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Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolution

Floor Speech

By: Tim Kaine
By: Tim Kaine
Date: Feb. 25, 2021
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Arts, Entertainment, and History

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Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill to assess the feasibility of establishing a National Heritage Area in the Great Dismal Swamp, as part of an effort to study, recognize, and preserve the historic and natural treasures within this region.

As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, this bill underscores the ties between the natural landmark and African American history. The Great Dismal Swamp contains one of the largest collections of artifacts from maroon colonies, and it served as both a home for early colonial Free People of Color as well as one of a few known water-based stops for freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad. The Great Dismal Swamp also encompasses historic and ancestral lands of Native American tribes such as the Nansemond Indian Nation and the Haliwa-Saponi and Meherrin Tribes.

Today, the Dismal Swamp offers unique educational opportunities, recreational adventures, and environmental benefits. It is an important wildlife refuge for an impressive and diverse list of animal, insect, and plant species. If designated as a National Heritage Area, local communities will have access to technical assistance and advice from the National Park Service while maintaining full ownership, authority over decision-making, and stewardship of the biodiverse land.

I am pleased to be joined by my colleague Senator Mark Warner on this bill, and I am thankful to Congressman Donald McEachin's leadership on this effort in the House with Representatives Bobby Scott, G.K. Butterfield, and Elaine Luria. There is great potential for community and economic development stemming from a National Heritage Area designation. I look forward to such grassroots, community-driven development, and plan to personally contribute to the boosted tourism and recreation. As a student of history I am looking forward to learning more from the trove of culture and history the Dismal has to offer.

I encourage the Senate to consider this legislation to help highlight, study, and conserve the unique ecology and cultural history contained in the Great Dismal Swamp for generations to come. ______

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