Memos of the Month.

TRIBUTE TO WAYNE ASPINALL -- HON. SCOTT MCINNIS (Extension of Remarks - March 28, 2000) CONGRESSIONAL RECORD 

HON. SCOTT MCINNIS in the House of Representatives TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2000

Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay homage to a man who sat in this august body for 24 years, from 1948 to 1972. Mr. Speaker, he served with six Presidents during that time, and was Chairman of the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee. It was during his tenure in the House that the focus cleared on land and water issues in this great country. Mr. Speaker, I am referring to the late-Congressman Wayne N. Aspinall from the small peach and winery town of Palisade, Colorado.

Not only did Wayne Aspinall serve with distinction here, but his career in public service spanned over 48 years, including six years on his Town's Board of Trustees and 16 years in the Colorado Legislature. His six years in the Colorado House of Representatives included service as House Speaker for two years. As a state Senator for ten years, he served as both Majority and Minority leader. He was also a sergeant in the Air Service of the Army Signal Corps during World War I.

But let me talk further about Wayne Aspinall's time in the U.S. Congress. In 1956, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Irrigation and Reclamation, he crafted the Colorado River Storage Project Act of 1956, which authorized Glen Canyon, Flaming Gorge, Navajo and Curecanti projects, plus several smaller projects authorized for construction and others designated for study. Aspinall's legislation was signed into law by President Eisenhower on April 11, 1956.

In 1959, Congressman Aspinall became Chairman of the U.S. House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, as I mentioned. The ensuing 14 years of his leadership were probably the most productive in history in terms of water projects and national parks authorized and built or developed, wilderness areas designated, redwoods protected, the states of Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the Union, public land law review, and so much more.

Mr. Speaker, this remarkable Congressman's accomplishments continued. In 1964, he paved the way to the Wilderness Act, which became law September 3 and designated 9.1 million acres of wilderness and set aside more for study. At the same time, the Land and Water Conservation Fund was established primarily for parks acquisition.

Then, in 1968, he created the Colorado River Basin Development Act, signed into law by President Johnson on September 30, which balanced development in the basin. On October 2 of the same year, his bill was signed protecting 58,000 acres of California redwoods and the Land and Water Conservation Fund was further beefed-up.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, he returned to his hometown of Palisade, Colorado in 1973 to live in a new home overlooking the Colorado River which his life's work had done so much to preserve as a valuable resource for the entire western United States. He died October 9, 1983.

Now, the citizens in his hometown plan to honor his memory with a one and a half time life-size bronze sculpture by renowned North Carolina artist Thomas Jay Warren. The statue will be the central feature of a Memorial which will include the representation of a dam and river. Several adjacent Memory Walls will be inscribed with the major achievements of the man known affectionately even today in Colorado as `Mr. Chairman.' Members of the Aspinall Memorial Commission envision the Congressman Wayne N. Aspinall Memorial as an educational one, designed as much to teach students and others of the importance of sound water conservation, good government, and the history of water in the West as to record Mr. Chairman's stellar accomplishments.

The $165,000 Memorial will sit in the southeast quadrant of what is now known as Palisade Park, on a bluff above the Colorado River about 50 yards from the home to which he had retired.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the people of Palisade and of the entire State of Colorado for their effort to honor a man who served the great American West with such distinction. And I urge all of who can do so to support this project financially.

TRIBUTE TO WAYNE ASPINALL -- HON. WAYNE ALLARD (Senate - May 01, 2000) CONGRESSIONAL RECORD HON. WAYNE ALLARD

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, today I honor a man who spent 48 years of his life serving the public as an elected official for the State of Colorado. A man who served 2 years as the president of Colorado's 35th school district, 6 years as a board member of the town of Palisade, 6 years as a member of the Colorado House of Representatives, 2 of those as House Speaker, 10 years as a Colorado State Senator where he was both the Majority and Minority Leader, and 24 years as a member of the U.S. House of Representative where he was the Chairman of the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee. I am referring to the late Congressman Wayne N. Aspinall from the small peach and winery town of Palisade, CO. Let me talk about Wayne Aspinall's time in the U.S. Congress. In 1956, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Irrigation and Reclamation, he created the Colorado River Storage Project Act of 1956 which authorized Glen Canyon, Flaming Gorge, Navajo and Curecanti Reservoirs, plus several smaller projects authorized for construction and others designated for study. The act was signed into law by President Eisenhower on April 11, 1956.

In 1959, he became Chairman of the U.S. House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee. The ensuing 14 years of his leadership was viewed by many as the most productive in history in terms of new water projects, national parks authorized, wilderness designated, redwoods protected, the States of Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the Union, and so much more.

This remarkable Congressman's accomplishments continued. In 1964, he lead the way to the Wilderness Act, which became law September 3rd and designated 9.1 million acres of wilderness and set aside more for study. At the same time, the Land and Water Conservation Fund was established primarily for parks acquisition.

Then, in 1968, he created the Colorado River Basin Development Act, signed into law by President Johnson on September 30, which balanced development in the basin. On October 2nd of the same year, his bill was signed protecting 58,000 acres of California redwoods and the Land and Water Conservation Fund was further enhanced.

Finally, he returned to his hometown of Palisade, CO in 1973 to live in a new home over the Colorado River which his life's work had done so much to preserve as a valuable resource for the entire western United States. He died October 9, 1983.

Now the citizens in his hometown plan to honor his memory with a one-and-a-half times life-size bronze sculpture by noted North Carolina artist Thomas Jay Warren. The statue will be the central feature of a Memorial which will include the representation of a dam and river. Several adjacent Memory Walls will be inscribed with the major achievements of the man known affectionately today in Colorado as "Mr. Chairman." Members of the Wayne N. Aspinall Memorial [Commission] created it as an educational one, designed as much to teach students and others of the importance of sound water conservation, good government, and the history of water in the West as a record of the Chairman's stellar accomplishments.

The $165,000 Memorial will sit in the southeast quadrant of what is now known as Palisade Park, on a bluff above the Colorado River about 50 yards from the home to which he had retired.

I commend the people of Palisade and other Coloradans for their effort to honor a man who served the great State of Colorado and our Nation with such distinction. I am proud to say that I knew him as a young man. My father, Amos Allard, was chairman of his congressional district. My family is proud of the affiliation with the Wayne Aspinall family and count ourselves among his many supporters. I urge all of who can do so to support this project financially.