[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 134 (Wednesday, September 25, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H11216-H11217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SNOQUALMIE NATIONAL FOREST BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 1996
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3497) to expand the boundary of the Snoqualmie National
Forest, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 3497
Be it enacted by the Senate and House Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Snoqualmie National Forest
Boundary Adjustment Act of 1996''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Certain private lands in the State of Washington
presently owned by Weyerhaeuser Company and others are
located adjacent to the Snoqualmie National Forest and are
logical extensions of the forest.
(2) A boundary adjustment will facilitate a land exchange
which involves approximately 7,200 acres of National Forest
land and 33,000 acres of private land owned by Weyerhaeuser
Company, of which 6,278 acres are outside the present
Snoqualmie National Forest boundary.
(3) Weyerhaeuser Company and the Forest Service are
prepared to exchange these lands, which will benefit both the
United States and Weyerhaeuser by consolidating their
respective land-ownership holdings and providing reduced
costs for each party to implement their land management
objectives, providing an opportunity to implement more
effective ecosystem based management, providing increased
recreation opportunities for the American public, providing
enhanced fish and wildlife habitat protection, and supporting
the ``Mountains-to-the Sound'' goal of a continuous greenway
between the Cascade Mountains and Puget Sound.
SEC. 3. BOUNDARY MODIFICATION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby
directed to modify the boundary of the Snoqualmie National
Forest to include and encompass 10,589.47 acres, more or
less, as generally depicted on a map entitled ``Snoqualmie
National Forest Proposed 1996 Boundary Modification'' dated
July 1, 1996. Such map, together with a legal description of
all lands included in the boundary adjustment, shall be on
file and available for public inspection in the Office of the
Chief of the Forest Service in Washington, District of
Columbia.
(b) Rule for Land and Water Conservation Fund.--For the
purposes of section 7 of the Land and Water Conservation Fund
Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l-9), the boundary of the
Snoqualmie National Forest, as modified pursuant to
subsection (a), shall be considered to be the boundary of
that National Forest as of January 1, 1965.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Utah [Mr. Hansen] and the gentleman from American Samoa [Mr.
Faleomavaega] each will control 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. HANSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3497, introduced
by Ms. Dunn of Washington. This legislation modifies the boundary of
the Snoqualmie National Forest to facilitate a land exchange. It is
needed because approximately 6,300 acres of land that would be
exchanged to the Government is outside the national forest boundary.
H.R. 3497 is a bipartisan bill, introduced by the entire Washington
delegation, and it has support from the administration and the public.
The land exchange has been 12 years in the making. It is the result
of a collaborative effort between the Sierra Club's Checkerboard
Project and the Weyerhaeuser Co. The Forest Service will exchange
approximately 7,200 acres of national forest land for 33,000 acres of
private lands owned by the Weyerhaeuser Co. The exchange is based on
equal values of land and timber.
In addition to the trade, the agreement will result in a substantial
donation of land from Weyerhaeuser to the Forest Service, including
approximately 900 acres which will be added to the Alpine Lakes
Wilderness.
Since 1991, surveys of the land and timber resources have been
completed, and the biological, archaeological and wetland resources on
the two ownerships have been thoroughly studied. In July, 1996, the
Forest Service completed a draft environmental impact statement [EIS]
for the land exchange and requested public comment on the proposal.
Three public meetings were held to discuss the land exchange and the
draft EIS. Once a final EIS and record of decision are completed, H.R.
3497 will provide the authority the Forest Service needs to acquire the
lands that lie outside the current forest boundary.
I commend my colleague, Ms. Dunn, for her leadership on this
excellent measure. The environment and the people of the Puget Sound
region will benefit as a result. I urge my colleagues to support this
legislation and vote with in favor of H.R. 3497.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I am unaware of any problems with this
legislation, H.R. 3497. The bill would alter the boundaries of a
national forest in the State of Washington to facilitate a land
exchange that appears to be in the public interest. I understand the
bill has the support of the various interested parties and I have no
obligation to the legislation.
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no requests for time, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I have no 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. 3497, as amended.
The question was taken.
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
[[Page H11217]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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