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“SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS BACKCOUNTRY ACCESS ACT” mentioning the Department of Interior was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H2227-H2228 on April 27, 2012.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
{time} 1010SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS BACKCOUNTRY ACCESS ACT
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Natural Resources be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 4849) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue commercial use authorizations to commercial stock operators for operations in designated wilderness within the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Washington?
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I will not object, I yield to the gentleman from Washington, the chairman of the committee.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
This legislation addresses an urgent need at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California. Because of a lawsuit, the National Park Service has chosen not to issue commercial packer permits this year. These permits allow mules and horses into the park to carry visitors and supplies. Unfortunately, this not only means the loss of hundreds of jobs, it also canceled long-planned family vacations into the outdoors. For many Americans, whether elderly or handicapped, stock animals are the only option if they want to visit our national parks.
Today, we have the option to right a wrong and allow these permits to be awarded to responsible stewards of our parks. This bipartisan legislation was worked out between Members of both parties in the California delegation. Time is very crucial here. This only extends what has been happening for decades in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. We must act now if there's any hope in preserving the season for those individuals who have planned and paid for their visit in the national park.
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Further reserving my right to object, Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today, as amended this morning, gives the Secretary of the Interior the authority to reopen the wilderness areas in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks to pack and saddle animals for the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
Earlier this week, I joined with my colleagues, Jim Costa, Mike Thompson, John Garamendi, and Sam Farr, in a letter to Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member Markey of the Natural Resources Committee. We asked the committee, on behalf of our California constituents, to resolve a situation that's already affecting families and businesses and harming the regional economy.
In response to a court order, the National Park Service has not been allowing pack animals into the parks' wilderness areas this year. This situation has caused economic harm to outfitters, packers, guides, and other permit holders who rely on the income that the park visitors bring to the area, and it's causing visitors to reconsider their trips to the park and the wilderness areas.
Today, this House is taking this action, and I want to thank Mr. Markey and Chairman Hastings. I spoke to Chairman Hastings less than 24 hours ago on the content of our letter, and both he and Mr. Nunes came forward and asked whether or not we could do this by unanimous consent, and that's why we're here this morning.
I want to thank the staffs of both of the majority and the minority side of this committee for all of their work. They worked overnight because very early this morning we all signed off on this legislation.
I think that this legislation is a very good deal for families and visitors to the park. It's a good deal for the businesses who depend upon spring and summer wilderness trips for their livelihood.
The high country wilderness in the Sierras is one of the premier experiences the National Park System has to offer, and for many, the only way to have this experience is through use of pack animals for whatever personal reasons, either frailty, age--age would be my reason. I think it's important. I've had the honor and the pleasure to hike the high country in Kings Canyon and in Sequoia and Yosemite, and it's a unique experience, unique to the American Sierra Mountains system.
I hope that the Senate will be able to take this up by unanimous consent quickly so, again, the people planning to take the trips will have certainty, the packers will have certainty, and the surrounding businesses around Sequoia-Kings Canyon Park will have certainty that the summer trade will be there.
Again, I want to thank the chairman of the committee for his immediate response to our letter of concern. I want to thank my colleagues who joined me on that.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Washington?
There was no objection.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4849
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Backcountry Access Act''.
SEC. 2. COMMERCIAL USE AUTHORIZATIONS IN DESIGNATED
WILDERNESS WITHIN THE SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON
NATIONAL PARKS.
(a) Issuance of Commercial Use Authorizations.--Notwithstanding the decision or any other provision of law, the Secretary shall issue such packer permits at the levels of commercial services authorized by the Secretary in 2011 until the Secretary--
(1) makes an extent necessary determination that addresses the violations of the Wilderness Act found in the decision; and
(2) begins to issue packer permits for operations in designated wilderness within the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in accordance with that extent necessary determination.
(b) Definitions.--For the purposes of this Act, the following definitions apply:
(1) Decision.--The term ``decision'' means the January 24, 2012, ruling by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in High Sierra Hikers Association v. United States Department of the Interior, et al., Case No. C09 4621 RS.
(2) Extent necessary determination.--The term ``extent necessary determination'' means a determination on the need for commercial services within Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park wilderness under to section 4(2)(5) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(5)).
(3) Packer permit.--The term ``packer permit'' means a commercial use authorization granted to a commercial stock operator.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Hastings of Washington
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
Page 2, line 5, strike ``Notwithstanding'' and all that follows through line 8 and insert the following:
``Notwithstanding the decision, for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, the Secretary shall issue packer permits at no more than the levels of commercial services authorized by the Secretary in 2011 until the Secretary--''.
Page 2, line 15, strike the period and insert ``reflected in a Record of Decision for the Wilderness Stewardship Plan.''.
Page 2, line 22, strike ``C09 4621'' and insert ``C 90 4621''.
Page 3, line 2, strike ``to section 4(2)(5)'' and insert
``section 4(d)(5)''.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be considered read.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Washington?
There was no objection.
The amendment was agreed to.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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