Chris Cannon

Mr. CANNON

Mr. CANNON. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield for a point of clarification?

Mr. CANNON. Mr. Chairman, if I might just say, my district, as I pointed out a little earlier, has really remarkably beautiful areas. The area the gentleman is talking about in Sevier County is actually a pretty nice area, but it is a long way away of what we are trying to deal with here. What we are trying to do is establish a process so we can, in fact, integrate all of the facets of public land management into one bill. So I oppose the current amendment on the basis that it goes way beyond what makes sense on the ground and does not add anything to the Boehlert amendment, which actually does bring this all together and in an integrated fashion.

Mr. CANNON. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. CANNON. We are not talking about asphalted roads here. We are talking about county right of ways.

Mr. CANNON. The access by those roaded areas, these thousands of miles of roaded areas means that people can get off those roads and into areas where they cause degradation. That is what his pictures are of. What the BLM has already done is closed the vast majority of those roads so that the remaining roads, the major roads in the area can now be policed.

Mr. CANNON. Reclaiming my time, the problem we have here is that we have wildnerness study areas around roaded areas.

Mr. CANNON. Reclaiming my time, if I could just ask the question. The Secretary took action to close a large number of roads in this area, leaving four open. The question I am asking is, is this degradation? Are the pictures that we are dealing with from that massive area that has now been closed off, or is the gentleman suggesting that the remaining four roads are represented by the degradation in those pictures?

Mr. CANNON. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. CANNON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Does the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) know where those pictures come from? We are dealing with various kinds of areas in this bill. Part of it is already wilderness study areas. I know that those come from the wilderness study area. But does he happen to know if they come from the remaining roads that are open or if they come from those areas that are now closed?

Mr. CANNON. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman will continue to yield, many people have been frustrated by the abuse that has happened in these wilderness study areas, including the BLM. I agree with the gentleman. The reason the BLM has been frustrated and not done anything is because unilaterally they did not have the ability to do anything. What this bill does is create a context where the rights of Emery County is understood and put in context and thoughtful decisions and conclusions can be made, like the decision that was made in March. We cannot do it unilaterally any other way, and that is why the frustration has been because of the legal problems the constitutional protections that the counties had, not because of any desire not to have these things solved. That is why this bill is so important and why I would urge that this amendment be defeated.

Mr. CANNON. Mr. Chairman, just as a matter of fact, let me point out that the March directive made a huge leap forward in progress in controlling the damage done by OHVs, but it was done with the county. In other words, the county that has the rights to these roads, the county that can assert those right-of-ways, has said, we will work with the BLM in the context of this bill to solve the problem that we agree is currently existing. We cannot as a body here, or together as a Federal Government, override what those interests in those roads are. What the amendment of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) would do is actually turn back the clock on the very degradation he is attempting to stop.

Mr. CANNON. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman will continue to yield, I recognize the concern of the gentleman in preserving the areas. But if the county and the State have rights to those roads, the gentleman would not suggest that we pass legislation that simply overrides those rights without compensation without going through the constitutional process as required of us?

Mr. CANNON. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the gentleman for his moving description of my district. It is truly a wonderful breathtaking area, and we invite all of our colleagues and everyone in America to visit and to enjoy the experiences that the gentleman has obviously had there. Let me add that one of the deep concerns that I have here is that we do have uncontrolled and destructive off-highway vehicle use. I believe that if this body supports the Udall amendment, that this bill will not go forward, that destruction will continue, and we will not have even the opportunity to currently solve the growing problem that we have today. So sharing the gentleman's views and his sincere desire to see this continue, I suggest, is the best reason for opposing the Udall amendment.

Mr. CANNON. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, let me point out to the gentleman that we already included an extension of the area that would include the Factory Butte and other wilderness study areas to the south of this area. Let me just finish by saying then, Mr. Chairman, this bill goes a long, long way to take violent, strong forces and bring them together for current protection of this area, which will not happen in a more restrained environment.

Mr. CANNON. Reclaiming my time and finishing up here, it occurs to me that there is some confusion on your side. I would assume that it is not a matter of distortion or petty fighting here; but the degradation that the gentleman is concerned about has been dealt with in the most dramatic fashion. It has already been done. Under the Boehlert amendment, the Secretary of the Department of the Interior continues to have the authority to monitor what is happening on those remaining roads and see if there is going to be degradation. But the degradation he is concerned about, what he is saying essentially is we want not only no abuse but no use of these dramatic areas that have had roads for a very, very long period of time.

Mr. CANNON. Reclaiming my time, when he says these are roadless wilderness areas, what does he mean? Is he talking about where the pictures are?

Mr. CANNON. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. CANNON. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman understands that part of the reason that the BLM has not been able to avoid this kind of degradation is because there is some very clear claim. Granted it is obfuscated by the county as to the ownership of those roads and that whether or not you agree to every road, many of those roads are RS-2477 roads and the county has the right to them. The gentleman would agree further, would he not, that in fact many of these roads have been shut down appropriately in conjunction with the county. The key factor here being that the county has worked with the BLM to solve the problem. Does the gentleman understand my question? In other words, the BLM has not been able to avoid this because of the rights of the county and the argument over that.

Mr. CANNON. But we are not talking about new roads here, as the gentleman has alluded to several times. These are roads, many of these roads, especially the ones that have been closed, are roads that have been there for a very long time.

Mr. CANNON. I yield to the gentleman from Oregon.

Mr. CANNON. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, let me just point out, and I will be happy to yield if I have further time, the current 202 process is on hold from an appropriations bill rider. This bill moves us beyond that and puts the 202 process; that is, the reinventorying of wilderness areas, back on track

Mr. CANNON

Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, today I introduce legislation to reauthorize the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This spring will mark 7 years of success for the Museum, which is visited by millions of people each year through its acclaimed exhibitions, education opportunities, publications, and outreach programs. Created by a unanimous act of Congress in 1980, the Museum continues to receive strong support and recognition. In addition to its primary mission of advancing and communicating knowledge of Holocaust history, the Museum offers an opportunity for its visitors to reflect upon the moral and spiritual questions raised by the Holocaust. The success of the Museum clearly demonstrates the public's deep interest in contemplating and gaining valuable lessons from the Holocaust. Some of the key accomplishments that illustrate the exceptional success of the Museum over the past 7 years include: Nearly 14 million visitors, of which 3.7 million have been children. In addition, 61 heads of state have visited, along with 2,000 foreign officials from 130 nations. In response to public demand, the development of educational and scholarly outreach, with the Museum sponsoring travel exhibitions in 27 cities over the past several years. Over 1.5 million visits to its web site each year. Educational materials and programs serving 25,000 educators across the United States annually. Recognition internationally as a center for Holocaust research and remembrance. There continues to be a dramatic growth in its collections, including more than 35,000 artifacts, 12 million pages of archival documents, 65,000 photographic images, oral histories from over 6,000 individuals, a library of over 30,000 volumes in 18 languages, and a renowned registry of Holocaust survivors and their families with a total of 165,000 listings. Invaluable references service to the public, with the Museum's archival, photo, historian's office, and library staff responding to over 18,000 requests each year for information, guidance, and services. These exceptional accomplishments clearly demonstrate the Museum's extraordinary adherence to public service and the success it has achieved both on the National Mall and across the United States. The passage of time continues to deepen the urgency and importance of the Museum's role in the United States and its powerful mission of carrying the legacy of Holocaust remembrance, education, and conscience forward into the 21st century. With its commitment to education and service, this Museum is key to strengthening our ability to understand history's painful lessons, to helping us overcome the worst of human impulses, and to improving our future. As a member of the Museum's Council I am proud to introduce this legislation and I urge my colleagues to join me, and the 24 original cosponsors, in supporting the mission of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and its enduring role in our society.

Mr. CANNON

Mr. CANNON. Madam Speaker, today I will introduce the San Rafael Western Legacy and National Conservation Area Act. This legislation sets up a process to preserve the remarkable area famous for such outlaws as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Over the last 3 years, people in Emery County, Utah, the off-road vehicle users and sportsmen came together with county officials, landowners and the Bureau of Land Management to approve the plan I am introducing today. This bill would place 2.8 million acres into a legacy district to be managed for the conservation of the region's historical and cultural resources. This bill will allow management that will guarantee the preservation of the dramatic canyons, wildlife and historic sites of the San Rafael Swell. Additionally, this bill will set aside about 1 million acres as a National Conservation Area, withdrawn from future mining claims and providing increased protection for primitive and semi-primitive areas. The Secretary of Interior, in conjunction with an advisory council, will develop a management plan for the National Conservation Area that will provide for various land uses and the preservation of these amazing natural resources for future generations.

Mr. CANNON

Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 28, the Four Corners Interpretive Center Act. Having introduced companion legislation, H.R. 1384, S. 28 simply establishes the Four Corners Interpretive Center to provide a unique collection of cultural, historical and archeological specimens for the millions of people who visit the only geographic location in the nation where the boundaries of four States, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah come together. The Four Corners Monument Tribal Park is located on lands that fall within the Navajo Reservation and the Ute Mountain Reservation. In 1996, these tribes entered into a memorandum of understanding governing the future development of the park. S. 28 and H.R. 1384 reflect that agreement, providing the initial facility of base communities to lead to full development of the park. This bill represents the cooperation of Federal, State and local and tribal governments in an effort to reaffirm the ties of our past while extending those ties to the future. I urge support for this bill.

Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the Senate bill (S. 28) to authorize an interpretive center and related visitor facilities within the Four Corners Monument Tribal Park, and for other purpose, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.