[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 192 (Tuesday, December 5, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H13943-H13944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              BIG THICKET NATIONAL PRESERVE LAND EXCHANGE

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 826) to extend the deadline for the completion of certain 
land exchanges involving the Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 826

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds that--
       (1) under the Big Thicket National Preserve Addition Act of 
     1993 (Public Law 103-46), Congress increased the size of the 
     Big Thicket National Preserve through authorized land 
     exchanges;
       (2) such land exchanges were not consummated by July 1, 
     1995, as required by Public Law 103-46; and
       (3) failure to consummate such land exchanges by the end of 
     the three-year extension provided by this Act will 
     necessitate further intervention and direction from Congress 
     concerning such land exchanges.

     SEC. 2. TIME PERIOD FOR LAND EXCHANGE.

       (a) Extension.--The last sentence of subsection (d) of the 
     first section of the Act entitled ``An Act to authorize the 
     establishment of the Big Thicket National Preserve in the 
     State of Texas, and for other purposes'', approved October 
     11, 1974 (16 U.S.C. 698(d)), is amended by striking out ``two 
     years after date of enactment'' and inserting ``five years 
     after the date of enacment''.
       (b) Independent Appraisal.--Subsection (d) of the first 
     section of such Act (16 U.S.C. 698(d)) is further amended by 
     adding at the end the following: ``The Secretary, in 
     considering the values of the private lands to be exchanged 
     under this subsection, shall consider independent appraisals 
     submitted by the owners of the private lands.''.
       (c) Limitation.--Subsection (d) of the first section of 
     such Act (16 U.S.C. 698(d)), as amended by subsection (b), is 
     further amended by adding at the end the following: ``The 
     authority to exchange lands under this subsection shall 
     expire on July 1, 1998.''.

     SEC. 3. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

       Not later than six months after the date of the enactment 
     of this Act and every six months thereafter until the earlier 
     of the consummation of the exchange or July 1, 1998, the 
     Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture 
     shall each submit a report to the Committee on Resources of 
     the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources of the Senate concerning the progress in 
     consummating the land exchange authorized by the amendments 
     made by Big Thicket National Preserve Addition Act of 1993 
     (Public Law 103-46).

     SEC. 4. LAND EXCHANGE IN LIBERTY COUNTY, TEXAS.

       If, within one year after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act--
       (1) the owners of the private lands described in subsection 
     (b)(1) offer to transfer all their right, title, and interest 
     in and to such lands to the Secretary of the Interior, and
       (2) Liberty County, Texas, agrees to accept the transfer of 
     the Federal lands described in subsection (b)(2),

     the Secretary shall accept such offer of private lands and, 
     in exchange and without additional consideration, transfer to 
     Liberty County, Texas, all right, title, and interest of the 
     United States in and to the Federal lands described in 
     subsection (b)(2).
       (b) Lands Described.--
       (1) Private lands.--The private lands described in this 
     paragraph are approximately 3.76 acres of lands located in 
     Liberty County, Texas, as generally depicted on the map 
     entitled ``Big Thicket Lake Estates Access--Proposed''.
       (2) Federal lands.--The Federal lands described in this 
     paragraph are approximately 2.38 acres of lands located in 
     Menard Creek Corridor Unit of the Big Thicket National 
     Preserve, as generally depicted on the map referred to in 
     paragraph (1).
       (c) Administration of Lands Acquired by the United 
     States.--The lands acquired by the Secretary under this 
     section shall be added to and administered as part of the 
     Menard Creek Corridor Unit of the Big Thicket National 
     Preserve.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah [Mr. Hansen] and the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson] 
will each be recognized for 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah [Mr. Hansen].
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 826, sponsored by Mr. Wilson of Texas, would extend 
the authority previously granted to the Park Service to conduct land 
exchanges with private owners and the Forest Service at the Big Thicket 
National Preserve. These exchanges will add critical acreage to the 
park unit. Because of the lack of progress by the respective agencies, 
this legislation is necessary to facilitate expansion of the Big 
Thicket National Preserve as mandated by the 103d Congress.
  Mr. Wilson has worked cooperatively with the committee and the 
agencies to find a way to promptly facilitate this noncontroversial 
land exchange. This legislation will extend the deadline for completion 
of these exchanges by 3 years or until July 1, 1998. Because we are 
interested in these exchanges occurring in a prompt manner, this bill 
will also terminate the authority of the Park Service to conduct this 
exchange if the new deadline is not met. Moreover, there is a 
requirement that the agencies report back to the committee every 6 
months on the progress of the exchange. Last, included in the text is 
the authorization to complete a very minor exchange necessary to 
provide emergency access to an inholder in times of flooding. This will 
exchange 3.76 acres of private lands for 2.38 acres of park lands. This 
is a noncontroversial exchange supported by both the landowner and the 
Park Service.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 826 for the betterment of the 
Big Thicket National Preserve.

                              {time}  1430

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. RICHARDSON asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 826, 
introduced by my good friend and colleague, Representative Charlie 
Wilson. It is a disappointment that the Big Thicket National Preserve 
land exchanges that were previously authorized have not been completed. 
Representative Wilson introduced H.R. 826 to extend the deadline for 
completion of these exchanges. I am gold to see that the bill extends 
the time period. However, it appears that the gun is being put to the 
head of the National Park Service to get the land exchanges completed, 
when it does not appear that the National Park Service is the problem 
in getting the exchanges done. I hope that the committee amendment's 
triggering mechanism will not be necessary and that these exchanges can 
be completed quickly.
  I would also note, Mr. Speaker, that the committee amendment includes 
an additional land exchange that had not been previously discussed. I 
understand that this small exchange is one the National Park Service 
supports and that 

[[Page H 13944]]
it is dependent on a third party making available lands that the 
National Park Service wants. I have no objection to this particular 
exchange, with the understanding that it is one that the National Park 
Service supports and that it can and will be carried out properly.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 826 will facilitate the acquisition of lands within 
the Big Thicket National Preserve that have significant environmental 
and recreational values. This is a worthy effort that Representative 
Wilson has been working on for years. I support the bill, as amended, 
and urge its adoption by the House.
  Mr. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, today the House will consider H.R. 826, a 
bill to extend the deadline for the completion of certain land 
exchanges involving the Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas.
  As you know, under the Big Thicket National Preserve Addition Act of 
1993, Public Law 103-46, Congress increased the size of the Big Thicket 
National Preserve through certain authorized land exchanges.
  Unfortunately, the land exchanges were not consummated by the July 1, 
1995 deadline as required by law, hence the need for my bill H.R. 826. 
This legislation merely extends the original deadline to July 1, 1998, 
thus providing the appropriate congressional authorization.
  Assurances have been given by officials of the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the private 
landowners involved, that the land exchanges will be successfully 
completed by July 1, 1998.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah [Mr. Hansen] that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 826, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to extend 
the deadline for the completion of certain land exchanges involving the 
Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas, and for other purposes''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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