Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his work on these important issues. I appreciate it. Today I rise in support of H.R. 291, the Black Hills Cemetery Act. This bill is of great importance to the communities of the Black Hills area of South Dakota. The Black Hills of South Dakota are home to a number of historic cemeteries. Many of these originated in old mining towns dating back to the 1800s, and they have unique significance to the communities surrounding them. These include the Englewood, Galena, Hayward, Mountain Meadows, Roubaix, Nemo, Rockerville, Silver City, and the Cold Springs cemeteries. These cemeteries are currently being managed by local cemetery associations and community groups in the surrounding areas, but have been technically owned by the U.S. Forest Service since the 1900s. This causes unnecessary liability for the U.S. Forest Service because of the responsibility for upkeep and dealing with possible vandalism or damage to property in these cemeteries. At almost no cost to taxpayers, the Black Hills Cemetery Act would simply transfer ownership of these cemeteries and up to 2 acres of adjacent land to the caretaking communities. They have managed them for generations under special use permits issued by the Forest Service. It also makes clear that these cemeteries will continue to be used for the same purpose as they always have been in the past.…”