Clear Creek National Recreation Area and Conservation Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1838 establishes the Clear Creek National Recreation Area, as stated before, and the Joaquin Rocks Wilderness Area on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management in the Central Coast region of California in Fresno County. I am very familiar with this. It used to be in a previous district I represented.

This area has mutual beneficial uses, from hiking and hunting to off- highway vehicle use. Adjacent to this area are areas that have been used for cattle grazing for families for generations. They have worked together to ensure that we can protect those areas for appropriate uses for cattle grazing but also, at the same time, separately provide areas where this hiking and hunting and off-highway vehicle use can take place.

This legislation will improve and enhance the success for a variety of recreational activities, which is what it is intended to, and, at the same time, try to preserve ecological sensitive and unique areas in a way that supports the overall use.

In addition to the many ecological benefits they are providing, including clean air and clean water, wilderness areas throughout the country play a large role in supporting the approximately $646-billion- per-year outdoor recreational economy. I am pleased that we are advancing a bill that adds 21,000 acres to the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Our colleagues in the House have introduced several bills to designate wilderness areas. These bills are developed from the ground up with input and support from our constituents.

This bill, in particular, has been a priority for Congressman Farr for many years. I want to congratulate him for his hard work and tenacity.
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Mr. COSTA. I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.

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Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I think the bipartisan support is here.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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