gert mr. garrett: i have an amendment at the desk. the clerk: part b, amendment offered by mr. garrett of new jersey. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 578, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. garrett and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. . mr. garrett: more than 19 years ago when i first ran for public office in the very densely populated state of new jersey i believe that we were not doing enough to preserve our precious farmlands and our vital open space and upon being sworn in as a member of the house of representatives six years ago, i continued to advocate for reserving open space, expanding our recreational lands and protecting our natural resources. one of the highlights of my time here in congress was the unanimous bipartisan support for the highlands conservation act which became law back in 2004 and i especially want to commend my colleague from new jersey, mr. frelinghuysen, for working diligently over the years to accomplish its passage. our commitment to preserving en space runs deep for us,