Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008

Floor Speech

CONSOLIDATED NATURAL RESOURCES ACT OF 2008 -- (Senate - April 10, 2008)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, as the Senate considers the Consolidated Natural Resources Act, I would like to highlight two provisions that are important for Illinois: the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Extension.

Illinois is known as the Land of Lincoln for good reason. Our 16th President spent more than 30 years of his life in central Illinois, starting in 1830 when his family moved to Macon County from Indiana. Abraham Lincoln had virtually no formal education--perhaps 18 months of schooling. His rise from humble origins to the highest office in the land and his decisive leadership through the most harrowing period of U.S. history brings hope and inspiration to all of us.

Next year marks the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth. Among the public activities planned to honor his life is development of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area. Communities in 42 Illinois counties have worked together to document Lincoln's time in the State, assess the status of the places that played a role in his life and career, and recommend a plan to help develop the narrative of Lincoln's imprint on Illinois. The goal is to help develop sites in places where there is a Lincoln story to tell but no place to tell that story. Although the heritage area focuses on the life of Abraham Lincoln, the heritage area also brings out the rich history of each participating community, creating a broader context for Lincoln and his times.

Illinois features prominently in another important, earlier story in the making of America--the historic expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark across the western frontier. Much has been said and written about that western journey, but equally fascinating is the ``Eastern Legacy'' of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

The journey began right here in the District of Columbia. That is where President Thomas Jefferson directed his private secretary Meriwether Lewis in June 1803 to lead a mission through the vast unknown territory west of the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis gathered supplies and men in many Eastern States before meeting up with William Clark in Kentucky and traveling to Illinois.

Lewis and Clark established their winter camp at the mouth of the Wood River in Illinois. The following spring their Corps of Discovery departed Camp Dubois and began their historic scientific expedition west. Lewis marked this spot near present-day Wood River, IL, as the official ``point of departure.'' Two and a half years later, the team returned to this camp after its remarkable adventure to the Pacific coast.

The bill the Senate is considering will preserve this important and fascinating story through the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Extension, which will include sites associated with the preparation and return phases of the expedition--the Eastern Legacy. The trail extension includes sites in 11 Eastern States and the District of Columbia. The trail in Illinois includes sites from Metropolis along the Ohio River to Wood River at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.

These two initiatives are very important to Illinois. I know the bill includes similar initiatives in other States. These development areas are significant, not just for the historic and cultural legacy but also for the economic development value for the host communities. Many Illinois communities participating in these heritage areas are very rural--with populations less than 3,000, few resources, and high unemployment rates.

The bill does much to preserve areas of natural beauty and expand our national historic trail system and national heritage areas that bring families outdoors and across our Nation to discover important events and geographic locations in the creation of America. It also celebrates Native American, Colonial American, European American, Latino American, and African American heritage. Finally, the bill establishes memorials and museums to honor our past and authorizes studies as the first step toward preserving historic sites that are at risk of being forgotten

Illinoisans are proud of our heritage and our place in history. The preservation programs in the Consolidated Natural Resources Act help tell America's stories--stories of sacrifice, bravery, and awe of the land's natural beauty--so that we and our children can carry on the historical traditions that others have handed down to us.

The Consolidated Natural Resources Act is a bipartisan package that brings together nearly four dozen projects to preserve our Nation's land and our Nation's heritage.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source