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[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 9 (Thursday, January 15, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S590-S591]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

               OMNIBUS PUBLIC LAND MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2009

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to commend the Senate for its 
passage of the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage 
Corridor Amendments Act, which was included as part of S. 22, the 
Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. First, I would like to 
thank Senators Lieberman, Kerry, and Kennedy, who joined me in 
introducing a standalone version of this bill last week and have worked 
with me for many years to preserve this beautiful part of New England. 
I would also like to thank the chairman of the Energy and Natural 
Resources Committee, Senator Bingaman, for his tireless work to pass 
all of the critically important public lands bills included in S. 22. 
Because of his efforts, hundreds of thousands of acres of pristine 
wilderness will be added to the National Wilderness Preservation 
System, and many new ecologically unique and culturally significant 
sites will receive Federal protection under the National Wild and 
Scenic Rivers System, the National Trails System, and the National 
Heritage Area program.
  I have long felt that as Senators, one of our most important 
obligations is to ensure that our Nation's vast array of

[[Page S591]]

natural treasures is managed in an environmentally responsible and 
sustainable way. With the passage of S. 22, and in particular, with the 
extension of Congress's authorization of the Quinebaug and Shetucket 
Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor, I believe that we have taken 
an important step toward achieving that goal.
  The Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor, 
QSHC, was established in 1994 as the fifth National Heritage Corridor. 
National Heritage Areas are designated by Congress to preserve 
distinctive landscapes of historic, cultural, natural, and recreational 
resources. The QSHC is commonly known as ``The Last Green Valley,'' a 
rare and beautiful rural landscape in the populous Northeast. In fact, 
the Valley stands out in night images from space for its absence of 
lights. It contains aboriginal and colonial archaeological sites, mills 
and mill villages that preserve the history of the early industrial 
revolution, and traditional farming communities. The QSHC nonprofit 
management entity has restored architecturally and historically 
important buildings, developed conservation and open space plans, and 
fostered cooperation among businesses in the region that rely on the 
natural resources and beauty of the land. It has consistently leveraged 
an average of $19 for every $1 of appropriated Federal money.
  The QSHC has developed a plan to become a self-sustaining entity by 
2015, as laid out in ``The Trail to 2015: A Sustainability Plan for the 
Last Green Valley.'' The plan calls for replacing Federal funds with 
fees for services, private and corporate support, and income from a 
permanent fund. In the interim, Federal funds are necessary for 
capacity-building, awareness programs, and ongoing education of land-
use decision-makers.
  The Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor 
has created a collaboration of 35 municipalities dedicated to 
preserving a unique slice of our American heritage. With the extension 
of its authorization, this preserve will be able to exist in 
perpetuity. Again, I would like to thank my Senate colleagues for their 
support of the QSHC and the numerous other sites of great natural and 
cultural significance that will be protected as a result of the passage 
of this important legislation.

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