Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

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By Mr. DURBIN:

S. 873. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to deliver a meaningful benefit and lower prescription drug prices under the medicare program; read the first time.

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By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mrs. LINCOLN):

S. 874. A bill to establish a national health program administered by the Office of Personnel Management to offer health benefits plans to individuals who are not Federal employees, and for other purposes; read the first time.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.

There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:

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By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. BAYH, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. REED, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. CORZINE, Mr. KERRY, Mr. FEINGOLD, and Mr. SCHUMER):

S. 882. A bill to designate certain Federal land in the State of Utah as wilderness, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2005. This legislation continues our Nation's commitment to preserve our natural heritage. Preservation of our Nation's vital natural resources will be one of our most important legacies.

Unfortunately, remaining wilderness areas are increasingly threatened and degraded by oil and gas development, mining, claims of rights of way, logging and off-road vehicles. America's Red Rock Wilderness Act will designate 9.5 million acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, BLM, in Utah as wilderness under the Wilderness Act. Wilderness designation will preserve the land's wilderness character, along with the values associated with that wilderness; scenic beauty, solitude, wildlife, geological features, archaeological sites, and other features of scientific, educational and historical value.

America's Red Rock Wilderness Act will provide wilderness protection for red rock cliffs offering spectacular vistas of rare rock formations, canyons and desert lands, important archaeological sites, and habitat for rare plant and animal species.

Volunteers have taken inventories of thousands of square miles of BLM land in Utah to help determine which lands should be protected. These volunteers provided extensive documentation to ensure that these areas meet Federal wilderness criteria. The BLM also completed a reinventory of approximately 6 million acres of Federal land in the same area. The results provide a convincing confirmation that the areas designated for protection under this bill meet Federal wilderness criteria.

For more than 20 years Utah conservationists have been working to add the last great blocks of undeveloped BLM-administered land in Utah to the National Wilderness Preservation System. The lands proposed for protection surround and connect eight of Utah's nine national park, monument and recreation areas. These proposed BLM wilderness areas easily equal their neighboring national parklands in scenic beauty, opportunities for recreation, and ecological importance. Yet, unlike the parks, most of these scenic treasures lack any form of long-term protection.

While my legislation would unambiguously protect Utah's red rock wilderness, the question of preserving these lands for future generations now also looms before the BLM. Not since the BLM conducted its inventories of Utah public lands in the early 1980s has the agency had such a promising opportunity to recognize and care for Utah's wilderness. Whether the BLM realizes this opportunity has yet to be seen.

Today, nearly 6 million acres of wildlands that my legislation would protect are involved in the BLM's land use planning process. As I understand, the BLM will be making lasting decisions about what places should be preserved or developed, roaded or left unroaded, or designated for off-road vehicle travel. These policies will stand for as much as 15 to 20 years, a timespan long enough to leave a lasting mark on this landscape.

We must be clear about the impact of these plans. Fundamentally, the administration is choosing how it will act as stewards for our wild and scenic places. These plans in Utah will profoundly influence many fragile desert lands that would be protected under America's Red Rock Wilderness Act. Places like the San Rafael Swell, the Book Cliffs, the Canyonlands Basin, and Moab/La Sal Region now hang in the balance.

I believe Americans understand the need for wise and balanced stewardship of these wild landscapes. Unfortunately, the administration has proposed little or no serious protections for Utah's most majestic places. Instead, the BLM appears to lack a solid conservation ethic and routinely favors development and consumptive uses of our wild public land.

The administration has a decidedly different approach on the fate of some of our remaining wilderness. Under the Price plan, the BLM leaves 98 percent of the region's lands in America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, outside of already protected areas, open to oil and gas drilling. Sadly, the Green River, which cuts deep into the rugged Book Cliffs forming the sandstone cliffs of Desolation Canyon, and other natural wonders are being jeopardized by the BLM for a negligible amount of oil.

The BLM has made important headway in protecting America's Red Rock Wilderness from off-road vehicle abuse, but more can still be done to safely and effectively plan for off-road vehicle recreation. Just 5 years ago, 94 percent of BLM public land in Utah lacked protection from motorized vehicle abuse. As open BLM areas, many fragile lands in America's Red Rock Wilderness Act and elsewhere were vulnerable to off-road vehicle abuse. Since this free-for-all era, BLM trail designations have helped to educate motorized users and direct use to appropriate areas. Stewardship over the long-term is still needed to ensure that our wilderness legacy remains intact.

America's Red Rock Wilderness Act is a lasting gift to the American public. By protecting this serene yet wild land we are giving future generations the opportunity to enjoy the same untrammeled landscape that so many now cherish.

I'd like to thank all of my colleagues who are original cosponsors of this measure this year, many of whom have supported the bill since it was first introduced. The original cosponsors of the measure are Senators STABENOW, WYDEN, FEINGOLD, LAUTENBERG, BAYH, LEAHY, LIEBERMAN, BOXER, KENNEDY, REED, CLINTON, CORZINE and KERRY. Additionally, I would like to thank The Utah Wilderness Coalition, which includes The Wilderness Society and Sierra Club; The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance; and all of the other national, regional and local, hard-working groups who, for years, have championed this legislation.

Theodore Roosevelt once stated:

The Nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value.

Enactment of this legislation will help us realize Roosevelt's vision. In order to protect these precious resources in Utah for future generations, I urge my colleagues to support America's Red Rock Wilderness Act.

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