[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 135 (Thursday, September 26, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H11261-H11262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   WYOMING FISH AND WILDLIFE FACILITY

  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 1802) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey 
certain property containing a fish and wildlife facility to the State 
of Wyoming, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                S. 1802

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

     SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE OF CERTAIN PROPERTY TO WYOMING.

       (a) Conveyance.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
     convey in ``as is'' condition, to the State of Wyoming 
     without reimbursement--
       (A) all right, title, and interest of the United States in 
     and to the portion of the property commonly known as ``Ranch 
     A'' in Crook County, Wyoming, other than the portion 
     described in paragraph (2), consisting of

[[Page H11262]]

     approximately 600 acres of land (including all real property, 
     buildings, and all other improvements to real property) and 
     all personal property (including art, historic light 
     fixtures, wildlife mounts, draperies, rugs, and furniture 
     directly related to the site, including personal property on 
     loan to museums and other entities at the time of transfer);
       (B) all right, title, and interest of the United States in 
     and to all buildings and related improvements and all 
     personal property associated with the building on the portion 
     of the property described in paragraph (2); and
       (C) a permanent right of way across the portion of the 
     property described in paragraph (2) to use the buildings 
     conveyed under subparagraph (B).
       (2) Ranch a.--Subject to the exceptions described in 
     subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (1), the United States 
     shall retain all right, title, and interest in and to the 
     portion of the property commonly known as ``Ranch A'' in 
     Crook County, Wyoming, described as Township 52 North, Range 
     61 West, Section 24 N\1/2\ SE\1/4\, consisting of 
     approximately 80 acres of land.
       (b) Use and Reversionary Interest.--
       (1) Use.--The property conveyed to the State of Wyoming 
     under this section shall be retained by the State and be used 
     by the State for the purposes of--
       (A) fish and wildlife management and educational 
     activities; and
       (B) using, maintaining, displaying, and restoring, through 
     State or local agreements, or both, the museum-quality real 
     and personal property and the historical interests and 
     significance of the real and personal property, consistent 
     with applicable Federal and State laws.
       (2) Access by institutions of higher education.--The State 
     of Wyoming shall provide access to the property for 
     institutions of higher education at a compensation level that 
     is agreed to by the State and the institutions of higher 
     education.
       (3) Reversion.--All right, title, and interest in and to 
     the property described in subsection (a) shall revert to the 
     United States if--
       (A) the property is used by the State of Wyoming for any 
     other purpose than the purposes set forth in paragraph (1);
       (B) there is any development of the property (including 
     commercial or recreational development, but not including the 
     construction of small structures, to be used for the purposes 
     set forth in subsection (b)(1), on land conveyed to the State 
     of Wyoming under subsection (a)(1)(A)); or
       (C) the State does not make every reasonable effort to 
     protect and maintain the quality and quantity of fish and 
     wildlife habitat on the property.
       (c) Addition to the Black Hills National Forest.--
       (1) Transfer.--Administrative jurisdiction of the property 
     described in subsection (a)(2) is transferred to the 
     Secretary of Agriculture, to be included in and managed as 
     part of the Black Hills National Forest.
       (2) No hunting or mineral development.--No hunting or 
     mineral development shall be permitted on any of the land 
     transferred to the administrative jurisdiction of the 
     Secretary of Agriculture by paragraph (1).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey [Mr. Saxton] and the gentleman from American Samoa [Mr. 
Faleomavaega] each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Saxton].
  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. SAXTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, S. 1802 is the Senate version of H.R. 3579, 
a bill to transfer the property known as Ranch A to the State of 
Wyoming. H.R. 3579 was introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Cubin on 
June 5, 1996, and passed the House on September 4, 1996.
  Ranch A consists of a lodge, a barn, and associate buildings and 
includes approximately 680 acres. The property is located in Crook 
County, WY, which is within Sand Creek Canyon and includes the 
headwaters of Sand Creek.
  The Fish and Wildlife Service acquired the Ranch A property in 1963, 
but has had little to no oversight of it since 1986. The Wyoming 
Department of Game and Fish currently manages the majority of the Ranch 
A property and, up until 1995, raised trout and transplanted the trout 
to waters around the State of Wyoming.
  The bill authorizes the transfer of 600 acres to the State of Wyoming 
to be used by the State for fish and wildlife management and 
educational activities. S. 1802 also transfers 80 acres to the Black 
Hills National Forest.
  S. 1802 is similar to measures the House of Representatives has 
approved to transfer certain Federal fish hatcheries to non-Federal 
control, and it contains the standard language requiring that the 
property revert to the Federal Government, if it is used for something 
other than the authorized purposes.
  I urge my colleagues to support this noncontroversial piece of 
legislation and I compliment our distinguished colleague, Barbara 
Cubin, for her effective leadership on behalf of her Wyoming 
constituents.
  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 aware of no opposition of this 
bill on our side of the aisle. This bill is similar to the one that was 
passed by the House of Representatives. The earlier sponsor of this 
legislation was the gentlewoman from Wyoming [Mrs. Cubin]. At this time 
there were still some disagreements over the legislation but we are 
told that this has been resolved and I understand that as the chief 
sponsor from the other body, Senate bill 1802, the gentleman from South 
Dakota, Mr. Daschle, apparently this bill does represent the compromise 
that was worked out with the Members involved between Wyoming and South 
Dakota, obviously, and the compromise has been reached by the 
interested parties. We therefore have no reason to object to the 
passage of this legislation today. I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Saxton] that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate bill, S. 1802.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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