Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman from Arizona and the gentleman from Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the legislation that I was proud to author, the Arapaho National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act of 2014, H.R. 4846. This legislation involves a parcel of 10 lots that we call the ``wedge'' in Grand County, Colorado, in the Second Congressional District. The wedge is located just north of the town of Grand Lake and west of the famous Rocky Mountain National Park. Come visit. It is called the ``wedge'' because it is actually a wedge of land which divides the Arapaho National Forest from the Rocky Mountain National Park. Although this parcel is integral to the successful management of these public lands, the wedge is currently outside of the national forest boundary. I drafted this bill after receiving a lot of feedback and strong local support to incorporate the wedge into the Arapaho National Forest to make sure that this undeveloped land is enjoyed by the millions of visitors who travel west from the top of Rocky Mountain National Park on the Trail Ridge Road scenic byway. The U.S. Forest Service already owns seven of the 10 parcels, which are already being managed as part of the Arapaho National Forest. There is a nonprofit, the Rocky Mountain Nature Association, that owns one lot, and two lots are owned by private landowners. We have worked with the landowners and the other adjacent landowner, in order to craft this legislation, as well as local government.…”