Jay Inslee: “If I may be heard in answer to that question, Mr. Chairman, there are two artificial human lines that prevent protection…”

“If I may be heard in answer to that question, Mr. Chairman, there are two artificial human lines that prevent protection of this resource and others like it. One is a county line, a human-drawn boundary; and the second is some small roads up farther north. Both of these are human-drawn boundaries. The point we are making with our amendment is that those political decisions, that political history, should not be respected as much as the Creator's handiwork. And by the way, if there is any question about the Swell, I advise my colleagues that there are some great geological texts that clearly define this area and others as within the San Rafael Swell. And I want to address this Muddy Creek, if I can, because I know it is a favorite of the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall). Without the Inslee amendment, we do not, repeat, we do not protect the entire watershed of Muddy Creek. The one thing I know about arteries in our body is if we cut it off in one place it does not make it any good if we protect the other 98 percent. We do not protect a significant percentage of the Muddy Creek watershed. And if we had gone back and redrawn the history of the West, we certainly would have protected watersheds rather than north-south lines and meridians. We would have protected watersheds. Now is the chance, today, for the U.S. Congress to start a new direction when we decide how we protect the West.”