Sam Farr: “I thank very much Ranking Member Costa and Chairwoman Lummis for their support of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I think this…”

“I thank very much Ranking Member Costa and Chairwoman Lummis for their support of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I think this bill is more than what we just talked about, because it is an incredible collaboration of groups that are not necessarily friendly to each other. We have in this sponsorship the Off-Road Vehicle Association and the Native Plant Society. Normally, they would not be on the same legislation. Why did it all happen? It is because we have 60,000 acres that have been shut down for nobody's use. It was a former asbestos surface mining area. Clear Creek has been a destination for outdoor recreation by off-road vehicle users, hikers, bird and animal enthusiasts, and many others. The area is home to unique habitats of plants and animals that attract visitors, which has helped a low-income rural area economically; but in 2008, the Bureau of Land Management closed the area because of an EPA report that said the naturally occurring asbestos may be dangerous. Without any further thought about assuming risk in the national area, it just closed it all down; but as long as people are aware of the risks and know how to safely enjoy Clear Creek, it is not dangerous at all. For example, people climb El Capitan, which is, probably, one of the more difficult climbs in America. You make a mistake there and you die, yet the National Park Service allows you to climb it. The risks go on and on. You also see the same with heli-skiing, skydiving, and many other high-risk activities.…”