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[Pages H2108-H2109]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WILDERNESS CONSERVATION
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Graves) for 5 minutes.
[[Page H2109]]
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I rise to discuss concerns
with S. 47, legislation we will soon be voting on in the House of
Representatives.
Madam Speaker, S. 47 has some positive things in it. The legislation
provides for expanded recreational opportunities, expanded
opportunities to hunt and fish on our public lands, and a lot of things
that I very much support.
Madam Speaker, the bill has some pretty profound flaws, one of which
being process. This is a 700-page bill--a 700-page bill--that has been
held at the desk. It has not gone through the regular committee
process.
This isn't some small bill that folks have been exposed to. This is
700 pages of text, and it has not gone through the regular legislative
process and, in fact, is being put up under suspension of the rules,
where we are not even being provided the opportunity to offer
amendments or to represent our constituents, other than just voting
``yes'' or ``no.''
Madam Speaker, I want to throw out some statistics on what this bill
does and the implications. It provides 1.3 million acres of land being
designated as wilderness areas--1.3 million acres; 694 acres of
recreation and conservation areas; 370,000 acres of mineral
withdrawals; national monument designations of 2,500 acres; 621 miles
of wild and scenic rivers; 2,600 miles added to the national trail
system; and 42,000 acres added to our national parks.
Now, Madam Speaker, I used to teach outdoor wilderness courses. I
have spent hundreds, maybe even thousands of nights of my life in the
outdoors, sleeping out in the wilderness areas, national parks, and
national forests and others. I love these areas. I enjoy them.
I am not saying that these things shouldn't happen. I am saying that
we need to have the ability to go through regular order, just like the
Senate did this week when they had the ability to offer amendments to
this bill. We are not being afforded that same opportunity.
Madam Speaker, my biggest problem or concern with this legislation is
this: The bill permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation
Fund, which, I will say it again: I support the acquisition of lands,
the protection of lands, so we can enjoy the ecological productivity
and enjoy time in the great outdoors. However, the bill does not
address the fact that we have a $17 billion backlog in national park
maintenance--$17 billion. So we are acquiring more land without a plan
for addressing the existing backlog maintenance issues that actually
prohibit or prevent people from enjoying some of these same lands that
are being acquired.
We are talking about the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and $9
billion in funds over the next 10 years being deposited into a Treasury
receipt account to acquire more land. Guess where this money is coming
from, Madam Speaker. A hundred percent of these funds is coming from
the State that I represent and the other five States that produce
offshore energy. Every penny of it is coming from the State of
Louisiana, which produces perhaps over 80 percent of all the offshore
energy of this Nation in Federal waters. It is paying for this fund.
At the same time, we have lost 2,000 square miles--2,000 square
miles--of our coast. Guess how much of this bill addresses the problem
there? With 2,000 square miles of our coast disappearing, the
ecological productivity being lost, the increased vulnerability to the
people that I represent, zero, nothing. This bill diverts money for
conservation and for protection in other States in other areas and does
nothing for my home State of Louisiana, yet it is coming from our
revenues that we are producing in our offshore.
This is a flawed process. This is a flawed bill. We need to go
through regular order.
I really can't even believe that this is happening. Here we have
dozens of hearings on climate change and other things, and the very
State that is the canary in the coal mine, the State that is
experiencing the worst ecological challenges or losses as a result of
sea rise and other challenges, is being completely ignored.
Where are the climate change advocates right now? Where are you?
I strongly urge opposition to this bill. We need to go back through
regular order, consider the largest conservation and the largest
natural resources bill that we have had since I have been in the
Congress, and send it through regular order again.
I urge opposition to this bill.
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