WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:07.120 Thank you very much. I am so pleased to have HR 5497, the Apostle Islands National Park and 00:07.120 --> 00:13.920 Preserve Act, to be designated as Wisconsin's first national park. As you said, Mr. Chairman, 00:14.560 --> 00:19.280 the crown jewel of Wisconsin, and that is how we view it. You take a look at a good map of 00:19.280 --> 00:24.720 Wisconsin, and there are the islands scattered on the very top of the state. It truly is the 00:24.720 --> 00:30.880 crowning jewel of our great state of Wisconsin, and there is no place in America like the Apostle 00:30.880 --> 00:36.320 Islands. This area contains a collection of underwater shipwrecks and what the National Park 00:36.320 --> 00:43.040 Service calls the largest and finest collection of lighthouses in the country. 10 historic lighthouses 00:43.040 --> 00:50.160 of the Apostle Islands range from approximately 110 to 170 years old and offer important glimpses 00:50.160 --> 00:55.120 into the maritime history of the Great Lakes region. In the summer months, locals and tourists 00:55.120 --> 01:00.400 enjoy hiking, power boating, sailing, kayaking. You can see right behind you, Mr. Chairman. 01:02.320 --> 01:08.320 Sandy beaches, and you discover the solitude and remoteness of the areas many islands as families 01:08.320 --> 01:15.120 picnic on those pristine waters. In the winter, when Lake Superior freezes over, the Apostle 01:15.120 --> 01:20.720 Islands are transformed into dramatic ice caves that are accessible to hikers as you can see 01:20.720 --> 01:26.480 behind me. These stunning and unique ice formations are considered a bucket list destination and 01:26.480 --> 01:32.560 offer world-class recreation opportunities. Many of my colleagues on this committee have national 01:32.560 --> 01:38.400 parks in their district and understand how much of an asset they can be to their states. While 01:38.400 --> 01:44.480 our neighboring states such as Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, all enjoy national parks, Wisconsin does 01:44.480 --> 01:51.200 not yet have one. And the iconic features of these unique islands deserve this long overdue 01:51.200 --> 01:56.480 recognition. My legislation is very straightforward. It would simply re-designate the majority of 01:56.480 --> 02:02.400 the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore into the Apostle Islands National Park. My bill also maintains 02:02.400 --> 02:07.920 the heritage of hunting within the Apostle Islands by designating Sand Island, a popular hunting 02:07.920 --> 02:14.640 destination as the Sand Island National Preserve. Protecting hunting access is paramount to me, 02:14.640 --> 02:19.600 and this follows the model of the recently elevated New River Gorge National Park. 02:20.320 --> 02:24.320 Importantly, the legislation affirms all treaty rights and tribal sovereignty stating 02:25.280 --> 02:29.760 nothing in this act shall be construed as affecting any rights granted reserved or established 02:29.760 --> 02:37.040 pursuant to treaty, statute, or executive order pertaining to any tribe, including, but not limited 02:37.040 --> 02:42.400 to rights to hunt, trap, fish, and gather on lands included within the boundary of Apostle 02:42.400 --> 02:47.920 Islands National Park and preserve or any other rights asserted by any tribe. I would also like 02:47.920 --> 02:53.200 to note that tribal members were the first to receive any drafts of this bill, and it is from 02:53.200 --> 02:58.240 consulting with them and receiving their input that we have included that language I just cited. 02:58.960 --> 03:03.760 Further, my legislation directs the National Park Service to enhance interpretive displays 03:03.840 --> 03:08.720 within the Apostle Islands to include more information about the area's rich fur trade, 03:08.720 --> 03:15.120 logging, fishing industries, as well as also honor the Ojibwe tribes, the original inhabitants 03:15.120 --> 03:21.600 of the Apostle Islands who have called the area home for centuries. This legislation reflects an 03:21.600 --> 03:26.880 effort that has been decades in the making. In 1930, nearly a century ago, Congress first 03:26.880 --> 03:32.640 authorized a study to designate the Apostle Islands as a National Park. Roughly 40 years later, 03:32.640 --> 03:37.600 President John F. Kennedy described the islands as part of our American heritage, 03:37.600 --> 03:44.560 and the area was designated as a National Lakeshore, an effort spearheaded by the father of Earth Day, 03:45.280 --> 03:52.560 Senator Gaylord Nelson. This legislation first received a hearing in the federal land subcommittee 03:52.560 --> 03:58.800 last Congress and was submitted for two rounds of technical assistance with the Biden administration, 03:58.800 --> 04:04.640 whose feedback was implemented into this Congress' version. It subsequently was submitted for a 04:04.640 --> 04:11.760 third round of technical assistance from the Trump administration. Now, by elevating the 04:11.760 --> 04:17.360 Apostle Islands from a National Lakeshore to a National Park, we can ensure that thousands more 04:17.360 --> 04:23.920 are able to visit this area. This will be a win for the people in my state and the country at large 04:23.920 --> 04:30.320 as more people get to enjoy the crown jewels of Wisconsin. You can see the beauty of the 04:30.320 --> 04:35.040 islands in the pictures behind me, but for those who haven't had the chance to experience this 04:35.040 --> 04:42.480 beauty up close, I would like to extend my invitation to you to visit us in Northern Wisconsin, 04:42.480 --> 04:48.880 especially right now. Beautiful winter. It is my hope that many more will be able to experience 04:48.880 --> 04:55.360 this hidden gem once the Apostle Islands are designated as Wisconsin's first National Park.