Steve Pearce

Mr. PEARCE

Mr. PEARCE. 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 15 bills just considered.

Mr. PEARCE

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Guam for her hard work in this body for managing these bills on the floor today. I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3534 establishes the Piedras Blancas Light Station Outstanding Natural Area in San Luis Obispo County, California. Federal, State and local officials, as well as private groups, have long sought a way to protect, conserve and enhance the nationally important land in and around the Piedras Blancas Light Station. This bill would require the lighthouse to be managed as part of the National Landscape Conservation System, and, as such, would protect the historical structures and habitat of the area. I urge the passage of this measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3534) to designate the Piedras Blancas Light Station and the surrounding public land as an Outstanding Natural Area to be administered as a part of the National Landscape Conservation System, and for other purposes.

Mr. PEARCE

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 1796 would designate the route of the Mississippi River for study as a potential addition to the National Trails System as a national scenic trail, national historic trail or both. The route would stretch from its headwaters in the State of Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Establishing a national trail along the river will connect the nearly 40 existing public land units on or very near the river which includes national forests, national parks, and wildlife refuges. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1796) to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the route of the Mississippi River from its headwaters in the State of Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico for study for potential addition to the National Trails System as a national scenic trail, national historic trail, or both, and for other purposes.

Mr. PEARCE

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5132 directs the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility and suitability of including certain lands related to the Battle of the River Raisin during the War of 1812 in Monroe County, Michigan, as part of the National Park System. Currently, the main battlefield is occupied by an abandoned paper mill. The city of Monroe has received a $1 million grant to clean up the location in preparation for possible listing as a National Historic Landmark. The National Park Service testified that there is intact archaeological evidence of the battle and that this site has impressive integrity as a battlefield if it is preserved. I urge your support for H.R. 5132. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PEARCE

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), the author of the legislation.

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3871, introduced by Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Interpretive Trail and Visitor Center Foundation specified Federal land associated with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail in Nebraska. This land would be used as an historic site and interpretive center for the trail. I urge your support for H.R. 3871. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3871) to authorize the Secretary of Interior to convey to The Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Interpretive Trail and Visitor Center Foundation, Inc. certain Federal land associated with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail in Nebraska, to be used as an historical interpretive site along the trail, as amended.

Mr. PEARCE

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly).

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4275) to amend Public Law 106-348 to extend the authorization for establishing a memorial in the District of Columbia or its environs to honor veterans who became disabled while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States.

Mr. PEARCE

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5861, introduced by me, amends the National Historic Preservation Act to do five things: It extends the Historic Preservation Fund to 2015 for State and tribal preservation activities. Secondly, it reauthorizes the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Third, requires certain local governments to provide full due process to property owners who object to a determination of eligibility on their property. Fourth, it imposes a deadline on State or Tribal Historic Preservation Officers to respond to section 106 applications within 30 days of a ``no adverse effects'' determination. And, fifth, prohibits a State historic preservation officer from requiring a Federal agency applicant to identify properties outside the area of potential effects. From its auspicious start in April of 2004 as a discussion draft to the bill before us in the House today, H.R. 5861 has been the subject of more discussion and rewrite they any other bill that I have been involved with since becoming the chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks. While the bill may not be the final product that many envisioned, myself included, I believe H.R. 5861 represents a significant step towards improving the section 106 process under the National Historic Preservation Act by reducing some of the conflicts that exist between the business and preservation communities and the State and Tribal Preservation Officers. In addition, H.R. 5861 will enhance private property protections in the listing process, under the Historic Preservation Act as well as improve the operation of the Advisory Council and extend the authorization of the Historic Preservation Fund. Finally, this bill was a truly collaborative effort. I believe it is important to take a moment to thank those individuals and organizations for their help in crafting this important bill. First of all, Congressman Turner of Ohio; Vince Sampson of the Resources Committee majority staff; David Watkins of the Resources Committee minority staff; Chairman John Nau of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers; Sonnenschein, Nath and Rosenthal; the National Mining Association, the National Trust For Historic Preservation; CTIA, the Wireless Association; the United South and Eastern Tribes; the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers; Preservation Action; the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association; the American Cultural Resources Association; the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; and Rob Howard, from the National Park Subcommittee majority staff. I include a letter in support of the bill from CTIA, the Wireless Association.

Mr. PEARCE

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to thank Representative Bradley for introducing his legislation to designate, within his district, 10,800 acres of new wilderness in the White Mountain National Forest. The Sandwich Range Wilderness additions proposed in this bill were developed with the Forest Service through their forest planning process and with substantial input and involvement from the public and local interest groups. Since it has the strong support of New Hampshire's citizens, environmental groups, the forest products industry, elected officials, the Forest Service, and administration, it deserves our support as well. I urge you to vote in favor of H.R. 5062. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PEARCE

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Bradley).

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I commend Congressman Bass for introducing this legislation to designate within his district 23,700 acres of new wilderness in the White Mountain National Forest. The Wild River Wilderness created in this bill was developed with the Forest Service through their forest planning process and with substantial input and involvement from the public and local interest groups. Since it has the strong support of New Hampshire's citizens, environmental groups, the forest products industry, elected officials, the Forest Service, and the administration, it deserves our support as well. I urge you to vote in favor of H.R. 5059. I include an exchange of letters with Chairman Goodlatte of the Agriculture Committee on this bill and related H.R. 5062 and thank the chairman for his cooperation in scheduling this bill and H.R. 5062 today. House of Representatives, Committee on Resources, Washington, DC, September 25, 2006. Hon. Bob Goodlatte, Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: I ask your help in scheduling H.R. 5059 and H.R. 5062, two bills which establish wilderness areas in the State of New Hampshire, for consideration by the House of Representatives as soon as possible. H.R. 5059, authored by Congressman Charles Bass, and H.R. 5062, authored by Congressman Jeb Bradley, were both referred primarily to the Committee on Resources and additionally to the Committee on Agriculture. The bills implement two recent Forest Service recommendations for wilderness areas in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, H.R. 5059, the Wild River Wilderness, and H.R. 5062, the Sandwich Range Wilderness. In hope that the Senate will be able to act on these bills this Congress, I ask that you allow the Committee on Agriculture to be discharged from further consideration of the bills. This action would not be considered as precedent for any future referrals of similar measures or seen as affecting your Committee's jurisdiction over the subject matter of the bills. Moreover, if the bills are conferenced with the Senate, I would support naming Agriculture Committee members to any conference committee. I look forward to your response and would be pleased to include it and this letter in the Congressional Record during Floor consideration of the bills by the House of Representatives. Sincerely, Richard W. Pombo, Chairman.

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5059) to designate the Wild River Wilderness in the White Mountain National Forest in the State of New Hampshire, and for other purposes.