Malcolm Wallop: “I will not continue this except to say one of the experiences I have had since I have been on the Energy and Natural…”

“I will not continue this except to say one of the experiences I have had since I have been on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee was meeting a gentleman in Kentucky, in a national park, who had an inholding that he could not get the National Park Service to acquire. It was his family's only resource. He, unfortunately, was stricken with cancer. He had no means of getting from the Government what was his entitlement. So we had to suggest to him he hire bulldozers to begin to bulldoze a property which he adored in order to gain the attention of the Government so they would pay him for his property. I say to the Senator from California, this ought to be a precedent. It ought not to be one that is forgotten once the residents of East Mojave are taken care of. We are doing bad things to Americans, and we better realize it. The backlog is growing, and our ability or desire to take care of it is diminishing. Mr. President, as I spoke I would have offered an amendment to extend the same privileges offered to California residents to other residents in parks in other States. It is a fair and equitable way to deal with all private property owners in parks and should alleviate the taking of rights without compensation issue to some degree.”