madam speaker , i rise today in support of the wind cave national park boundary revision act of 2005 .  wind cave national park is one of our nation 's oldest national parks and one of the jewels in our national park system .  established over 100 years ago , wind cave was the first cave in the world to be set aside as a national park .  at the turn of the 20th century , its first explorers reported that the cave was only three miles long .  well , that report was a little off .  today , we know that the cave has over 117 miles of mapped tunnels and explorers are still discovering new passages .  this makes it the fifth largest cave in the world .  these passages contain many natural treasures -- rare and exceptional displays of box work , a honeycomb-shaped formation that protrudes from the cave 's ceilings and walls , as well as other rare cave formations , and a geology that scientists are still working to understand .  past congresses recognized the value of these treasures by creating the park ; our ability to enjoy them today is a testament to their foresight .  with over 28 , 000 acres today , the park 's surface is an impressive asset as well .  the wind cave national park boundary revision act would expand this stewardship to include an additional 5 , 000 acres of mixed grass prairie , ponderosa pine forest , and a dramatic river canyon .  home to native wildlife such as bison , elk , pronghorn , mule deer , coyotes , and prairie dogs , the park is one of the few remaining mixed-grass ecosystems in the country .  the expansion would be a natural extension of this habitat and enhance the park 's holdings .  this project began when the ranching family that owns the land approached the national parks service over 3 years ago .  the black hills region of south dakota is developing rapidly and , rather than allow the land to be developed into subdivisions and strip malls , they envisioned preserving it for future generations .  that initial discussion expanded to the surrounding community , state government , and eventually , the united states congress .  the bill 's passage in the senate and its consideration here today are the fruits of those discussions .  in addition to receiving support in the house of representatives from my two predecessors and myself , this bill enjoys the bipartisan backing of the south dakota senate delegation and south dakota governor mike rounds .  as the expansion project has proceeded , interested parties have weighed in with their concerns and they have been answered .  wind cave national park has protected and preserved a national treasure for over 100 years .  the wind cave national park boundary revision act is a unique opportunity to expand the park and enhance its value to the public so that visitors can enjoy it forever .  it is my hope that my colleagues will support the expansion of this park and vote in favor of this important legislation .  