Jim Gibbons

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Well, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions), my friend and colleague, for that generous introduction; and I rise today, Mr. Speaker, in support of both the rule and the overall bill, H.R. 1544, the Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005. As a member of the Select Committee on Homeland Security, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bipartisan bill; and I congratulate the chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox), and the ranking member, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), for their diligent work on this act. This bipartisan bill will help expedite the homeland security grant process and ensure that money gets to those who need it the most, our first responders. Importantly for my State, the State of Nevada, this bill will allow the Department of Homeland Security to take into account both resident and tourist populations when determining a State's funding for terrorism preparedness. My fellow Nevadans know that tourism is a significant part of our State's industry and our population. On any given day of the year, Nevada hosts hundreds of thousands of tourists from across the country and around the world. Las Vegas Boulevard, Mr. Speaker, has more hotel rooms than any other city in the world. According to Nevada's Commission on Tourism, Nevada welcomed over 50 million tourists alone just last year. Prior to this bill, terrorism preparedness grant funding did not take tourism into consideration in determining a State's population. Yet Nevada's first responders were and remain responsible for protecting everyone, residents and visitors, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To ignore the tourism population in determining a State's level of risk simply ignores a large population within a potential terrorist target. The First Responders Act of 2005 will help States with large tourism populations, like Nevada, receive a more equitable allocation of tourism preparedness funds. H.R. 1544 is a step in the right direction and, in fact, should stand as a model for all homeland security grants. More homeland security programs beyond just the terrorism preparedness grants should also take into account tourism populations. As we move forward in strengthening our homeland security, I look forward to achieving this goal and to providing our first responders with the critical resources they need to protect the people of this country. I urge my colleagues to support this landmark legislation, and I once again congratulate the chairman and I congratulate my friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions), for their hard work on this effort.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I come to floor of the House of Representatives to congratulate my good friend and wonderful Nevadan, Mrs. Florence Trepp on her 80th birthday. This very special lady has dedicated much of her life to public service and various charitable causes, including working with abused children. Most notably, Florence has been an active supporter of the Parasol Community Foundation. A foundation founded by her son Warren in 1996, the Parasol Foundation is a unique organization promoting philanthropy, collaboration and volunteerism in the Lake Tahoe area. This foundation has been successful in ensuring that local charities with common or similar missions work together to improve their community and achieve their goals. Florence Trepp's dedication to her community and to her family stands as a role model for all of us. So, Florence, from all of us who admire you, from all of us who love you, and from the United States Congress, happy birthday.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, devoted to her family and her community, Mrs. Florence Trepp stands as a role model and inspiration to so many people in Nevada. As she prepares to celebrate her 80th birthday, she maintains an unyielding commitment to serve her community. She has served as an advocate for abused children, a dedicated volunteer with numerous community organizations, and a committed supporter of the Parasol Community Foundation. Florence's work with the Parasol Foundation specifically has enabled over 100 local non-profit organizations to communicate and work together towards improving their community and achieving their goals. Her son, Warren, cofounded the Parasol Foundation almost 10 years ago as a model for promoting collaboration among non-profit organizations. As an umbrella organization for numerous charities, the Parasol Foundation creates an all inclusive, safe environment encouraging groundbreaking ideas, sharing of information avoiding duplication of projects, programs and services, producing efficiency by saving time and money for each agency. Florence has staunchly supported these efforts which in turn, have benefited the entire Lake Tahoe community. Florence is guided by her passion and by her faith. Her passion to help others and her sense of civic duty has propelled her to help others and better her community. In her short time in Nevada, she has become an inspiration for all. Florence has also a strong faith that helps her navigate the challenges of life. One of her most cherished memories is meeting the Pope and actually speaking to him in Polish, her native tongue. Thirteen years ago, Florence had surgery for lung cancer. She thankfully is a survivor and never takes one day for granted. She enjoys the simple pleasures of life . . . including a good cup of hot coffee and America's favorite pastime, baseball. And Florence has a deep appreciation for her family, her friends, and people in general. She is always ready to lend a helping hand to those in need. Her nickname in Polish is yacumda which means joy . . . and joy is what Florence brings to everyone she meets. Her commitment to helping people and her community is admirable. I am proud to call her a Nevadan and to call her my friend. I wish her a very happy birthday and thank her for her unyielding commitment to serving her community.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) for yielding me this time to speak on H.R. 1236. It is both with pride and sadness that I rise today in support of H.R. 1236, the Mayor Tony Armstrong Memorial Post Office Designation Act. Tony Armstrong and his family moved to Sparks, Nevada, from California when he was just 4 years old. Tony made Sparks his home until his untimely death in January of this year. Tony and I met as young kids, and typical of all kids, created trouble for our parents in Sparks, Nevada. We both graduated from Sparks High School, and while I served in the United States Air Force, Tony Armstrong served in the Nevada Air National Guard during the Vietnam War. Tony Armstrong served his country honorably and then turned his efforts to serving his beloved hometown of Sparks, Nevada. In 1970, Tony Armstrong served as the chief deputy building inspector for Washoe County, Nevada, and later opened a general contracting business, which would become the largest and oldest home inspection service in Nevada. In 1983, Tony was fortunate: he married Debbie Rimbey and was later blessed with two sons and a daughter. After a successful business career, Tony Armstrong turned his attention to becoming a public servant. He was elected to serve on the Sparks City Council in 1989 and was elected mayor a decade later. Over the years, no one has worked harder or loved that community more than Tony Armstrong. The day before Mayor Armstrong died, he was awarded Civic Leader of the Year by the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Speaker, as a fitting tribute, H.R. 1236 would name the main post office in Sparks, Nevada, the Mayor Tony Armstrong Memorial Post Office. The post office that will receive this designation sits directly across the street from City Hall, the place where Tony Armstrong worked tirelessly. City Hall is a different place today without Tony's Hawaiian shirts passing through the hallways and his smiles greeting anyone and everyone who walked into his office. Mayor Armstrong may best be remembered for ensuring that visitors to Sparks City Hall would always be reminded that God blesses America. When told that the word God would have to be cut from all signs posted in City Hall, Tony made his own signs and posted them around the building. He declared, I guess I am just an old redneck Nevadan because I want my sign to say God bless America. The people of Sparks have lost a gentleman, a patriot, and a servant of the people; and I have lost a dear friend. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1236, which will honor this extraordinary man, a man who put God, his family, and the citizens of Sparks above himself, a man who went above and beyond for his country, for his State, and for his community. I ask all Members to support H.R. 1236.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Madam Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6. For too many years, Madam Chairman, our domestic energy policy has languished, driving investment overseas and increasing our reliance on foreign energy resources. Yet, we continue the cycle of tolerating irresponsible energy policies, continuing to discourage investment in domestic energy production and, subsequently, becoming more dependent on foreign sources of energy. Relying on foreign and, sometimes, hostile nations for energy and minerals jeopardizes our national security, Madam Chairman. And for the safety and security of our homeland, I want the United States to be reasonably self-sufficient in meeting the demands of our current energy consumption. H.R. 6 makes strides in ensuring our domestic security by streamlining the permitting process for renewable and traditional sources of energy, while protecting the integrity of the environmental review process. H.R. 6 also contains provisions to spur production of renewable energies such as geothermal so we can reduce our reliance on traditional sources. Through this important legislation, we will have increased ability to utilize the vast renewable energy resources on our public lands in an environmentally responsible manner. I urge all of my colleagues to support the passage of this legislation that will allow us to capitalize on our Nation's energy exploration and development technology, commitment to environmental quality and conservation, and work ethic to develop our domestic energy resources.

Mr. GIBBONS. Madam Chairman, as I rise to the podium here, I want to bring up a poster which shows what this Arctic National Wildlife Area really is. First of all, let me say that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is 19.5 million acres of Alaska, set aside in 1960. Also in 1960, they set aside 1.5 million acres for exploration for oil. That is called the area 1002 part of ANWR. This is area 1002. This is the area we are going to be drilling on for oil and gas. As you can see, no big trees, no big mountains, no big herds of anything. It is just frozen tundra out there. But the 1002 area will continue to provide, as the USGS has already said, an estimated oil reservoir for this country that will equal the amount of oil we will get from Saudi Arabia for 30 years, Madam Chairman; 10.4 billion barrels would make it the largest oil reserve find in the world since the nearby Prudhoe Bay discovery was done 30 years ago. Madam Chairman, the area 1002 is not a wilderness. It is part of ANWR set aside 18 years ago for oil and gas exploration. This is where this 2,000-acre surface disturbance is going to take place. We are not talking about a pristine wilderness area that one would find in any of the southern 48 contiguous States that have forests. So with that, Madam Chairman, I just wanted to bring to the Members' attention that this is not the pristine wilderness that most people have in mind. This is a frozen tundra that we are going to disturb only 2,000 acres of it, and from there we are going to provide this country with nearly 10 billion barrels of new oil to meet the needs of this country's energy demands.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) for allowing me time to speak on this bill, and I would also like to thank my good friend from California (Mrs. Napolitano) for her support of this bill as well. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 541, a bill I introduced in the 108th Congress. The purpose of H.R. 541 is to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain land to Lander County, Nevada, and the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land to Eureka County, Nevada, for continued use, as was said by my friend, for public cemeteries. This same legislation passed under suspension of the rules in the House in the 108th Congress. Unfortunately, the legislation was not acted upon in a timely manner by the other body; and I am pleased, Madam Speaker, to have the opportunity to revisit this issue now in the 109th Congress. With over 90 percent of our State's land being owned by the Federal Government, Nevada has the highest percentage of public-land ownership of all the States in the Union. There are many challenges that come with such a high share of public lands. One that may surprise my colleagues is that even the burial of our loved ones and the preservation of the grave sites of our ancestors are impacted by Federal land ownership. H.R. 541 authorizes the conveyance of public land to the respective control of Lander and Eureka counties for continued use as public cemeteries. My bill is designed to return these cemeteries to the local communities and eliminate the red tape and uncertainty associated with the Federal permitting process the cemeteries are currently required to go through in order to operate today. Specifically, the town of Kingston, Nevada, needs an additional 8.75 acres to be added to the town's cemetery in order to protect unmarked graves and make space available for future grave sites. The bill also authorizes the conveyance of 10 acres of disposable land to Eureka County, Nevada, for continued use as the Maiden's Grave Cemetery. Both of these parcels, Madam Speaker, have been historically used as cemeteries since the 1800s, well before either the Forest Service or the BLM was ever created. However, the land the cemeteries reside on is owned by the Federal Government today. Ninety percent of the land mass in both Eureka and Lander counties is owned by the Federal Government; 90 percent. To give my colleagues an idea of the scale of this conveyance, the acres requested by Lander County represent a mere two- thousandths of a percent of the total land owned by the Federal Government in just that county. In Eureka County, the size of the conveyance is four-thousandths of a percent of the Federal Government's holdings in that county. As my colleagues can see, the size of the conveyance is minuscule, but the impact on the communities and those who have loved ones buried in these cemeteries is large. Relying on the Federal permitting process to ensure that these cemeteries remain used as cemeteries has been a source of uncertainty to the residents of these communities for many years. It is our intention through this bill to convey a small amount of Federal land to provide for the preservation and access to the residents of these communities with respect to the graves of their ancestors. These land conveyances to the local governments will preserve these historic sites that are not only a part of America's and Nevada's history but part of Nevada's families. I urge my colleagues to unanimously support this legislation that means so much to these two communities. I want to again thank you, Madam Speaker, for the opportunity to speak in support of this important legislation, and I urge an ``aye'' vote on it.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to explain how I would have voted on March 20, 2005 during rollcall vote 90, which was on the motion to suspend the rules and pass S. 686, for the relief of the parents of Theresa Marie Schiavo. If present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this rollcall vote.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones), I want to thank him for his courtesy in granting me time to rise today in support of the legislation I introduced, H.R. 816, the Nevada National Forest Disposal Act. Mr. Speaker, Nevada has a unique relationship with the Federal Government, because 91.9 percent of the land within that State is either federally owned or federally controlled. As a native and a public servant of this great State, I am committed to promoting sensible land management policies that allow for responsible economic development, while protecting our precious natural resources and scenic vistas. My bill, the Nevada National Forest Disposal Act, is a model for such development. The bill provides for the sale of six small tracts of land at public auction for fair market value. The sale of this land will allow responsible planning and economic development in Carson City and Douglas County. These parcels of land, Mr. Speaker, are land that are not pristine forest lands. In fact, there is barely any vegetation at all that can be found on these lots. The parcels are small tracts of land, each bordered by private lands on at least two sides, either within residential areas or next to a highway. The Forest Service faces many challenges when it comes to managing these lots, and because of the nature of their location they are simply magnets for trash. I think we can all agree that the Forest Service should not have to divert resources away from their mission to deal with small tracts of land that often become an unfortunate dumping ground for a community. Developing these lands, Mr. Speaker, would benefit the community by providing more economic opportunity and removing what some find to be an eyesore amidst commercial and residential areas, certainly not pristine forest land. The proceeds of this land sale benefit the community, the State of Nevada and the Forest Service. Sixty-five percent of the proceeds from the land being sold will go to fund an interagency wildland fire suppression center. This center will help to protect the wildland-urban interface that surrounds the community. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds goes to the Forest Service to be used for development and maintenance of parks, trails and natural areas in the Carson City, Douglas County and Washoe County areas. Of the remaining 10 percent of the revenue, 5 percent will go to Nevada's general education fund and 5 percent will go to the Carson Water Subconservancy District. Mr. Speaker, this is sound public policy. It is sound public land management policy for the Federal Government to dispose of tracts of land such as these that do not warrant Federal protection and use the revenue to manage vital areas of Federal ownership. This particular land disposal is important to the State of Nevada. It is supported by the community, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of a truly remarkable woman, Sue Coleman. Mrs. Coleman is a member of the Washo nation on the Dresslerville Reservation in my home state of Nevada. Mrs. Coleman is nationally known as a master in the art of basket weaving. Her art is not only known in Nevada, but throughout the nation. Mrs. Coleman comes from a long line of distinguished basket weavers. She learned the art of weaving through her mother, Theresa Smokey Jackson. Together with her mother, Mrs. Coleman gathered willow, stripped, cleaned and made thread by splitting the willows in three sections with their teeth. With the wisdom and guidance of her mother, Mrs. Coleman has a very diverse portfolio of artistic designs. These include; cradleboards, round baskets, burden baskets, seed beaters and winnowing trays all of which are true weaves of the Washo tradition. Mrs. Coleman has received many prestigious awards for her art, and has won over forty first place ribbons for her baskets in many western art competitions. In 2002, she was awarded the prestigious Governor's Arts Award for Excellence in Folk Arts. She is also part of the committee that is organizing the Folklife Festival that will be held on the National Mall in 2006. In addition to her many other roles, Mrs. Coleman has the honor to be part of the committee for the Smithsonian Museum's ``Carriers of Culture: Contemporary Native Baskets''. One of her hand-crafted baskets is even part of the Smithsonian's permanent collection and will be included in a travel exhibit that will feature the finest baskets made by Native Americans. Mr. Speaker, prior to the passing of her mother, Mrs. Coleman promised that she would continue the tradition that they enjoyed together and pass weaving along to future generations, so that this wonderful art will never be forgotten. It is clear that with her with passion and dedication to this rich cultural art that she will continue to honor her mother's wishes. I am proud to have this opportunity to acknowledge her work.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to explain how I would have voted on March 9, 2005 during rollcall votes No. 58 and No. 59 in the first session of the 109th Congress. The first vote was on the Osborne Amendment to H.R. 3, the Transportation Equity Act--A Legacy for Users, the second vote was on the Kennedy Amendment to H.R. 3. I would have voted ``yes'' on both these rollcall votes. I was unable to cast these votes because I was serving as the Master of Ceremonies at the dedication of Nevada's Sarah Winnemucca statue in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. Amendment No. 10 Offered by Mr. Graves

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Ohio for yielding me time to rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 5, the Sarah Winnemucca Statue Resolution. As we have heard this afternoon, in 1864, the same year the State of Nevada entered this Union, the National Statuary Hall was designed and designated as a public gallery to honor notable Americans. Each State was bestowed the honor of sending two statues to this public gallery, depicting citizens who were illustrious for their historic renown or for distinguishing civic and military service. Today, Mr. Speaker, there are 98 statues from all 50 States, but only seven of which are women who are blessing the halls of this Capitol. So today I rise with great honor to bring H. Con. Res. 5 to the floor, which will allow for Sarah Winnemucca to become the 99th statue and the 8th woman in this hallowed hall. Sarah Winnemucca, whose Indian name says Shell Flower, has a distinguished history and life story, a story that symbolizes the spirit of American acceptance of diversity. Sarah was born in 1844, and was the daughter of Chief Winnemucca and the granddaughter of prominent Chief Truckee of the Northern Paiute tribe who led John C. Fremont and his men across the Great Basin to California. By the age of 14, Sarah had learned to speak five languages, which served her well as a post interpreter at Camp McDermitt in Northeastern Nevada. In addition, Sarah's autobiography, Life Among the Paiutes, was the first book written by a native American woman. It was Sarah's story of the life and customs of the Northern Paiutes and her struggle for justice for her people. Her national notoriety as a tireless spokeswoman for the Northern Paiute tribe led her many times to Washington, D.C. itself, where she even pleaded her case in front of then President Rutherford B. Hayes. However, no other time in Sarah's long history of distinction serves as a better example of her courage and strength than when the Bannock War broke out in 1878. During this time, Sarah, without regard for her own life, rescued some of her own tribe from hostile Indians. Also during this campaign, Sarah served as General Oliver Howard's guide, scout and interpreter. In General Howard's own words he called Sarah ``the most famous Indian woman of the Pacific Coast'' and that ``her name should have a place beside the name of Pocahontas in the history of this country,'' which is exactly what we are doing here today. It is with Benjamin Victors' artistic talent that he truly captures Sarah Winnemucca's strength, courage and spirit. It will surely be a treat for everyone to witness this magnificent statue. I would like to thank the work of our Governor and First Lady who were instrumental in facilitating this process, as well as the Nevada's Women's History Project, which raised the necessary private funds to create this statue. Sarah Winnemucca died in 1891, but her fight for peace, justice and equality for all persons represents the highest values and ideal of this great country even today. Sarah Winnemucca represents Nevada's history with honor, and that is why as both a Nevadan and a U.S. Congressman, I am proud to welcome Sarah Winnemucca into Statuary Hall, so that her spirit will be immortalized in these hallowed halls.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Chairman, I would like to inform you that I was absent for rollcall vote No. 10 and rollcall vote No. 11 on January 26, 2005. These votes were on amendments to H.R. 54, the Congressional Gold Medal Enhancement Act of 2005. I respectfully request that it be entered into the Congressional Record that if present, I would have voted: Rollcall vote No. 10, on the Crowley amendment--``no''; rollcall vote No. 11, on the Crowley amendment--``no.''

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 4593) to establish wilderness areas, promote conservation, improve public land, and provide for the high quality development in Lincoln County, Nevada, and for other purposes.

Mr. GIBBONS. 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. 4593.

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4593 introduced by me and passed in this House on October 4, 2004, was subsequently amended and passed by the Senate. H.R. 4593 is a broad and complex piece of legislation that, among other things, responsibly deals with the issues of wilderness in Lincoln County, Nevada, through both codification and release of lands currently being managed as wilderness study areas. The bill would also create a 260-mile off-highway vehicle trail, establish roughly 450 miles of utility corridors within the County, and privatize roughly 90,000 acres of public land deemed disposable by the Bureau of Land Management within the County, while conveying roughly 15,000 acres of public land to the State and Lincoln County for use as parks and open space. It is important to note that this proposal enjoys the support of the entire Nevada Congressional delegation and is the product of exhaustive public participation, which is vital in a comprehensive bill such as this. I urge my colleagues to adopt this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

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

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 1964) to assist the States of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in conserving priority lands and natural resources in the Highlands region, and for other purposes.

Mr. GIBBONS. 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 the bill now under consideration.

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 1964, introduced by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), our friend and colleague, passed this House on November 11, 2003. It was subsequently amended and passed by the Senate. H.R. 1964 would authorize the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to provide financial assistance to the States of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania to preserve and protect high- priority conservation lands in the Highlands region. This geographic region encompasses over 3 million acres of land stretching from western Connecticut across the lower Hudson River Valley and northern New Jersey into northeastern Pennsylvania. Not only has the U.S. Forest Service documented the national significance of the Highlands area in two extensive studies in 1990 and 2002, but the administration in its 2004 budget recognized the New York-New Jersey Highlands forest area as one of nine priority forest areas in the country that are currently threatened by urbanization. I urge adoption of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen). (Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 1113) to authorize an exchange of land at Fort Frederica National Monument, and for other purposes.

Mr. GIBBONS. 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. 1113.

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1113, as amended, was introduced by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) and would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey 6 acres of land within the boundaries of the Fort Frederica National Monument on St. Simons Island, Georgia, to the Christ Church, also located on St. Simons Island. In return, the National Park Service would receive 8.7 acres of nearby property that would be acquired by the church from the Sea Island Company and then exchanged with the Park Service. The exchange is viewed by all parties as a win-win. Christ Church has doubled in size in the last 9 years, and the additional land is needed for its expansion. In return, the monument would receive lands that are known to contain valuable archaeological remains from the colonial period. I urge adoption of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.