[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.

                          ____________________