John Muir National Historic Site Expansion Act

Floor Speech

Mr. DESAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong support of H.R. 1289, the John Muir National Historic Site Expansion Act.

This bipartisan legislation will expand the Martinez, California historic site in my district that celebrates the life and legacy of John Muir. Muir was a lifelong conservationist, leading advocate of the National Park Service and a co-founder of the Sierra Club. He worked to establish and protect national parks including Yosemite, Sequoia, the Grand Canyon and Mt. Rainier.

The John Muir National Historic Site, which includes the home where he lived, covers 330 acres of Contra Costa County where Muir championed the revolutionary idea that wild spaces should be set aside for all to enjoy. This bill would add 44 acres of donated land from a non-profit trust, improving access to the park and its scenic trails, including those on Mount Wanda, named for Muir's eldest daughter. The trail systems are accessible for hikers, bikers and equestrians, including critical connections to the 550-mile Bay Area Ridge Trail and to nearby protected lands along the Franklin Ridge corridor.

As John Muir said, ``everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in ..... where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.''

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my predecessor Congressman George Miller who has been a champion of this bill. I appreciate Natural Resource Committee Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva, Subcommittee Chairman McClintock, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Tsongas for their leadership in bringing H.R. 1289 to the floor today.

I am grateful for the support of 31 of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle who cosponsored this bill and to Senators Boxer and Feinstein for sponsoring this legislation in the U.S. Senate. I would also like to thank the John Muir Land Trust for its hard work and dedication preserving and protecting this valuable parkland and shoreline in Contra Costa County for future generations.

As our Nation prepares to celebrate the Centennial of the National Park Service, this legislation will help preserve the trails and lands that surround the longtime home of the man known as the Father of the National Park Service. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bipartisan legislation--The John Muir National Historic Site Expansion Act.

Source