Robert Bennett

Mr. BENNETT

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I yield the Senator an additional 10 minutes.

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I am somewhat unfamiliar with the assignment of handling judicial nominees, that being the daily bread of my senior colleague, Senator Hatch. He is unable to be here, and therefore has asked me to step in in his place. I am glad to do whatever I can to help. Ted Stewart has a background that, in my view, qualifies him to be a Federal judge, a view shared by the American Bar Association that has labeled him as qualified, and by a large number of Utahans of both political parties. I first met Ted Stewart when I decided to run for the Senate. I found that he had beat me in that decision and was already in the field. I knew little or nothing about him. But I quickly learned as we went through the process of traveling the State in tandem with the other candidates that he was a man of great wisdom, an articulate man, and a man of good humor. We became fast friends even though we were opponents for the same seat. One of the proudest moments in my campaign was the fact that after the State convention had narrowed the candidates to two, eliminating Ted Stewart, his organization became part of my organization. He maintained an appropriate judicial neutrality between me and the other candidate. But our friendship was established and has gone forward until this day. I point out that judicial neutrality because it is typical of Ted Stewart. I know he had a personal preference. I will not disclose what it was. He was appropriately judicial, however, in keeping that personal preference to himself and taking the position that was right and proper under those circumstances. That demonstrates what we hear referred to around here from time to time as ``judicial temperament.'' The Senator from Alabama has talked about the reversal rate of the Ninth Circuit. We have had experience with the reversal rates in the State of Utah from Federal judges. I remember on one occasion where I was in the presence of a young woman who had served on a jury of a highly celebrated case in the State of Utah and had voted in a way that was reversed when the case got to the circuit court. I asked her about it because it was interesting to me. She said: Well, I didn't want to vote that way, and neither did any other member of the jury, but the charge we received from the judge made it impossible for us to vote any other way. After the trial was over, she said she and the other members of the jury were visiting with the lawyer who had supported the losing side, and they apologized to him for voting against him. They said: We thought you had the best case. But under the charge we were given by the judge, we had no choice but to vote against you. The lawyer smiled, and said: I know. And I expected that to happen because the judge in this case has such a high record of reversal that I didn't want to run the risk of having won a trial in his court. I knew my chances of winning on appeal were far greater if I had this judge on record against me. Those who know this judge rated him as one of the most brilliant men ever appointed to the bench. He may have had that great intellect, but he did not have the common sense and the judicial temperament that made it possible for him to do his job. Tragically, the circuit court did his job for him again and again and again at great expense and inconvenience not only to the judicial system but to those plaintiffs and defendants who came before him. I cite that because I am convinced in Judge Stewart's court you will not find that kind of bullheadedness and determination to have his own way as we saw in this other court. In Judge Stewart's court, you will find the kind of levelheadedness, the desire to find the right answer, and the willingness to work things out wherever possible as he has demonstrated throughout his career up to this point. He has already had experience on a commission that required him to demonstrate that kind of judicial temperament. He handled his assignment there in such a way as to win him the endorsement of Democrats as well as Republicans. I know there is some controversy surrounding him because he is the Governor's chief of staff. There are many people who, looking at the things he has done in his loyalty to the Governor, have said: Well, his opinions are not acceptable to us. They have been critical of him. They do not know the man if they maintain that criticism because he will never depart from his conviction that the law comes first. He has demonstrated loyalty to those who have appointed him. But he has also demonstrated a capacity to handle the law and handle the regulations that he is charged with enforcing in a way that will make all Americans proud. I am happy to join my senior colleague in endorsing the nomination of Ted Stewart for the Federal bench. I look forward with great enthusiasm to voting for him tomorrow. I am grateful to the senior Senator from Vermont for his announcement that he, too, will vote for Ted Stewart. I hope, with both the chairman and the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee solidly in Judge Stewart's behalf, that we will have an overwhelmingly positive vote for him.

Mr. BENNETT. I yield the Senator an additional minute.

Mr. BENNETT

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there be a period of morning business with Senators to speak for up to 5 minutes each.

Mr. BENNETT

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume legislative session.

Mr. BENNETT

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce legislation today which authorizes the creation of the Golden Spike/Crossroads of the West National Heritage Area in Ogden, Utah. Utah has a rich railroad heritage that stems from the earliest days when the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads met at Promontory Point, Utah in 1869 and completed the transcontinental railroad. With the coming of the railroad, Utah's mining industry boomed and our economy grew and the once isolated Desert Kingdom became forever connected to the rest of the United States. Diverse peoples and cultures would come to or through Utah. Mormon immigrants from Europe, Chinese laborers working for the Central Pacific Railroad and Greek coal miners on their way to the coal fields in Central Utah. All of them would pass through the rail station in Ogden on their way to settle the Intermountain West. It truly is a heritage area for us all. Fire destroyed the original rail station first built in 1889. In 1924 the current Union Station Depot was then built and remained the hub of transcontinental rail traffic for another 40 years. The current building, which is a registered historic site, has been refurbished and is an outstanding example of reuse and redevelopment of industrial areas. The facilities at Union Station also house some of the finest museum collections in the West including the Browning Firearms Museum and the Utah State Railroad Museum. It is the intent of this legislation to preserve the historical nature of the area, increase public awareness and appreciation for the pivotal role Ogden played in the settlement of the Intermountain West. By general standards, this will be a very small Heritage Area, encompassing just a few city blocks around the Union Station building. While it may be small, it also has a very colorful history. There were no businesses which were more famous, or infamous than those that dotted 24th and 25th Streets. The legislation would allow Ogden City to operate as the management entity for the area, working in closely with the National Park Service. The City will be responsible for developing a management plan which will present comprehensive recommendations for the conservation and management of the area while the National Park Service will work closely with the partners to help with interpretation and the protection of this valuable cultural and historical resource. Working with railroad enthusiasts from all over the country we can develop a long-term management plan which will provide better interpretation of the historical and cultural opportunities. I hope my colleagues will support me in sponsoring this legislation. Congressman Hansen has introduced similar legislation and I look forward to working with him and my friends on the Energy Committee to hold hearings and eventually move this bill through the Senate.

Mr. BENNETT

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce legislation today which authorizes the creation of the Golden Spike/Crossroads of the West National Heritage Area in Ogden, Utah. Utah has a rich railroad heritage that stems from the earliest days when the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads met at Promontory Point, Utah in 1869 and completed the transcontinental railroad. With the coming of the railroad, Utah's mining industry boomed and our economy grew and the once isolated Desert Kingdom became forever connected to the rest of the United States. Diverse peoples and cultures would come to or through Utah. Mormon immigrants from Europe, Chinese laborers working for the Central Pacific Railroad and Greek coal miners on their way to the coal fields in Central Utah. All of them would pass through the rail station in Ogden on their way to settle the Intermountain West. It truly is a heritage area for us all. Fire destroyed the original rail station first built in 1889. In 1924 the current Union Station Depot was then built and remained the hub of transcontinental rail traffic for another 40 years. The current building, which is a registered historic site, has been refurbished and is an outstanding example of reuse and redevelopment of industrial areas. The facilities at Union Station also house some of the finest museum collections in the West including the Browning Firearms Museum and the Utah State Railroad Museum. It is the intent of this legislation to preserve the historical nature of the area, increase public awareness and appreciation for the pivotal role Ogden played in the settlement of the Intermountain West. By general standards, this will be a very small Heritage Area, encompassing just a few city blocks around the Union Station building. While it may be small, it also has a very colorful history. There were no businesses which were more famous, or infamous than those that dotted 24th and 25th Streets. The legislation would allow Ogden City to operate as the management entity for the area, working in closely with the National Park Service. The City will be responsible for developing a management plan which will present comprehensive recommendations for the conservation and management of the area while the National Park Service will work closely with the partners to help with interpretation and the protection of this valuable cultural and historical resource. Working with railroad enthusiasts from all over the country we can develop a long-term management plan which will provide better interpretation of the historical and cultural opportunities. I hope my colleagues will support me in sponsoring this legislation. Congressman Hansen has introduced similar legislation and I look forward to working with him and my friends on the Energy Committee to hold hearings and eventually move this bill through the Senate.

Mr. BENNETT

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until the hour of 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 5. I further ask unanimous consent that on Tuesday, immediately following the prayer, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate then resume debate on S. 82, the Federal aviation authorization bill.

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in recess from the hours of 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. for the weekly policy conferences to meet.

Mr. BENNETT

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I am introducing two bills which address minor technical issues in Washington County, Utah. Given the non-controversial nature of these bills, I am hopeful they will be given quick consideration. The first bill deals with a land exchange between the city of St. George and the BLM to facilitate a Washington County, Utah habitat conservation plan for the desert tortoise. The parcel of land at issue was once used as a landfill. The BLM is interested in acquiring the land in an exchange, but it is reluctant to accept liability for any unknown toxic materials that may be in the landfill. The bill would leave liability for the landfill in the hands of the city. Both the BLM and the city of St. George are in favor of this legislation. The next bill deals with an exchange between the State of Utah and a private party. This exchange would facilitate additional protection for the endangered desert tortoise. The parcels of land that the State wants to trade were given to them pursuant to the Recreation and Public Purposes Act and consequently have a BLM reversionary clause clouding title to the property. This bill would remove those reversionary clauses so that the State could pass clear title in the land exchange. I appreciate once again the leadership of Chairman Hansen on the House Committee on Resources in taking the lead on these bills in the other body and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Senate Energy Committee to move these bills quickly.

Mr. BENNETT

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I am introducing two bills which address minor technical issues in Washington County, Utah. Given the non-controversial nature of these bills, I am hopeful they will be given quick consideration. The first bill deals with a land exchange between the city of St. George and the BLM to facilitate a Washington County, Utah habitat conservation plan for the desert tortoise. The parcel of land at issue was once used as a landfill. The BLM is interested in acquiring the land in an exchange, but it is reluctant to accept liability for any unknown toxic materials that may be in the landfill. The bill would leave liability for the landfill in the hands of the city. Both the BLM and the city of St. George are in favor of this legislation. The next bill deals with an exchange between the State of Utah and a private party. This exchange would facilitate additional protection for the endangered desert tortoise. The parcels of land that the State wants to trade were given to them pursuant to the Recreation and Public Purposes Act and consequently have a BLM reversionary clause clouding title to the property. This bill would remove those reversionary clauses so that the State could pass clear title in the land exchange. I appreciate once again the leadership of Chairman Hansen on the House Committee on Resources in taking the lead on these bills in the other body and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Senate Energy Committee to move these bills quickly.

Mr. BENNETT

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I object to further proceedings on the bill at this time.

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I understand there is a bill at the desk due for its second reading.

Mr. BENNETT

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, today the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 5:30 p.m. Under a previous order, the time between 4:15 and 5:30 is equally divided between Senators Hatch and Torricelli. Division of Time I now ask unanimous consent that the time be equally divided between Senators Hatch and Leahy.

Mr. BENNETT. There will be at least one vote on a motion to invoke cloture on the bankruptcy bill, with the possibility of a second vote on a motion to invoke cloture on the judicial nomination of Ted Stewart. Following the votes, the Senate may begin consideration of the Department of Defense authorization conference report. Under the order, there are 2 hours of debate which may begin tonight, with a vote occurring tomorrow morning. For the remainder of the week, the Senate will begin consideration of the HUD-VA appropriations bill and complete action on the Interior appropriations bill. I thank my colleagues for their attention.

Mr. BENNETT

Mr. BENNETT. I want to bring to the Chairman's attention an issue that we would hope to address this year. In Garfield County, Utah, we have what is called the Boulder to Bullfrog Highway which goes from the tiny town of Boulder to the Bullfrog Basin Marina at Lake Powell. This road crosses some of the most rugged, scenic and roadless country in the southwest. Headed eastbound, a traveler will cross the Grand Staircase Excalante National Monument, Capitol Reef National Park, additional BLM lands and on into the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. It is county-maintained road with a right-of-way crossing federal lands. Sections of the road are classified as both improved and unimproved meaning that sections are paved in some places and are gravel or dirt in others. Despite this, it is heavily traveled by tourist and locals because it is the only east-west road for 60 miles north or south. During the spring and summer, flash floods often will wash out the road forcing its closure. This occurs most often near the Bullfrog Creek drainage, where it is not unusual to have a 100 yard section of the road washed out. When this happens, a detour of over 150 miles is required just to get to the other side of Capitol Reef National Park which would otherwise be roughly a 30 mile drive. Clearly, there is an public interest in keeping the road open, yet every summer the County and the National Park Service expend considerable capital and manpower to keep the road open after every rain. This situation could be alleviated by placing a series of culverts or other type of structures over the Bullfrog Creek drainage to keep the road from washing out. With this in mind, I ask the Chairman if he believes it would it be appropriate to provide Garfield County, Utah approximately $500,000 from the Federal Lands Highway account to install a structure to keep the road open throughout the year?

Mr. BENNETT

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, a number of my colleagues and I have advocated a small increase in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. I also want to commend Senator Cochran's efforts to increase funds for the National for the Humanities. Neither endowment has received a significant increase since their budgets were cut by nearly 40 percent in fiscal 1996. I believe a $4 million increase is warranted given the reforms intended to make the endowments more efficient and more accountable have been implemented and we have seen results. While a positive story could be told about the National Endowment for the Arts, I believe the real story of the NEA and NEH is a local story. And in my case, a Utah story. In previous years, I have outlined the origins of the strong arts and humanities tradition in Utah. The arts flourished in Utah before Utah was even a state. Utah also had one of the first publicly funded arts councils in America. Today, I would like to tell two stories of traveling exhibition programs in the arts and humanities. Both benefit rural areas. Both provide communities with opportunities that might not be available otherwise. These types of programs make a strong case for a small federal investment in the arts and humanities. For the last 35 years, the Utah Arts Council's Traveling Exhibition Program, supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, has toured visual arts exhibitions all over Utah. In some areas, particularly in the more rural regions of the state, the exhibition is the only source of visual arts programming. Utah's San Juan county bussed children from surrounding communities to view these exhibitions. Another rural county boasted a 100-percent citizen participation for one of the exhibits. The Utah Arts Council's Traveling Exhibition Program serves more than 150,000 people in all but two counties of the state each year. Every year the Utah Arts Council receives more than 250 requests for the program, but is only able to satisfy half. Each Traveling Exhibition includes educational materials that emphasize not only the artistic aspects of the exhibits, but also its connections to other aspects of the curriculum. Denise Hoffman, a librarian at the Green River Library and participant in the program, made this comment: We are a very small and isolated town in rural Utah. Almost every student in the grade school comes to the library on a weekly basis. A vast majority of our students will never be exposed to the arts. We use the traveling exhibitions as a basis for learning. By making these displays easily affordable, you cannot count the young lives that have been touched, or guided into the arts. Please consider dollar for dollar what we are getting with this program. It is critical to us. Another program that benefits rural areas is a collaborative project between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services (SITES) and state humanities councils. Its goal is to give small rural museums access to Smithsonian resources. What resulted was a small traveling program with Smithsonian type exhibits called ``Museum on Main Street.'' The two projects developed under this program are ``Produce for Victory: Posters on the American Homefront 1941-1945'' and ``Barn Again! Celebrating an American Icon.'' The Utah Humanities Council spearheaded this effort and the following communities have participated in this program: Castle Dale, population 1,704; Vernal, population 6,644; Kanab, population 3,289; Wellsville, population 2,206; Monticello, population 1,806; Delta population 2,998; Ephraim, population 3,363; Heber, population 4,362; and Payson, population 9,510. Castle Dale, Kanab, Payson, Vernal, and Delta hosted their first Smithsonian exhibit using ``Produce for Victory'' as a basis for the communities to remember what was occurring in America during the years 1941 through 1945. Each community developed local programs including USO dances, ration recipe luncheons, reunions of women who worked in munitions industries (``Rosie the Riveter''), discussions of the 1930s and 1940s movies and newsreels, and exhibitions of local artifacts. Kanab had activities all year commemorating World War II. Events included a poster exhibit from the Smithsonian, World War II movies from Brigham Young University's film collection, and countless other very personal contributions from many of the town's people who had directly participated in the war or were relatives of those who had. An immediate result of various groups working together on this project was to make young people aware of those whose lives were directly touched by World War II. Many of the local youth had no idea that they were living next door to people who had first-hand knowledge of this historic event. Grandchildren were talking to grandparents and asking questions about the war. Many teens were surprised to learn that some of those serving in the armed services were no older than their big brothers or themselves. During the celebration, those who had contributed their possessions from that period stood by their displays, ready to describe each artifact. These types of activities help us remember our history, the individual sacrifices that were made for freedom, how individuals coped with difficult times, and how America emerged stronger. Understanding this legacy through these types of exhibits is a worthwhile pursuit. The traveling exhibits that I have described today are in keeping with the goal of bringing our historical and cultural heritage to areas that would not otherwise have the opportunity. Much of the criticism of the NEA has been anecdotal and has painted an ugly picture. Utah's story is anything but. The state arts and humanities councils, assisted by the National Endowments, and the Smithsonian, has demonstrated how arts and humanities can be a positive influence in our communities. Mr. President, I believe a continued federal arts and humanities partnership is worthwhile, and encourage my colleagues to support a small increase. I would also like to thank Chairman Gorton for his leadership on this bill. He has had to balance several competing priorities and has done an admirable job. I appreciate very much his attention to the details of so many important issues.

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I would like to briefly raise four issues with the Chairman for clarification. Utah is in the process of creating a GIS database on public lands. Is it the Chairman's understanding that the $300,000 of federal funds appropriated through the BLM Realty and Ownership management will be combined with the funds appropriated by the State of Utah and then distributed to the rural counties by the special committee created by the State Legislature?

Mr. BENNETT. I thank the Chairman. With regards to the Olympic Tree program funded under the Community and Urban Forestry account, given the nature of Olympic partners and the reliance upon in-kind donations, is it the Committee's position that the local match may also include in-kind donations such as land, labor and materials?

Mr. BENNETT. With regards to the proposed final management plan for the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, is it the Chairman's understanding that the State of Utah's authority over wildlife management and wildlife damage prevention within the monument shall remain unchanged?

Mr. BENNETT. Again, I thank the Chairman. I have one final question regarding the Desert Tortoise Recovery program. There is a proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to create a new position of a tortoise recovery coordinator that reports out of the Reno Nevada office. This is of concern to me. As the Chairman knows, Washington County has made tremendous progress toward completing a Habitat Conservation Plan and recovery program. They have put together an effective, balanced team and compared to other recovery units, Washington County and its key partners including the State of Utah, BLM and State Parks have accomplished a great deal over the last five years. All of this was accomplished without a tortoise coordinator to oversee the project. There are a couple of issues I believe should be addressed prior to the creation of proposed coordinator position. Issues such as determining which office would make section 7 evaluations regarding tortoises in Washington County--Salt Lake City or Reno? I would also like to know how the creation of such a position will impact funding and how do we insure that state and local communities are not adversely impacted. In order to preserve the good working relationship among the parties in Utah, I would hope the Chairman would support me in this position until these questions are answered.

Mr. BENNETT. I thank the Chairman for his support. biocatalytic desulfurization technologies

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I want to raise an issue that was recently brought to my attention in Utah. It is a long-term project that I intend to undertake and I hope that the committee will support me in this effort. The Utah Museum of Natural History contains collections of more than one million objects and specimens in the fields of geology, biology and anthropology. It ranks as one of the largest and most comprehensive collections for the western states. Overall, more than 75 percent of the museum's collections are federally owned; that is, recovered from federally managed public lands. Of the remaining 25 percent of the collections, a significant portion was collected on state lands under federally mandated permitting procedures. The museum is a repository for collections from BLM, Forest Service, Park Service and Bureau of Reclamation lands. Additional specimens have been collected from Department of Defense lands as well. There are numerous authorities defining the legal relationship between the federal agencies and museums and research universities such as the Smithsonian's Organic Act passed in 1879, the Antiquities Act of 1906, NEPA and most recently, the National Archaeological Graves Protection and Reburial Act of 1990. The large number of federal collections in the museum is the consequence of the high percentage of federally owned lands in Utah. Utah ranks second among all states in percentage of federal lands; thus, field research in the natural sciences in Utah largely takes place on federal lands. Unfortunately, the current facilities at the Utah Museum of Natural History used to house the federal collections are inadequate. Lack of space, materials, supplies and personnel have created a situation where the collections are in jeopardy of being permanently lost. This is not in anyway caused by the neglect of the museum staff, but it is simply a lack of space and funding to adequately store all of the collections properly. I became interested when this situation was brought to my attention a few months ago. Since that time, my staff have been looking into various options to help remedy the situation. In the meantime, the museum has done a tremendous job putting together a master plan, organizing partners and seeking private donations to relocate the museums. But they are limited in their ability to raise funds without some federal participation and commitment. And with that in mind, I want to seek the chairman's input on that question. Does the chairman believe that the federal agencies such as the BLM, Forest Service and the National Park Service have a legitimate role in helping remedy this situation? MR. GORTON. The Senator raises a good point. Obviously there is a federal interest in protecting these collections. While I cannot commit to providing funding for this project in the future, I will work closely with my colleague from Utah. Until that time, however, I think it would be quite appropriate for the various agencies to lend their resources and expertise by participating the partnership that has been created. I would encourage them to do so. MR. BENNETT. I thank the chairman and I look forward to working with him. institute of museum and library services

Mr. BENNETT

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the ``Ute Economic Opportunity Act of 1999.'' This bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on September 9, 1999 by Representative Cannon. Currently, the Department of Energy administers the Naval Oil Shale Reserve Numbered 2, which is located in northeastern Utah. A portion of the Oil Shale Reserve exists on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, which belongs to the Ute Indian Tribe. There have been several discussions that contemplate the transfer of the lands of the Oil Shale Reserve to the Bureau of Land Management. Due to the religious and historical significance of certain lands and the presence of wild horses and burros, the Ute Tribe is concerned that any transfer may infringe on their tribal rights and deviate from the current management direction. This bill would continue the Department of Energy's administration of the Oil Shale Reserve, and also provide a significant opportunity for economic development to the Ute Tribe. The bill requires the Department of Energy to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Ute Tribe to develop a long-term plan to manage, develop, and administer the Oil Shale Reserve. Further, 180 days after enactment of this bill, the Ute Tribe will enter into an oil and gas lease with the Department of Energy to develop the hydrocarbon resources present in the Oil Shale Reserve. It should be noted that the Ute Tribe has a history of responsible stewardship over the development of one of the largest oil and gas fields in Utah. I fully anticipate that the leasing process will go forward in an environmentally responsible manner. I expect nothing less from the Department and the Tribe. Through the management and utilization of these resources, the Ute Tribe will have an opportunity to develop high quality, high paying jobs that are sorely needed on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation while sustainably managing the land. The Ute Economic Opportunity Act of 1999 is an important piece of legislation that will allow the Ute Tribe to pursue economic independence.

Mr. BENNETT

Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the ``Ute Economic Opportunity Act of 1999.'' This bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on September 9, 1999 by Representative Cannon. Currently, the Department of Energy administers the Naval Oil Shale Reserve Numbered 2, which is located in northeastern Utah. A portion of the Oil Shale Reserve exists on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, which belongs to the Ute Indian Tribe. There have been several discussions that contemplate the transfer of the lands of the Oil Shale Reserve to the Bureau of Land Management. Due to the religious and historical significance of certain lands and the presence of wild horses and burros, the Ute Tribe is concerned that any transfer may infringe on their tribal rights and deviate from the current management direction. This bill would continue the Department of Energy's administration of the Oil Shale Reserve, and also provide a significant opportunity for economic development to the Ute Tribe. The bill requires the Department of Energy to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Ute Tribe to develop a long-term plan to manage, develop, and administer the Oil Shale Reserve. Further, 180 days after enactment of this bill, the Ute Tribe will enter into an oil and gas lease with the Department of Energy to develop the hydrocarbon resources present in the Oil Shale Reserve. It should be noted that the Ute Tribe has a history of responsible stewardship over the development of one of the largest oil and gas fields in Utah. I fully anticipate that the leasing process will go forward in an environmentally responsible manner. I expect nothing less from the Department and the Tribe. Through the management and utilization of these resources, the Ute Tribe will have an opportunity to develop high quality, high paying jobs that are sorely needed on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation while sustainably managing the land. The Ute Economic Opportunity Act of 1999 is an important piece of legislation that will allow the Ute Tribe to pursue economic independence.