NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ACT
Floor Speech
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Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, just to speak very, very briefly to the good Senator's amendment to amend the Antiquities Act to prohibit the President from designating national monuments in Utah.
He and I have had some opportunity to speak to this issue, and I certainly agree with him when it comes to the policy goals that he is seeking to assert here. I clearly understand the frustration he has.
With the previous administration, I believe we have seen a real abuse of authority--certainly an abuse of the spirit--of the Antiquities Act. We saw that in Utah when millions of acres were locked up through Executive designation. This was done despite some pretty robust local opposition and objection.
This is a scenario that I know pretty well because, in my State, we have a Federal landlord that owns about 63 percent of the State, 224 million acres. We have a provision in ANILCA that is a specific no-more clause, prohibiting the withdrawal of more than 5,000 acres absent congressional approval. The Obama administration circumvented that law. They placed hundreds of thousands of additional acres off limits to development.
What my colleague is seeking here, the ability to affirm or reject a monument designation by the State of Utah, is something that, again, I truly understand. I have supported legislation and introduction of legislation to do just as he has done--maybe not specific to one State but making sure that we truly do respect the spirit of the Antiquities Act and making sure, when monuments and monument designations move forward, that they are done with local support.
I am in a bit of a quandary here because what he is advocating for is something that, again, I have been there with him on. But our dilemma, if you will, is that we have a package before us of lands bills, of water bills, of sportsmen's provisions, of conservation provisions that we have been working to kind of--not kind of, but to build that level of consensus.
This measure is one that has been identified by those with whom we have been trying to work, not only here in this body but with the House as well. They have identified this as one of those measures that would bring down this effort. So we are in a position where, while I support the goals the Senator is seeking to achieve, I don't see a path forward for it in this Chamber at this time.
As I mentioned--as you have heard me say--we have some very important provisions that we have been working on for a period of years. I want to ensure those proceed. I don't want to see S. 47 fall. So I am going to move to table the Lee amendment, but I want to once again commit to the Senator from Utah that I will work with him, as the chairman of the Energy Committee, to address these monument designations.
Given the vehicle that we have in front of us, I will move to table and ask that colleagues join me in this tabling motion.
187.
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Ms. MURKOWSKI. 187.
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Ms. MURKOWSKI. 187.
While I was pleased that we could reach agreement to include a designation of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area in the substitute amendment, I want to clarify what this designation does and, perhaps more importantly, what it does not do.
The purpose of this designation, as with congressionally designated National Heritage Areas in general, is to celebrate the region's history and cultural heritage by promoting education, tourism, recreation, and other historic values. It also creates the opportunity for Federal participation in promoting these regional attributes.
In no way does this designation implicate or interfere with any water facilities or operations associated with the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. We are not creating new regulatory authority or modifying existing regulatory authority, including those related to land or water use, at any level of government.
Further, S. 47 includes protections to ensure that private property will not be impacted by the designation, protections that apply to the ownership and use of water rights both inside and outside of the National Heritage Area's boundary.
I ask Senator Feinstein, you have championed this National Heritage Area designation for quite some time. In her view, have I properly characterized the intended effect of this designation?
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Ms. MURKOWSKI. I thank Senator Feinstein. As we have explained, the purpose of this designation is straightforward and intended to promote and celebrate the cultural heritage of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region, without any broader implications on water or land management.
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Ms. MURKOWSKI. Senator Murphy's reading of the bill is correct.
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Ms. MURKOWSKI. Senator Murphy's reading of the bill is correct.
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