ESTABLISH AN ANTARCTICA WORLD PARK TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1990 COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met at 9:45 a.m. in room 1324 of the Longworth House Building, Hon. Ron de Lugo (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Mr. DE LUGO. The Subcommittee on Insular and International Affairs is convened this morning for the purposes of taking testimony on H.R. 4514, a bill to require action to protect Antarctica by directing the Secretary of the Interior to prepare a plan for establishing an Antarctica World Park to require interim protection of Antarctica and for other purposes. This bill was introduced by our good friend, and a member of the full Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, Hon. Bruce Vento. And we'll be hearing from Bruce Vento in a moment. I see that he is joined by his fellow colleague from Minnesota and my good friend too. I have the pleasure of serving with him on the Public Works Committee. And they are there with a hero of Minnesota and, I think, a hero for all Americans, Will Steger, who led the 1989-90 International Trans-Antarctica Expedition. And I was reading about that last night and, being from the Virgin Islands, let me tell you, if you try to do it again, Will, don't ask for a volunteer here. I can't even imagine, you know, those types of conditions and those temperatures. My God, what courage and what a wonderful thing you did, not only for our country but for the world today as these areas are coming under assault. Before proceeding to members' opening statements, and without objection, let us have printed at this point in the hearing record, a copy of the bill, H.R. 4514. [The bill, H.R. 4514, follows:] I 1018T CONGRESS 2D SESSION H.R.4514 To require action to protect Antarctica by directing the Secretary of the Interior to prepare a plan for establishing an Antarctica World Park, to require interim protection of Antarctica, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 4, 1990 Mr. VENTO (for himself, Mr. UDALL, Mr. FASCELL, Mr. MILLER of California, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. DE LUGO, Mr. LAGOMARSINO, Mr. KOSTMAYER, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. OWENS of Utah, Mr. GEJDENSON, and Mr. LEACH of Iowa) · introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on Interior and Insular Affairs, Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Science, Space, and Technology, and Foreign Affairs A BILL To require action to protect Antarctica by directing the Secretary of the Interior to prepare a plan for establishing an Antarctica World Park, to require interim protection of Antarctica, and for other purposes. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND FINDINGS. 4 (a) SHORT TITLE.-This Act may be cited as the "Ant 5 arctica World Park and Protection Act of 1990". 6 (b) FINDINGS.-The Congress finds and declares that 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 2 (1) the Antarctic Continent is recognized as the last continent on Earth generally unaffected by man's activities and is a critical and irreplaceable "laboratory" for the collection of meteorological data and the observation of changes in or damage to the Earth's atmosphere, as well as other aspects of climatology, oceanography, and other sciences; (2) Antarctica contains unknown quantities of undisturbed geological and archeological materials of potentially immense cultural and scientific value to all nations of the world; (3) Antarctica has unique historic values related to some of man's most historic explorations and affords an opportunity for adventure that, properly managed, can be compatible with the protection of this unique part of the world; (4) Antarctica contains 90 per centum of Earth's ice and 70 per centum of its fresh water, as well as some of the world's most spectacular natural wonders, and is a fragile ecosystem crucial to many species of life; (5) Antarctica plays an essential role in moderating and regulating the temperature of the world's at mosphere and oceans and thus in the maintenance of the global environment; 3 (6) Antarctica's valuable historic, cultural, natu ral, ecological, environmental, scientific, scenic, marine, wilderness, wildlife, and other values are in danger of impairment or destruction as a result of inad equately controlled human activities, including experimentation and other research activities; increasing tourism; accumulations of solid and other wastes; spills of oil and other substances; new technology; and increasing interest in the exploitation of Antarctica's minerals and its other living and nonliving natural resources; (7) the planned 1990 special consultative meeting of parties to the Antarctic Treaty and the imminence of the thirtieth anniversary of the entry into force of the Antarctic Treaty provide an opportunity for the United States to exercise leadership toward protection and sound management of Antarctica; and (8) the national policy of the United States should be to take all steps necessary to ensure that Antarctica's lands and resources are managed and protected in a manner that preserves Antarctica's unique resources, values, and environment, as well as its value for scientific research, for the benefit of present and future generations of people of all nations. |