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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 62 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 62

  To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the dedication of Shenandoah 
                             National Park.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 23, 2011

Mr. Goodlatte (for himself, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Moran, Mr. Wittman, Mr. Scott 
  of Virginia, and Mr. Connolly of Virginia) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
  To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the dedication of Shenandoah 
                             National Park.

Whereas this historical milestone for Shenandoah National Park corresponds with 
        the Civil War sesquicentennial, enriching the heritage of both the 
        Commonwealth of Virginia and our Nation;
Whereas, in the early to mid-1920s, with the efforts of the citizen-driven 
        Shenandoah Valley, Inc., and the Shenandoah National Park Association, 
        the congressionally appointed Southern Appalachian National Park 
        Committee recommended that Congress authorize the establishment of a 
        national park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia for the purposes 
        of uniting the western national park experience to the populated eastern 
        seaboard;
Whereas, in 1935, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Harold Ickes accepted the 
        land deeds from the Commonwealth of Virginia and, on July 3, 1936, 
        President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated Shenandoah National Park ``to 
        this and to succeeding generations for the recreation and re-creation 
        they would find'';
Whereas the Appalachian Mountains extend through 200,000 acres of the Shenandoah 
        National Park and borders eight Virginia counties of Albemarle, Augusta, 
        Greene, Madison, Page, Rappahannock, Rockingham, and Warren;
Whereas the Shenandoah National Park is home to a diverse ecosystem of 103 rare 
        and endangered species, 1,405 plant species, 51 mammal species, 36 fish 
        species, 26 reptile species, 23 amphibian species, and more than 200 
        bird species;
Whereas the proximity of the Shenandoah National Park to heavily populated 
        areas, including the Nation's capital, promotes regional travel and 
        tourism in partnership with its gateway communities, providing thousands 
        of jobs and contributing millions of dollars to the economic vitality of 
        the region;
Whereas the Shenandoah National Park, rich with recreational opportunities, 
        offers 520 miles of hiking trails, 200 miles of which are designated 
        horse trails and 101 miles of which are part of the 2,175-mile 
        Appalachian National Historic Trail; over 90 fishable streams; four 
        campgrounds; seven picnic areas; three lodges; six backcountry cabins; 
        and an extensive, rugged backcountry open to wilderness camping to the 
        millions of people who annually visit the park;
Whereas the park protects significant cultural resources including a National 
        Historic Landmark (Rapidan Camp, once a summer retreat for President 
        Herbert Hoover); a Historic District (all of Skyline Drive) listed on 
        the National Register of Historic Places; a structure (Massanutten 
        Lodge) individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places; 
        360 buildings and structures included on the List of Classified 
        Structures; 577 significant, recorded archaeological sites, 11 of which 
        are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and more than 
        100 historic cemeteries;
Whereas Congress named ten battlefields in the Shenandoah Valley for 
        preservation in the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic 
        District and Commission Act of 1996 and the Shenandoah National Park, an 
        integral partner in this endeavor, provides visitors with outstanding 
        views of strategic locations vital to the Civil War legacy in their 
        pristine, natural landscapes;
Whereas the Shenandoah National Park protects both tangible and intangible 
        resources, including the heritage of the American people through the 
        rigorous commitments of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the 
        advancement of Civil Rights as Shenandoah's ``separate but equal'' 
        facilities became the first to desegregate in Virginia;
Whereas, on October 20, 1975, Congress passed legislation designating 79,579 
        acres within the Shenandoah National Park's boundaries as wilderness 
        under the 1964 Wilderness Act and the 1975 Eastern Wilderness Act which 
        protects the wilderness character of the lands ``for the permanent good 
        of the whole people;''; and
Whereas this exemplary National Park unit deserves the support of Congress to 
        preserve the ecological and cultural integrity, maintain the 
        infrastructure, and protect the famously scenic views of the Shenandoah 
        Valley: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) commemorates the 75th anniversary of the dedication of 
        Shenandoah National Park; and
            (2) acknowledges the historic and enduring scenic, 
        recreational, and economic value of this unique national 
        treasure.
                                 <all>
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