Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Pages H2238-H2239]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN DELTA NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
California (Mr. Garamendi) for 5 minutes.
Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the House overwhelmingly passed
the Natural Resources Management Act, including a provision sponsored
by Senator Feinstein and me that would establish California's first
National Heritage Area, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National
Heritage Area.
I want to thank my House colleagues from California, Representatives
Matsui, DeSaulnier, McNerney, Thompson, Harder, Lofgren, and Bera, for
their support as cosponsors of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
National Heritage Area Act, H.R. 357.
I also want to thank Chairman Grijalva of the Natural Resources
Committee for bringing the bipartisan public lands bill to the floor of
the House following Senate passage earlier this month.
I sponsored this legislation to establish the Sacramento-San Joaquin
Delta National Heritage Area since 2011 along with my colleague Senator
Feinstein.
A National Heritage Area designation will help conserve the
California Delta, which I have had the great pleasure of calling my
home for the last 40 years.
{time} 1015
This iconic working landscape is central to California's life and is
the most productive watershed and delta in the Western United States
and, indeed, from the coast of Alaska to Chile.
Specifically, this legislation authorizes $10 million in Federal
grants for
[[Page H2239]]
local development of cultural heritage issues, historic preservation,
and working lands conservation projects.
This Federal grant funding will be available for the next 15 years to
support local governments, historical societies, and nonprofit
organizations throughout the delta.
Our National Heritage Area Act proposal is endorsed by the Delta
Stewardship Council and the Delta Counties Coalition, consisting of
Sacramento, Solano, Contra Costa, Yolo, and San Joaquin Counties, all
of which represent the delta. It is also supported by the Delta
Chambers of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, Restore the Delta, and the
National Parks Conservation Association.
California's Delta Protection Commission is charged with developing
the management plan for the new national heritage area.
Lastly, I want to address some of the persistent misconceptions about
national heritage area designations, not only this new one but also
those throughout the United States. Such designations do not affect
individual property rights, water rights, landownership, or local land
use decisions, nor does the designation affect hunting and fishing.
Rather, the national heritage area program simply makes Federal grant
funds administered by the National Park Service available for local
projects.
The national heritage area program and planning process is
collaborative and voluntary, meaning that local groups, businesses, and
landowners can choose to participate or not. I look forward to
continuing to work with local governments, county governments, local
businesses, communities, local action groups, and all others interested
during the public management planning process.
After nearly a decade of work, the President is expected to sign the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area Act into law. We
thank all who supported the legislation and the local entities that
have done so.
This is truly a historic achievement for the entire delta, including
the farming communities, the families, and the immigrant communities
who have settled in the area over the last 150 years and generated the
rich cultural and agricultural heritage.
____________________
