Extending Authorization for Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission

Floor Speech

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Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 5585, to reauthorize the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission for another decade.

One of President John F. Kennedy's first acts was to sign into law the bill that created the Cape Cod National Seashore, a bill which he himself had previously offered when he was a Senator from Massachusetts.

This beautiful expanse of sand dunes, marshlands, highland woods, lakes, rivers, streams, and pristine coastal estuaries stretches from Chatham in the south to Provincetown in the north, and includes the six towns that form the Outer Cape and spans over 43,000 acres.

Today, more than 4 million visitors from around the world come to my district every year to experience the natural beauty and recreational opportunities that the seashore offers. In this way, the seashore is crucial for the many local businesses that depend on the cape's tourism industry for their livelihoods.

Yet, even while hosting the millions of visitors each summer, the seashore continues to protect dozens of threatened endangered species, invests in important local science and education, expands cultural arts, and hosts numerous environmental endeavors. One of these projects, the Herring River Restoration Project, will be the largest salt marsh restoration project in New England history.

It is important to note that, for many communities on the cape, the parklands make up more than 75 percent of their land area. That is why this regional board--the first of its kind in the National Park System--is so important. It links Federal partners in the National Park Service with their State and local partners to inform the public about park matters; to problem-solve on numerous environmental, economic, and public infrastructure issues; and to promote open lines of communication with the National Park Service.

Think about it. Six small communities and a large Federal agency drawing several million people into their towns each year, in solutions rather than conflict.

Time and time again, this commission has proven itself to be an important forum for the communities that make up the Outer Cape to have productive discussions with their leadership on the Cape Cod National Seashore about issues that affect not only the seashore but the broader Outer Cape region as well.

For 60 years, the relationship that the commission has provided between the National Seashore and its host communities represents the best of what a partnership with local entities and Federal officials can and should be.

The track record of success that the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission has shown since its inception clearly demonstrates the need for it to continue its exemplary work for the challenges of the next decade.

I would like to thank the chairman of the committee and the ranking member, my two colleagues from California, for their help in moving this bill forward. I urge my colleagues, all my colleagues, to join me in support of this legislation.

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