyance of certain land in Clark County, Nevada, for use by the Nevada National Guard.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 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. 815, introduced by the gentleman from Nevada, Representative Jon Porter, states that notwithstanding any other provision of law, Clark County, Nevada, may convey, without consideration, between 35 and 50 acres of land for the use by the Nevada National Guard as a Readiness Center.

The land in question is part of a larger block of lands conveyed to Clark County under a provision of the Public Law 109-263, the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act of 1998. These lands comprise part of the Airport Environs Overlay District for McCarran Airport, and Public Law 105-263 required that the land be managed in accordance with airport noise compatibility planning agreements.

Further, the 1998 act specified if land was sold or transferred, it had to be done at fair market value with the proceeds distributed pursuant to the act. H.R. 815 would waive this last requirement. Since the proceeds of the land is for an important public purpose, we believe the waiver is appropriate.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend my colleague from Nevada, Representative Porter, for his work on this legislation. I would note that identical legislation passed the House in the 109th Congress. We support the passage of H.R. 815 and recommend its adoption by the House today.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 865) to grant rights-of-way for electric transmission lines over certain Native allotments in the State of Alaska, as amended.

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

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

H.R. 865, introduced by the gentleman from Alaska, Representative Don Young, would resolve a long-standing conflict between Alaska Native land titles and utility rights-of-way in Alaska. This legislation is in response to a September 2004 GAO report entitled, ``Alaska Native Allotments: Conflicts With Utility Rights-of-Way Have Not Been Resolved Through Existing Remedies.''

Although the Copper Valley Electric Association, a rural non-profit electrical cooperative, holds rights-of-way granted in the 1950s and 1960s, and built electric lines prior to the filing of the Alaska Native allotment claims, there is a conflict with land titles subsequently issued under the Alaska Native Allotment Act. In essence, H.R. 865 resolves that conflict by ratifying the existing rights-of-way across 14 specified Native allotments and providing for fair market value compensation for the landowners. As amended, the bill provides that the compensation, which is estimated by CBO to be no more than $150,000, is subject to appropriations. We have no objection to H.R. 865.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1191) to authorize the National Park Service to pay for services rendered by subcontractors under a General Services Administration Indefinite Deliver/Indefinite Quantity Contract issued for work to be completed at the Grand Canyon National Park, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, during fiscal years 2002 and 2003, Grand Canyon National Park entered into construction contracts worth $17 million with a general contractor called Pacific General, Incorporated, known as PGI.

In January 2004, numerous subcontractors employed by PGI notified National Park Service that they were not receiving payment. After an investigation, it was discovered that PGI was diverting Federal funds which should have gone to the subcontractors. PGI eventually declared bankruptcy.

It was further discovered that in a clear violation of Federal policies, the park had failed to require PGI to post a surety bond as a condition of the contract. The agency is now prohibited from paying the subcontractors directly because the funds appropriated for those contracts have already been paid to PGI. Overall, the subcontractors are owed about $1.3 million. H.R. 1191 authorizes the Secretary to use $1.3 million in available funds from Grand Canyon National Park to pay the subcontractors. Applicants for the funds would have to verify the amount they are owed, demonstrate that they have exhausted all reasonable legal avenues to recoup amounts owed to them by PGI, and provide written statements that the amount they are seeking represents payment in full.

Mr. Speaker, this is an imperfect solution to a difficult problem. However, these small business owners who provided quality services to the Federal Government in good faith should not have to wait any longer to receive payment.

My colleague from Arizona, Representative Renzi, is to be commended for his efforts on behalf of these small business people. Similar legislation

was approved by the House in the 109th Congress, and we urge its passage today.

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

Mr. Speaker, again let me commend the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) for this legislation.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the efforts of my constituents in Yuma to revitalize and beautify their surroundings.

The community came together to create the Stewart Vincent Wolfe Memorial Playground located in the Yuma West Wetlands Regional Park. This is a true community project as it was created from the input of over 5,000 local schoolchildren. This project united all generations to create it and was fully assembled by dedicated volunteers throughout two weekends in February.

I have heard from many parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and educators that the children have approved thoroughly of the park. And today I rise to thank the community for the park and provide my heartfelt approval and gratitude as well.

This park has an important role in Yuma, as it is a culmination of work from all aspects of the community. It also served as an educational tool. Bringing in the children to have input was an opportunity for the children to learn about planning in our community, in addition to preservation of open and friendly spaces.

There was much sweat and hard work that was put into the park, and I guarantee there will be many squeals of joy and happy families for years to come.

This important achievement will long be remembered in Yuma, and it is with pride that I celebrate with my constituents in the realization of this important park.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to celebrate the life of Cesar Chavez, to commemorate his life, to ask for a national holiday. He would have been 80 years old this Saturday, and I guess the most personal thing I can say is how he affected my life and the lives of countless people. He gave voice to the powerless in this country. He gave voice to the issues of the environment, human rights, labor rights, education and turned a whole generation and a whole community to look forward to opportunity and to stand up and protect the very fundamental rights that each one of us as an American holds true.

Cesar Chavez is not just an icon. Cesar Chavez is a living legacy of what this country's unfinished business is, the unfinished business of giving worth to each human being in this country.

I would end with a quote by Cesar Chavez: ``We can choose to use our lives for others to bring about a better and more just world for our children.''

That is the greatest opportunity we have.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 138) recognizing the importance of Hot Springs National Park on its 175th anniversary.

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

House Resolution 138, introduced by my colleague, the gentleman from Arkansas, Representative Mike Ross, would express a recognition by the House of Representatives of the importance of the Hot Springs National Park on its 175th anniversary.

Most people know that Yellowstone is our first national park, but more than 40 years before Yellowstone was established as a park, Congress set aside 2,529 acres in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas to preserve 47 hot springs located there.

The law was enacted at the request of the General Assembly of the Territory of Arkansas and signed by President Andrew Jackson on April 20, 1832. That made the Hot Springs Reservation the first nationally protected parkland.

The reservation was turned over to the Department of the Interior when

that Department was established in 1849. However, it took another quarter of a century, a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, and the protection of Federal troops to settle the bogus land claims and chase off overeager entrepreneurs seeking to make profit from the springs. Notably, the 1916 Organic Act which established the National Park Service mentioned only the Hot Springs Reservation by name, even though by that time several other national parks and monuments had been designated by Congress. The Organic Act placed all these units under the supervision, management, and control of the new agency.

On March 4, 1921, Congress elevated Hot Springs to a national park status, apparently with the personal interest of the first director of the National Park Service, Stephen Mather.

Bathhouse Row, the Hot Springs street lined with opulent bathhouses and hotels, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 13, 1974. The most elegant of these bathhouses, the Fordyce, has since been adapted to use as a visitor center and museum.

The park currently totals 5,550 acres and attracts over 1 million visitors a year. The park plans a 175th anniversary celebration on Friday, April 20; and this resolution will be a fitting commemoration of the role Hot Springs played in National Park history.

Madam Speaker, I want to commend and congratulate my colleague, Representative Ross, for his commitment and leadership on this matter. We strongly support the passage of House Resolution 138 and urge its adoption by the House.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, at this time I would like to yield as much time as he may consume to my colleague from Arkansas (Mr. Ross).

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

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 902) to facilitate the use for irrigation and other purposes of water produced in connection with development of energy resources.

Madam 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.

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

Madam Speaker, I would like to commend our colleague, Representative Mark Udall, for his hard work on this issue.

As many of us know, clean water is one of the most precious commodities in the West. The bill before us, H.R. 902, has a promise of providing more clean water to western communities.

In oil and gas fields with thousands of producing wells, millions of gallons of so-called produced water will be brought to the surface along with oil or gas. To those who operate oil and gas wells, produced water is a waste product. In some cases, the produced water can be injected into the wells to force more oil to the surface. If the water quality is good enough, a well operator might be allowed to discharge the water down the nearest stream, but there may also be opportunities to treat the water and make it useful for irrigation or even domestic purposes. H.R. 902 authorizes a study of the opportunities and the obstacles to beneficial and environmentally safe use of this produced water.

I again commend Mr. Udall for his hard work on this legislation. In the 109th Congress, the Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing on similar legislation. This legislation was subsequently passed by the House. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards).

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1021) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resources study regarding the suitability and feasibility of designating certain historic buildings and areas in Taunton, Massachusetts, as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.

Madam 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.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 1021 directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resources study to determine if certain historic buildings and areas in Taunton, Massachusetts, are suitable and feasible for designation as a unit of the National Park System. The bill was introduced by the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. Barney Frank.

Taunton is a city rich in cultural and historic resources. The city is home to nine historic districts, with more than 600 properties on the National Registry of Historic Places. A comprehensive study of these resources will help to determine if inclusion within the National Park System is appropriate. This study will be completed in consultation with the State historic preservation officer, State Historical Society, and the city of Taunton and other appropriate organizations.

Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate Representative Frank for his efforts on behalf of this legislation and this community. I would note that identical legislation was approved by the House in the last Congress, and we urge our colleagues to support the measure today.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 658) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements to protect natural resources of units of the National Park System through collaborative efforts on land inside and outside of units of the National Park System, and for other purposes.

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

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

H.R. 658 is an administration proposal introduced by Representative Jon Porter of Nevada. The bill would authorize the National Park Service to enter into cooperative agreements to spend Park Service funds outside of existing Park boundaries.

According to a report from the Government Accountability Office, the National Park Service is the only Federal land management agency that does not currently have that authority.

While there are several areas in which such cooperative agreements would be useful, the ability to participate in coordinated plans to eradicate invasive species in and around national parks is the primary reason that the National Park Service is seeking this authority.

Under the terms of this legislation, the National Park Service could enter into such agreements with State, local or tribal governments, with other public entities, educational institutions, private nonprofit organizations, or participating private landowners. The legislation requires that any such cooperative agreements provide clear benefits to park resources.

Madam Speaker, I would note this legislation does not authorize any new funding.

I thank my colleague from Nevada for his effort, and we support passage of H.R. 658 by the House today.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

I thank the gentleman, and I agree with the gentleman from Utah on his description of Federal and State authorities to manage fish and wildlife resources.

I also agree that we should promote better coordination and cooperation between the Federal Government and the States to enhance our fish and wildlife resources for future generations, especially for the control of invasive species. I assure my colleague that nothing in H.R. 658 diminishes or enlarges the authority of the Federal Government or any State for the conservation and management of fish and wildlife.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 838) to provide for the conveyance of the Bureau of Land Management parcels known as the White Acre and Gambel Oak properties and related real property to Park City, Utah, and for other purposes.

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

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

H.R. 838, sponsored by the ranking member of the National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee, Representative Rob Bishop, is intended to preserve existing open space in Park City, Utah. The bill would transfer two parcels of land owned by the Bureau of Land Management to Park City, with a deed restriction that the land be maintained as open space. Park City will pay fair-market value for the land.

Two other parcels in the area owned by the BLM are encumbered with unpatented mining claims. The bill directs that these parcels, which the BLM had previously identified for disposal, be sold at auction, subject to any valid existing rights, to resolve these outstanding issues. Park City is expected to bid for these properties at the auction.

It is our understanding that Park City has undertaken an aggressive campaign to maintain open space and that the citizens of Park City have proven their commitment by approving a local bond initiative to fund this project.

We applaud Park City's efforts and congratulate Representative Bishop for working hard to bring this legislation to the floor.

Madam Speaker, identical legislation was approved by the House in the 109th Congress. We support passage of H.R. 838 and urge its adoption by the House today.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, we have no additional speakers, and we yield back the balance of our time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 839) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of enlarging the Arthur V. Watkins Dam Weber Basin Project, Utah, to provide additional water for the Weber Basin Project to fulfill the purposes for which that project was authorized.

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

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

H.R. 839, introduced by our colleague, Representative Rob Bishop of Utah, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of enlarging the Arthur V. Watkins Dam. The dam is one of the main features of the Bureau of Reclamation's Weber Basin Project located along the shore of the Great Salt Lake near Ogden, Utah.

Recent drought and a growing population in Utah have highlighted water supply needs in the area. The feasibility study authorized by this legislation will help local water agencies and the Bureau of Reclamation to decide whether we should consider raising the dam to improve water storage capacity.

In the 109th Congress, the Subcommittee on Water and Power held hearings on similar legislation. That legislation was subsequently reported by the committee and passed by the House.

We have no objection to this legislation and urge its passage.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.