Joe Manchin: “I rise to congratulate all of my colleagues for passing a piece of legislation that is going to make the whole country…”

“I rise to congratulate all of my colleagues for passing a piece of legislation that is going to make the whole country happy and a beautiful place. The Senate passed a bill that I sponsored with my friend Senator Capito to name a 2,700-acre parcel of land in the Monongahela National Forest after Mrs. Patsye Crites. I want to thank my colleagues here in the Senate for agreeing to this bill, as well as express my support for the completing of a land sale to put this land in the hands of the Forest Service and preserve it for the public in perpetuity. Earlier this year, the Forest Service reached an agreement with John Crites and his family to purchase this spectacular land along the Blackwater River, which we call the Blackwater Canyon. This is what we call Lindy Point, and it is unbelievable. And the foliage just bursts alive, like a kaleidoscope of colors. It is just gorgeous. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of property, I think, anywhere in the country. Of course, I am a little personal on that. You can see, just one glimpse behind me, within an already popular area, hikers and outdoorsmen from across the country. And down in the valley, there is Blackwater River, which has great fishing, as far as trout fishing. We enjoy that very much.…”