IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 84 
Commemorating 100 years of natural resource conservation achievements 
made possible through the vision and leadership of Representative John 
W. Weeks and the enactment of the Weeks Act in 1911. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 10, 2011 
Mr. MORAN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees 
on Natural Resources and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Commemorating 100 years of natural resource conservation 
achievements made possible through the vision and lead-
ership of Representative John W. Weeks and the enact-
ment of the Weeks Act in 1911. 
Whereas John W. Weeks, a Republican from Massachusetts, 
served in the House of Representatives from March 4, 
1905, to March 4, 1913, in the Senate from March 4, 
1913, to March 3, 1919, and subsequently as Secretary 
of War; 
Whereas, while a Representative, John W. Weeks sponsored 
legislation to authorize the creation of national forests in 
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•HRES 84 IH 
the eastern United States and was instrumental in secur-
ing enactment of the legislation; 
Whereas, signed into law by President Howard Taft on 
March 1, 1911, the Act of March 1, 1911, is known as 
the Weeks Act in recognition of the role John W. Weeks 
played in its passage; 
Whereas the Weeks Act forged new public policy by providing 
for cooperation between States and the Federal Govern-
ment to protect forest land from fire and allow for lands 
outside the public domain to be included in the national 
forest reserve with the explicit consent of the State; 
Whereas the Weeks Act gave priority to the White Mountains 
and Southern Appalachian region, which at that time re-
quired the greatest preventative and protective measures, 
but the Act was eventually applied to 26 eastern States 
that are home to 52 units of the National Forest System 
encompassing 24,878,687 acres, and nationally, was uti-
lized to acquire lands for inclusion in 96 national forests 
and grasslands in 41 States; 
Whereas, as a result of the Weeks Act and the application 
of sustainable forest management practices by the Forest 
Service, an agency of the Department of Agriculture, 
streams that were once filled with silt and debris now 
flow clean and clear, degraded habitats have been re-
stored, and fish and game have returned; 
Whereas timber resources, which were nearly nonexistent 
when the Federal Government acquired the denuded 
land, has been restored to the point where National For-
est System lands are again an important source of saw 
timber and other forest products; and 
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•HRES 84 IH 
Whereas Weeks Act land provide millions of Americans access 
to open space and opportunities for a multitude of rec-
reational activities, including hiking on significant por-
tions of the Appalachian Trail: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes former Representative, Senator, 
and Secretary John W. Weeks for his visionary con-
servation leadership; 
(2) encourages the Department of Agriculture 
to celebrate the centennial of the enactment of the 
Act of March 1, 1911, known as the Weeks Act, 
with appropriate festivities and activities throughout 
2011, in order to build public awareness of this his-
toric law that helped propel the conservation and 
restoration of millions of acres of forests, grasslands 
and watersheds across the United States; and 
(3) recognizes the importance of conserving and 
restoring forests and grasslands in the United States 
from new and emerging threats, such as changes in 
climate, development, and invasive species, and sup-
ports bipartisan efforts to promote public and pri-
vate collaboration in the restoration and conserva-
tion of the precious natural resources of the United 
States. 
Æ 
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