Barbara Cubin

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3113) to reauthorize the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mrs. CUBIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present the House of Representatives H.R. 3113, to extend the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994 until September 30, 2004. The fundamental purposes of this landmark law were to establish a conservation fund and to authorize the Congress to appropriate up to $10 million per year to finance worthwhile projects to assist highly endangered species of rhinos and tigers. Since its enactment, the Congress has appropriated $1 million over the last three fiscal years. While this is much less than the $30 million that was authorized, this money has funded 31 conservation projects at a cost of $585,000. The sponsors of these projects will match these funds, and I am confident that these grants will help stop the destruction of these animals. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 16 rhino projects, 7 tiger projects, and 8 projects to benefit both species have been funded. These have included an adopt-a-warden program in Indonesia, aerial monitoring of rhinos in Zaire, investigation of poaching and illegal trade of wild tigers in India, and the training of wildlife rangers in Tanzania. Without this fund, I am convinced that rhinos and tigers would continue to slide toward extinction. After all, there are only 11,000 rhinos and fewer than 5,000 tigers living in the wild. This small investment has become a powerful weapon in the international fight to stop the poaching of these species, and it is one of the only continuous sources of money available to range states. During the subcommittee hearing on this legislation, every witness, including the administration, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, Safari Club International, and the World Wildlife Fund spoke in strong support of H.R. 3113. Each of these witnesses testified that the grants made under this act will make a positive difference in conserving rhinos and tigers. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote aye on this important wildlife conservation bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 750) to consolidate certain mineral interests in the National Grasslands in Billings County, North Dakota, through the exchange of Federal and private mineral interests to enhance land management capabilities and environmental and wildlife protection, and for other purposes.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mrs. CUBIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Senate 750, an act to consolidate certain mineral interests in the National Grasslands in Billings County, North Dakota through the exchange of Federal and private mineral interests to enhance land management capabilities and environmental and wildlife protection, and for other purposes. Mr. Speaker, S. 750, introduced by the senior Senator from North Dakota, Mr. Dorgan, is identical to H.R. 2574, introduced by our House colleague, the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy). Indeed, it is the request of the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy) that the full House take up the Senate bill rather than his own in order to expedite passage of this legislation. The gentleman's bill was referred to the Committee on Resources and then to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, as well as the Subcommittee on Forests. The legislation directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conclude an equal-value exchange of 9,582 of private oil and gas rights for 8,796 acres of Federal oil and gas rights beneath a national grassland within Billings County, North Dakota, managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The legislation also authorizes the exchange of any other private mineral rights in the same area. S. 750 passed the Senate by unanimous consent. Mr. Speaker, our colleague from North Dakota has worked diligently to bring together differing interests to make this bill happen. The private mineral owner is the successor in interest to a land grant to the Northern Pacific Railroad. The land surface estate was acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture many decades ago, but the mineral estate was reserved by the railroad. To have meaning, such reservations obviously must include the right to use the surface estate to the extent necessary to access one's own mineral rights. Such is the case here, but the oil and gas company that has these rights has patiently negotiated with Forest Service and the environmental community to avoid actions which would disturb the roadless character and solitude of the area in question. Mr. Speaker, now is the time to ratify the exchange contemplated in the moratorium of understanding referenced by the bill. Although it may well be possible to administratively exchange the mineral estates in question, all parties seek the blessing of Congress in order to expedite the deal already struck. Further delay is unwarranted. Without this exchange, the Boundary Butte area of the National Grassland, which the Forest Service and the environmental community wish to protect from intrusions such as oil and gas development, remains threatened by the exercise of legitimate private property rights. If we do not act, the long delay to legally access the private mineral estate will be exacerbated further and could possibly lead to a successful takings claim against the United States. Mr. Speaker, this legislation makes both economic and environmental sense by consolidating mineral ownership and by reducing any potential conflict between surface and subsurface management of the National Grasslands. I urge its adoption. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it has been a pleasure to work with the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy) on behalf of his constituents.

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

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3113.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 750, the Senate bill just passed.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the bill, and I too commend the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Smith), chairman of the committee, and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) for the hard work that they have done on this bill. The legislation before us today is one way that we truly can actually do what we need to do and what we all want to do, and that is have healthy and productive forests. Like the gentleman from California (Mr. Brown) who preceded me, for whom I have the utmost respect for his experience in forestry and his service on the committee, I too have extensive experience when it comes to forests and forest health. I live in a district, I represent the entire State of Wyoming, and I live in a district and visit the forests about twice a month. I have flown over the forests in helicopters, and I have seen the national forests that have so much dead timber in them that it caused the chief of the Forest Service, Chief Dombeck, to say this, and I quote, that there are 40 million acres of Forest Service land that, in his words, ``are at an unacceptable risk of destruction by catastrophic wildfire.'' This is true. This is a real threat. It not only threatens human lives, but it threatens animal habitat. The only way we can deal with this problem is to manage the forests. We all want a healthier, we all want healthy forests. The insect infestation that causes dead trees can be controlled if we allow logging to be done. I do not think anyone has heard anyone over here say we want to clear-cut the forests; that is a thing of the past, we do not want to do that. But we want scientists, we want those Forest Service people who are on the ground to be able to produce timber from the forests when they think it is the scientifically healthy thing for the Forest Service to do; and they at this time cannot do this. We need this legislation. It is time that we push the Forest Service into action to harvest this timber to make our forests healthy and beautiful for recreation for people and for the animal wildlife.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I find the Smith amendment to be very good for one of our most precious natural resources; that is, our forests and our ability to use them. And I find the Boehlert amendment to be radical and extreme. The Boehlert amendment locks up one-third of the forests in this country. So if a road washes out, a temporary road in a forest washes out, or if there is a blowdown and a road is blocked, his amendment could even be construed that those could not be repaired. And do my colleagues know what that does? It does a lot of things, but one of the main things is that it violates the Americans With Disabilities Act. If we cannot have roads in forests, not only can we not harvest the timber and not realize the value that that has in preserving the health of the forest and bringing revenues to the communities, but we cannot have recreation in the forests either. We cannot go sightseeing, we cannot go picnicking, fishing, hunting or camping unless we want to parachute in, unless we want to walk, unless we want to ride a mule. And having just gone through some very serious surgery which limited my ability to be able to walk around, to be able to ride a horse or a mule, I cannot do that anymore, and there are millions of Americans who cannot do that either. Locking up one-third of America's forests and not allowing people to get in there is simply wrong, and that could very well be the effect that the Boehlert amendment has, not to mention the fact that when we do not keep these roads, temporary or permanent, in conditions so that we can fight fires, we are asking for the ravages that we have seen on the 6 o'clock news to habitat for animals and to income for communities, as well as our beautiful forests. What the Boehlert amendment is truly about is about pure unadulterated politics. According to the Forest Service communications plan, the agency is preparing to use major forest fires during the summer and fall of 1998 for political purposes. These political purposes are to help Vice President Gore run for President and to advance an extreme radical environmentalist agenda, which is exactly what the Boehlert amendment does. According to the Washington Post, the Forest Service intends, and this is a quote, ``to manipulate the media and everyone else to get support for the administration's policies over the next 8 months.'' That is a quote. The Washington Post article outlined the Forest Service and, therefore, the administration's strategy regarding how to get this watershed aspect of their agenda enacted. The communications plan includes having Forest Service chief Don Beck travel extensively to, again I quote, ``travel extensively to fires receiving high media coverage,'' unquote, and to provide similar media advance for Vice President Gore prior to the 2000 presidential election. That is what is in the communication plan of the Forest Service. It is not about good forest health, it is not about managing the forests. It is about politics. It is unconscionable to think that people will be killed and property will be lost and habitat will be destroyed in this blatant attempt to push the administration's misguided environmental agenda. The trust that we have instilled in this Forest Service has been compromised because of this attempt at making it all the more incumbent that this Congress step forward and reject the extreme radical environmental agenda that is personified in the Boehlert amendment. We should pass the Smith amendment and then pass the bill.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Chairman, I do want to speak very briefly to rebut the argument by the sponsor of this amendment when he said that maintaining and repairing roads would not be possible. Well, if we read the amendment, we will see that in fact what I said is true, that maintaining and repairing roads is not possible, because it says ``or policy that is in effect.'' The Clinton administration policy right now is to not allow those roads to be maintained and repaired. So I just want everyone to know that that was factual.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure today to introduce legislation to rename the Federal building and post office in Casper, Wyoming, the Dick Cheney Federal Building. I know of no one more deserving of this honor than Dick Cheney. Dick was one of my predecessors in the House. He served as Chief of Staff to former President Ford and he was Secretary of Defense under former President George Bush. During his tenure as Defense Secretary, Dick directed two of the largest military campaigns in recent history, Operation Just Cause in Panama and Operation Desert Storm in the Middle East. For his leadership in the Gulf War, Dick was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bush, one of the highest honors bestowed on any individual. Although Dick is now serving as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Halliburton Company and out of the political limelight, he remains extremely popular in Wyoming and his advice is still sought after by many of us, including myself, who currently serve in office. I hope my colleagues will join me in sponsoring this legislation in honor of one of our most cherished and highly respected former Members. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honor and privilege to introduce today a bill to rename the Federal Building and Post Office in Casper, Wyoming, after a former member of this body, my predecessor, Dick Cheney. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this recognition, and I know the residents of Casper and all of Wyoming will be proud to honor him in this manner. As most of my colleagues are aware, Dick was first elected to serve in the House of Representatives in 1978 and was reelected five times. At the end of his first term, his Republican colleagues elected him to serve as Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee. I'm told that is the first time in this century a freshman member has been named to that position. Dick went on to become Chairman of the Republican Conference and House Minority Whip. But Dick's political career really began years earlier when he first joined the Nixon Administration in 1969, where he served in a number of positions at the Cost of Living Council, the Office of Economic Opportunity and the White House staff. He left the government in 1973 to become Vice President of Bradley, Woods and Company, an investment advisory firm. When Gerald Ford assumed the Presidency in August of 1974, Dick was invited to serve on the transition team and later as Deputy Assistant to the President. In November, 1975, he was named Assistant to the President and White House Chief of Staff, a position he held throughout the remainder of the Ford Administration. I might add that, at 34, Dick was the youngest Chief of Staff ever to serve a President. For many of us in Wyoming who have known Dick for years, however, our greatest thrill was having him appointed as Secretary of Defense in the Bush Administration, a position he held from March of 1989 to January 1993. During his tenure at the Defense Department, Dick directed two of the largest military campaigns in recent history--Operation Just Cause in Panama and Operation Desert Storm in the Middle East. He was also responsible for shaping the future of the U.S. military in an age of profound and rapid change as the Cold War ended. For his leadership in the Gulf War, Dick was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bush on July 3, 1991, one of the highest honors bestowed on any individual. Although Dick is now serving as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Halliburton Company and out of the political limelight, he remains extremely popular in Wyoming and his advice is still sought after by many of us--including myself--who currently serve in office. Dick and his wife Lynne are among my closest friends and I cherish, love and admire them both. It is a great pleasure for me to seek to recognize him in this fashion, and I trust my colleagues will join me in sponsoring this bill and working towards its expeditious passage. Thank you, Dick, for all you have done for this country. God bless you and your family.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, Jackson Hole, WY is one of the most beautiful and unique areas of our Nation. Over 3 million visitors per year come to hike, camp, ski, and sightsee amidst the grandeur of the Teton range and the winding Snake River in Grand Teton National Park and the Greater Yellowstone area beyond. Many wildlife species such as moose, bear, eagles, and trumpeter swan make the valley their home, while the largest elk herd in the lower 48 states annually migrates through it to winter on the wildlife refuge at its southern end. While much of the valley is protected in perpetuity by Federal ownership, some of the most valuable wildlife habitat, migration routes, and scenic vistas remain in private ownership as working ranch lands. Conservation groups in Jackson Hole and around the country have worked for years to help protect these ranches from development through the use of scenic easements and other means and are to be commended for their good work. The concept of preserving and protecting parts of the Teton Range and Jackson Hole date from the time settlers moved into the valley in the late 1800's. In January 1929 the U.S. Senate reported on a bill to establish Grand Teton National Park and stated: The Teton range presents the most profoundly impressive view in America. It is a gift to the Nation and posterity in which the people of Wyoming may be proud, and the wilderness surrounding them may be preserved in their natural state for the benefit and enjoyment of the people of these United States and future generations to come. In 1950, the act establishing Grant Teton National Park allowed the continuation of grazing privileges within the boundaries of the new park for the life of the designated heirs of the current holders of grazing permits. Early management of the park determined that managing cattle in a concentrated area with irrigated grass was less destructive to the resource and less intrusive to the visiting public than random grazing throughout the park. The purpose of my legislation, H.R. 708, is not about granting special grazing rights; it is about doing the right thing to maintain the scenic wonderment that encompasses this magnificent area and keep the area open for wildlife, especially migratory elk. This pristine land obviously comes with a price tag. Real estate prices have skyrocketed, and intense development pressure has occurred because of this fact. Through this legislation I have worked in cooperation with officials from Grant Teton National Park to resolve many issues. I know that all parties involved in this matter are striving to reach the same goal: maintain the scenic beauty that those of us who have been fortunate enough to spend time in the Tetons will continue to enjoy the park for a long time to come. I have incorporated some changes to the legislation proposed by the Park Service during the National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee hearing this summer, and the bill reflects some, but not all, of those changes. Mr. Speaker, I am dedicated to maintaining the highly valuable open space and ranching culture in this vicinity of the park. The authorization of a 3-year study will allow time to explore a network of relationships and avoid the indiscriminate development that will occur on these pastoral lands.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to the Miller amendment that would allow the Antiquities Act to apply to all 50 states. As you may know Mr. Chairman, Wyoming is fully exempt from the Antiquities Act--the President cannot designate a national monument in my State that is 50 acres, 5,000 acres, 50,000 acres or 5 million acres without the consent of Congress. The legislation that established this important exemption was passed into law in 1950. The law is very simple, and very straight forward. It reads: ``No further extension or establishment of national monuments in Wyoming may be undertaken except by express authorization of Congress.'' The State of Wyoming took civil action in February of 1945 against the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, after he had used the Antiquities Act to designate the Jackson Hole National Monument. The State claimed national interference with the use and maintenance of State highways, together with the loss of revenue from game and fish licenses by the exercise of federal control. Finally, an agreement was reached between the parties and Congress that incorporated much of the Jackson Hole National Monument into Grand Teton National Park. In addition, legislation was also enacted that bars any future Presidential designation of any national monument in my State. The Miller amendment, if passed, would submit the people of Wyoming to the possibility of the same treatment that occurred in 1945--the designation of a national monument without as much as a single comment from the people who live in the affected state. President Clinton recently used the Antiquities Act to establish the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah. He stood not in Utah, but on the north rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, to announce the creation of that monument. No member of Congress, local official or the Governor of Utah was ever consulted, nor was the public. In 1976 this Nation made an important public policy decision. Congress passed landmark legislation in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) requiring great deliberation, careful process, and above all public input in determining how public lands should be used. I am not willing to submit my constituents--the citizens of the State of Wyoming--to a President, present or future, who is willing to skirt important environmental and public comment processes for purely political gain. We must require, and our constituents expect, full and complete accountability of our elected officials--the President through the Antiquities Act must be accountable to the citizens he represents. If he is not, I believe that power should be taken away. I am thankful that Wyoming had the foresight and courage to pass the law that exempts it from the Antiquities Act and from an outright abuse of power. I ask that my colleagues oppose the Miller amendment.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 290, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, over a century and a half has now passed since the historic overland migrations of people across America's Western frontier began. Their stories of hardship, perseverance, and courage are legendary, and they figure prominently in the history of the West. The trails they traveled, especially in Wyoming, still remain a visible testimony to the great struggles of these early American pioneers. During the mid-1800's, Casper, WY, was the only geographic location in the Western United States where the Oregon, Mormon, California, and Pony Express trails, as well as many Indian trails converged. A fork of the Bozeman Trail and the beginnings of the Bridger Trail also originated in Casper. These trails are a distinctive part of our Nation's past and they possess important historical and cultural values representing themes of migration, settlement, transportation, and commerce that shaped the landscape of the West. Congress has recognized the historical significance of these trails. The National Trails Systems Act, as amended in 1978 and 1992, designates the Oregon, Mormon Pioneer, California, and Pony Express Trails as ``National Historic Trails.'' The act also directs the Secretary of the Interior to protect, interpret, and manage the remnants of these trails on Federal lands. While large segments of these trails, and their associated historic sites lie on Bureau of Land Management [BLM] lands in Wyoming, no interpretive center is available in Wyoming, or any adjacent State, to educate the public on the role of these trails in our Nation's history. In an effort to preserve and interpret this important history, today I am introducing legislation to establish the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center [NHTIC] in Casper, WY. The bill encompasses a unique partnership of Federal and non-Federal interests to jointly construct and operate this Center. These interests include the BLM, the city of Casper, and the nonprofit National Historic Trails Foundation. These entities came together in 1992 to build a center to memorialize and interpret the national historic trails in the West. The interpretive and educational programs that will be associated with the Trails Center in Casper will enable visitors to discover and appreciate the miles of untouched trails that lie on public lands in the West. The Center will identify and help protect sensitive historic trail remnants to prevent degradation. The National Historic Trails Centers will also provide an opportunity for the BLM to showcase public lands emphasizing the Bureau's commitment to preserve lands of historical value. Under the cooperative agreement, there is a clear commitment of non- Federal partners to share costs to construct, maintain, and operate the Trails Center. City, State, foundation, and private interests will bear approximately half of the total costs of the project. The city of Casper provided funds to initiate work on the Center. The city has also donated more than 10 acres of prime land overlooking the site of the North Platte River crossings of the historic trails for the Center. Furthermore, the citizens of Casper increased local sales taxes and have raised the required 1.5 million of construction dollars to meet their financial commitment under the cooperative agreement. The State of Wyoming has joined the partnership by giving $700,000 for the Center. The cooperative agreement also requires non-Federal entities to establish a $1 million endowment, the interest thereof to maintain exhibits for the life of the Center. The overwhelming amount of non- Federal support for the Center is precisely the kind of cooperation Congress intended in managing and interpreting the historic trails of the Nation. Under the cooperative agreement, the BLM has an important but limited role in establishing and operating the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center. The BLM has already completed a striking design as well as the engineering blueprints of the Center. With this work completed, the land available, and most of the non-Federal funds in hand, the Center is now ready to construction. This legislation provides congressional authorization of funds for the BLM to do so. Once the Center is completed, the BLM will own and operate the facility. However, with the endowment, the authorization to charge visitors a modest entrance fee, and commitments for volunteer staffing, the facility will be largely self-sustaining from a financial perspective. This is important in view of the present and anticipated future funding restrictions of the Federal Government. In Wyoming, we are experiencing great interest in the historic trails that cross the State. In 1992, a year when visitation to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park was down, the Wyoming Department of Tourism reported an increase in tourism along the Oregon Trail route during the sesquicentennial of that trail. This year is the sesquicentennial of the Mormon Pioneer Trail. BLM officials have estimated that between 200,000 and 1 million visitors participated in trials events in Wyoming this year. We expect similar interest in trails during the sesquicentennials of the California and Pony Express historic trails. In truth, an increasing number of Americans are discovering, enjoying, and learning the history of these treks and are seeking to experience natural settings, landmarks, and physical remains of the trails. I am pleased with the broad level of support the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center enjoys. As noted earlier, the city of Casper and the State of Wyoming have provided tremendous assistance to this effort--for that I thank them. The Governor of Wyoming, Jim Geringer, as well as Wyoming's former Governor, Mike Sullivan, have endorsed the Center from the beginning. Wyoming's U.S. Senators, Mike Enzi and Craig Thomas, support the project. Especially gratifying has been the support and encouragement from interests outside of Wyoming, such as the Oregon-California Trails Association. I deeply appreciate the support of my respected colleague from Utah, Representative Jim Hansen, who is cosponsoring this legislation. Mr. Speaker, the establishment of the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center is in the public interest. The project contains the best elements of private and public cooperation. The construction and operation of this Trails Center is altogether consistent with the BLM's criteria for projects of this kind. I urge my colleagues to help advance our efforts to preserve and interpret a significant chapter of American history by lending their support for this legislation.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, the amendment that I am offering will address a very serious concern that I have with the discharge of sewage that has contaminated one of the most recognized and loved landmarks in this country. That is the Old Faithful area in Yellowstone National Park. As my colleagues know, Mr. Chairman, Yellowstone is the Nation's first national park. The spectacular beauty and the awesome splendor of this area bring millions of visitors to the park every year. It saddens me to think that this outstanding heritage of natural beauty is falling into terrible disrepair, and drastic measures are needed to stop this now. Though legislation was established to include Yellowstone National Park in a pilot fee program that certainly will help the park complete some of the backlog of maintenance, there are some repairs that need to begin immediately. Congress has increased funding for the National Park Service 69 percent over the last 7 years. During that same time, Yellowstone's funding has increased only about 20 percent, which has barely kept up with unfunded mandates and the rate of inflation. What has happened is that the infrastructure in Yellowstone has been severely neglected. In August of this year, I had the opportunity to make an extensive tour of the park. During that time I learned a great deal about the needs of Yellowstone and the unfortunate decay which has occurred to its infrastructure. Miles of roads along with buildings, water systems are in dire need of not only repair but replacement. My amendment will authorize $5 million to be dedicated to the replacement of the Old Faithful wastewater treatment facility. No example of degradation on the Yellowstone infrastructure is more glaring than the degradation of the sewer system at Old Faithful. The Old Faithful plant was built over 60 years ago, in 1930. Then it was redone, refurbished in 1974, and it has not been touched since then. It is in very bad disarray. Right now there is substantial use of that facility in the winter months. When the park was built, it was not designed for winter use. As a point of information, one of the 4 sewers at Norris Campground has already failed and the other 3 can fail at any point. Unfortunately, the sewer system at Old Faithful is in the same condition. It is right now polluting the water with sewage from the restrooms. The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality inspected this facility last year and found a number of immediate problems, and they are faced with the possibility of closing the Old Faithful area. This is extremely alarming, knowing that the surrounding streams are being contaminated with discharge from this plant. The National Park Service has established an internal system of setting funding priorities in the parks. What they do is whatever projects they can fund fully, that is what they fund. That has helped the small parks, but it has truly hurt the larger parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite, because the repairs are very expensive and so they are put off. As a matter of fact, there is no line item construction funds for Yellowstone in either 1998 or in 1999. Mr. Chairman, this year Yellowstone is celebrating its 125th anniversary. In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a monumental piece of legislation that was the start of one of the very best ideas in America. That is our National Park System. Today let us assure the American people that they will be able to continue to enjoy one of the most popular attractions in the National Park System when they vest Yellowstone National Park this year and in the years to come. Mr. Chairman, I respectfully ask my colleagues to support this much needed amendment so that the problem at the Old Faithful wastewater treatment facility may be addressed immediately.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Chairman, with that assurance, then I feel I do not need to offer the amendment at the appropriate time in the process.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, today I introduce legislation to transfer 190 acres of Federal land to Park County, WY. The legislation is the result of 5 years of dedication and hard work by the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce and the Cody Economic Development Council. I also extend a special thanks to Paul Hoffman, executive director of the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce, for his unwavering commitment in getting this matter resolved. The land to be transferred is currently in public ownership, more specifically that of the Bureau of Reclamation. The Bureau has completed its withdrawal review of this land and have done extensive environmental testing, archaeological, and cultural resource studies. The State Historic Preservation Office has reviewed, and through the Bureau of Land Management [BLM], completed a cadastral survey of the land to be transferred. All wetlands and lands with potential recreation, wildlife, and water management significance have been surveyed out of the area recommended for disposal, and that land will be retained by the Federal Government under Bureau of Reclamation management. Through the General Services Administration [GSA], the Bureau of Reclamation recommends that all 190 acres be transferred to the county. BLM would of course be the logical Federal agency to receive the land, but it has formally confirmed it does not want to have the property under its management. Mr. Speaker, this property, when transferred, will help ensure the economic stability of many businesses that currently hold leases on the property. Most of the acreage has excellent development potential as an industrial area, but the details of its use will be left to the discretion of the people of Park County, WY. I am hopeful that my colleagues in the House will see the importance of conveying this Federal property, property that is no longer needed by the Federal Government, but is significant to the local entities that will directly benefit from it. Mr. Speaker, I commend this legislation to my colleagues and urge their support for its prompt enactment.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Canady] for his hard work and diligence on this issue. I am proud to say that I am an original cosponsor of the ban on partial- birth abortions. This bill, which is identical to last year's legislation, prohibits medical doctors who perform abortions from utilizing partial-birth abortion procedures. I am married to a physician, and we have discussed this a lot of times throughout our married life and just through our intimate lives. Taking a life, a viable life, at any stage is not acceptable. One time my son said to me, ``Mom, you know, I do not believe there is such a thing as an unwanted child.'' I believe there is such a thing as unwanted pregnancies, but not an unwanted child, and especially when that life could be viable outside the womb and when the life could go on. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 929 imposes fines or potential imprisonment of up to 2 years for abortionists who perform partial-birth abortion, and it allows the father or maternal grandparents to file a civil lawsuit against the doctor for monetary damages. The bill, however, does include an exception to save the life of the mother. Since the beginning of the debate over this legislation, it has become evident that there is still a great deal of misinformation about how often this procedure is actually utilized. In the last few weeks, much has been made of the abortion rights lobbyist, Ron Fitzsimmons, who admitted, and I quote, ``lying through his teeth'' when he said the procedure was rare and invoked almost exclusively to protect the mother's health. He was lying through his teeth when he said that. A national organization of over 400 physicians who specialize in obstetrics, gynecology, fetal medicine, and pediatrics recently stated that, ``Never is the partial-birth procedure medically indicated. Rather, such infants are regularly and safely delivered alive with no threat to the mother's health or fertility.'' Mr. Speaker I ask my colleagues to support this bill.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 709) to reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992, and for other purposes, as amended.