National Parks and Recreation Month

Floor Speech

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Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to speak about our national parks and our parks and recreational opportunities.

I grew up in California's San Joaquin Valley, where we are blessed with some of the Nation's most beautiful lands. Like many, I spent my youth exploring local Fresno recreational areas and the California State parks.

My family and I, many times, visited Kings Canyon National Park and one of the crown jewels of all national parks, Yosemite Valley, seen in this striking photograph.

Wallace Stegner, famous writer, historian, and environmentalist, once said: ``Our national parks are the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.''

July is Parks and Recreation Month, and I urge everyone across this great country to visit our parks and recreational areas. It is great for our families and for all of us. Share in something that reflects America at our best.

Let us also remember that wildfires are a regular threat to our parks during this season. Fires are, sadly, burning as we speak today near Yosemite National Park and throughout the West.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those brave men and women fighting those fires, and their families, while protecting some of America's most precious resources.

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