Congressional Record, Volume 143 Issue 49 (Wednesday, April 23, 1997)

[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 49 (Wednesday, April 23, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H1746-H1750]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

SOUTHERN NEVADA PUBLIC LAND MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1997

Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 449) to provide for the orderly disposal of certain Federal
lands in Clark County, NV, and to provide for the acquisition of
environmentally sensitive lands in the State of Nevada, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:

H.R. 449

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Southern Nevada Public Land
Management Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

(a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) The Bureau of Land Management has extensive land
ownership in small and large parcels interspersed with or
adjacent to private land in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada,
making many of these parcels difficult to manage and more
appropriate for disposal.
(2) In order to promote responsible and orderly development
in the Las Vegas Valley, certain of those Federal lands
should be sold by the Federal Government based on
recommendations made by local government and the public.
(3) The Las Vegas metropolitan area is the fastest growing
urban area in the United States, which is causing significant
impacts upon the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the Red
Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, and the Spring
Mountains National Recreation Area, which surround the Las
Vegas Valley.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to provide for the
orderly disposal of certain Federal lands in Clark County,
Nevada, and to provide for the acquisition of environmentally
sensitive lands in the State of Nevada.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

As used in this Act:
(1) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the
Interior.
(2) The term ``unit of local government'' means Clark
County, the City of Las Vegas, the City of North Las Vegas,
or the City of Henderson; all in the State of Nevada.
(3) The term ``Agreement'' means the agreement entitled
``The Interim Cooperative Management Agreement Between The
United States Department of the Interior--Bureau of Land
Management and Clark County'', dated November 4, 1992.
(4) The term ``special account'' means the account in the
Treasury of the United States established under section
4(e)(1)(C).
(5) The term ``Recreation and Public Purposes Act'' means
the Act entitled ``An Act to authorize acquisition or use of
public lands by States, counties, or municipalities for
recreational purposes'', approved June 14, 1926 (43 U.S.C.
869 et seq.).
(6) The term ``regional governmental entity'' means the
Southern Nevada Water Authority, the Regional Flood Control
District, and the Clark County Sanitation District.

SEC. 4. DISPOSAL AND EXCHANGE.

(a) Disposal.--Notwithstanding the land use planning
requirements contained in sections 202 and 203 of the Federal
Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1711 and
1712), the Secretary, in accordance with this Act, the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, and other
applicable law, and subject to valid existing rights, is
authorized to dispose of lands within the boundary of the
area under the jurisdiction of the Direction of the Bureau of
Land Management in Clark County, Nevada, as generally
depicted on the map entitled ``Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, Land
Disposal Map'', dated April 10, 1997. Such map shall be on
file and available for public inspection in the offices of
the Director and the Las Vegas District of the Bureau of Land
Management.
(b) Reservation for Local Public Purposes.--
(1) Recreation and public purpose act conveyances.--Not
less than 30 days before the offering of lands for sale or
exchange pursuant to subsection (a), the State of Nevada or
the unit of local government in whose jurisdiction the lands
are located may

[[Page H1747]]

elect to obtain any such lands for local public purposes
pursuant to the provisions of the Recreation and Public
Purposes Act. Pursuant to any such election, the Secretary
shall retain the elected lands for conveyance to the State of
Nevada or such unit of the local government in accordance
with the provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes
Act.
(2) Rights-of-way.--
(A) Issuance.--Upon application, by a unit of local
government or regional governmental entity, the Secretary, in
accordance with this Act and the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976, and other applicable provisions of
law, shall issue right-of-way grants on Federal lands in
Clark County, Nevada, for all reservoirs, canals, channels,
ditches, pipes, pipelines, tunnels and other facilities and
systems needed for--
(i) the impoundment, storage, treatment, transportation or
distribution of water (other than water from the Virgin
River) or wastewater; or
(ii) flood control management.
(B) Duration.--Right-of-way grants issued under this
paragraph shall be valid in perpetuity.
(C) Waiver of fees.--Right-of-way grants issued under this
paragraph shall not require the payment of rental or cost
recovery fees.
(3) Youth activity facilities.--Within 30 days after a
request by Clark County, Nevada, the Secretary shall offer to
Clark County, Nevada, the land depicted on the map entitled
``Vicinity Map Parcel 177-28-101-020 dated August 14, 1996,
in accordance with the Recreation and Public Purposes Act for
the construction of youth activity facilities.
(c) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, all
Federal lands identified in subsection (a) for disposal are
withdrawn from location and entry, under the mining laws and
from operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal
leasing laws until such time as the Secretary terminates the
withdrawal or the lands are patented.
(d) Selection.--
(1) Joint selection required.--The Secretary and the unit
of local government in whose jurisdiction lands referred to
in subsection (a) are located shall jointly select lands to
be offered for sale or exchange under this section. The
Secretary shall coordinate land disposal activities with the
unit of local government in whose jurisdiction such lands are
located. Land disposal activities of the Secretary shall be
consistent with local land use planning and zoning
requirements and recommendations.
(2) Offering.--After land has been selected in accordance
with this subsection, the Secretary shall make the first
offering of land as soon as practicable after the date of
enactment of this Act.
(e) Disposition of Proceeds.--
(1) Land sales.--Of the gross proceeds of sales of land
under this subsection in a fiscal year--
(A) 5 percent shall be paid directly to the State of Nevada
for use in the general education program of the State;
(B) 10 percent shall be paid directly to the Southern
Nevada Water Authority for water treatment and transmission
facility infrastructure in Clark County, Nevada; and
(C) the remainder shall be deposited in a special account
in the Treasury of the United States for use pursuant to the
provisions of paragraph (3).

Amounts in the special account shall be available to the
Secretary without further appropriation and shall remain
available until expended.
(2) Land exchanges.--
(A) Payments.--In the case of a land exchange under this
section, the non-Federal party shall provide direct payments
to the State of Nevada and the Southern Nevada Water
Authority in accordance with paragraphs (1) (A) and (B). The
payments shall be based on the fair market value of the
Federal lands to be conveyed in the exchange and shall be
considered a cost incurred by the non-Federal party that
shall be compensated by the Secretary if so provided by any
agreement to initiate exchange.
(B) Pending exchanges.--The provisions of this Act, except
this subsection and subsections (a) and (b), shall not apply
to any land exchange for which an initial agreement to
initiate an exchange was signed by an authorized
representative of the exchange proponent and an authorized
officer of the Bureau of Land Management prior to February
29, 1996.
(3) Availability of Special Account.--
(A) In general.--Amounts deposited in the special account
may be expended by the Secretary for--
(i) the acquisition of environmentally sensitive land in
the State of Nevada in accordance with subsection (h), with
priority given to lands located within Clark County;
(ii) capital improvements at the Lake Mead National
Recreation Area, the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, the Red
Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and other areas
administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Clark
County, and the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area;
(iii) development of a multispecies habitat conservation
plan in Clark County, Nevada;
(iv) development of parks, trails, and natural areas in
Clark County, Nevada, pursuant to a cooperative agreement
with a unit of local government; and
(v) reimbursement of costs incurred by the local offices of
the Bureau of Land Management in arranging sales or exchanges
under this Act.
(B) Procedures.--The Secretary shall coordinate the use of
the special account with the Secretary of Agriculture, the
State of Nevada, local governments, and other interested
persons, to ensure accountability and demonstrated results.
(C) Limitation.--Not more than 25 percent of the amounts
available to the Secretary from the special account in any
fiscal year (determined without taking into account amounts
deposited under subsection (g)(4)) may be used in any fiscal
year for the purposes described in subparagraph (A)(ii).
(f) Investment of Special Account.--All funds deposited as
principal in the special account shall earn interest in the
amount determined by the Secretary of the Treasury on the
basis of the current average market yield on outstanding
marketable obligations of the United States of comparable
maturities. Such interest shall be added to the principal of
the account and expended according to the provisions of
subsection (e)(3).
(g) Airport Environs Overlay District Land Transfer.--Upon
request of Clark County, Nevada, the Secretary shall transfer
to Clark County, Nevada, without consideration, all right,
title, and interest of the United States in and to the lands
identified in the Agreement, subject to the following:
(1) Valid existing rights.
(2) Clark County agrees to manage such lands in accordance
with the Agreement and with section 47504 of title 49, United
States Code (relating to airport noise compatibility
planning), and regulations promulgated pursuant to that
section.
(3) Clark County agrees that if any of such lands are sold,
leased, or otherwise conveyed or leased by Clark County, such
sale, lease, or other conveyance shall contain a limitation
which requires uses compatible with the Agreement and such
Airport Noise Compatibility Planning provisions.
(4) Clark County agrees that if any of such lands are sold,
leased, or otherwise conveyed by Clark County, such lands
shall be sold, leased, or otherwise conveyed for fair market
value. Clark County shall contribute 85 percent of the gross
proceeds from the sale, lease, or other conveyance of such
lands directly to the special account. If any of such lands
sold, leased, or otherwise conveyed by Clark County are
identified on the map referenced in section 2(a) of the Act
entitled ``An Act to provide for the orderly disposal of
certain Federal lands in Nevada and for the acquisition of
certain other lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and for other
purposes'', approved December 23, 1980 (94 Stat. 3381;
commonly known as the ``Santini-Burton Act''), the proceeds
contributed to the special account by Clark County from the
sale, lease, or other conveyance of such lands shall be used
by the Secretary of Agriculture to acquire environmentally
sensitive land in the Lake Tahoe Basin pursuant to section 3
of the Santini-Burton Act. Clark County shall contribute 5
percent of the gross proceeds from the sale, lease, or other
conveyance of such lands directly to the State of Nevada for
use in the general education program of the State, and the
remainder shall be available for use by the Clark County
Department of Aviation for the benefit of airport development
and the Noise Compatibility Program.

SEC. 5. ACQUISITIONS.

(a) Acquisitions.--
(1) Definition.--For purposes of this subsection, the term
``environmentally sensitive land'' means land or an interest
in land, the acquisition of which the United States would, in
the judgment of the Secretary or the Secretary of
Agriculture--
(A) promote the preservation of natural, scientific,
aesthetic, historical, cultural, watershed, wildlife, and
other values contributing to public enjoyment and biological
diversity;
(B) enhance recreational opportunities and public access;
(C) provide the opportunity to achieve better management of
public land through consolidation of Federal ownership; or
(D) otherwise serve the public interest.
(2) In general.--After the consultation process has been
completed in accordance with paragraph (3), the Secretary may
acquire with the proceeds of the special account
environmentally sensitive land and interests in
environmentally sensitive land. Lands may not be acquired
under this section without the consent of the owner thereof.
Funds made available from the special account may be used
with any other funds made available under any other provision
of law.
(3) Consultation.--Before initiating efforts to acquire
land under this subsection, the Secretary or the Secretary of
Agriculture shall consult with the State of Nevada and with
local government within whose jurisdiction the lands are
located, including appropriate planning and regulatory
agencies, and with other interested persons, concerning the
necessity of making the acquisition, the potential impacts on
State and local government, and other appropriate aspects of
the acquisition. Consultation under this paragraph is in
addition to any other consultation required by law.
(b) Administration.--On acceptance of title by the United
States, land and interests in land acquired under this
subsection that is within the boundaries of a unit of the
National Forest System, National Park System, National
Wildlife Refuge System, National Wild and Scenic Rivers
System, National Trails System, National Wilderness
Preservation System, any other system established by Act of
Congress, or any national

[[Page H1748]]

conservation or national recreation area established by Act
of Congress--
(1) shall become part of the unit or area without further
action by the Secretary or Secretary of Agriculture; and
(2) shall be managed in accordance with all laws and
regulations and land use plans applicable to the unit or
area.
(c) Determination of fair market value.--The fair market
value of land or an interest in land to be acquired by the
Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture under this
subsection shall be determined pursuant to section 206 of the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and shall be
consistent with other applicable requirements and standards.
Fair market value shall be determined without regard to the
presence of a species listed as threatened or endangered
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.).
(d) Payments in lieu of taxes.--Section 6901(1) of title
31, United States Code, is amended as follows:
(1) By striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (F).
(2) By striking the period at the end of subparagraph (G)
and inserting ``; or''.
(3) By adding at the end the following:
``(H) acquired by the Secretary of the Interior or the
Secretary of Agriculture under section 5 of the Southern
Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1997 that is not
otherwise described in subparagraphs (A) through (G).''.

SEC. 6. REPORT.

The Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary of
Agriculture, shall submit to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on
Resources of the House of Representatives an annual report on
all transactions under this section.

SEC. 7. RECREATION AND PUBLIC PURPOSES ACT.

(a) Transfer of Reversionary Interest.--
(1) In general.--Upon request by a grantee of lands within
Clark County, Nevada, that are subject to a lease or patent
issued under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, the
Secretary may transfer the reversionary interest in such
lands to other non-Federal lands. The transfer of the
reversionary interest shall only be made to lands of equal
value, except that with respect to the State of Nevada or a
unit of local government an amount equal to the excess (if
any) of the fair market value of lands received by the unit
of local government over the fair market value of lands
transferred by the unit of local government shall be paid to
the Secretary and shall be treated under subsection (e)(1) of
this section as proceeds from the sale of land. For purposes
of this subsection, the fair market value of lands to be
transferred by the State of Nevada or a unit of local
government may be based upon a statement of value prepared by
a qualified appraiser.
(2) Terms and conditions applicable to lands acquired.--
Land selected under this subsection by a grantee described in
paragraph (1) shall be subject to the terms and conditions,
uses, and acreage limitations of the lease or patent to which
the lands transferred by the grantee were subject, including
the reverter provisions, under the Recreation and Public
Purposes Act.
(k) Affordable Housing.--The Secretary, in consultation
with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, may make
available, in accordance with section 203 of the Federal Land
Planning and Management Act of 1976, land in the State of
Nevada at less than fair market value and under other such
terms and conditions as he may determine for affordable
housing purposes. Such lands shall be made available only to
State or local governmental entities, including local public
housing authorities. For the purposes of this subsection,
housing shall be considered to be affordable housing if the
housing serves low income families as defined under the
Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C.
12701 et. seq.).

SEC. 8. BOUNDARY MODIFICATION OF RED ROCK CANYON NATIONAL
CONSERVATION AREA.

Section 3(a)(2) of the Red Rock Canyon National
Conservation Area Establishment Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C.
460ccc-1(a)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
``(2) The conservation area shall consist of approximately
195,780 acres as generally depicted on the map entitled `Red
Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Administrative
Boundary Modification', dated August 8, 1996.''.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Utah [Mr. Hansen] and the gentleman from Hawaii [Mr. Abercrombie] 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. Speaker, H.R. 449, introduced by the gentleman from Nevada [Mr.
Ensign], will solve the many problems currently facing the Bureau of
Land Management in the Las Vegas area. Las Vegas is the fastest growing
area in the Nation and is expected to continue on this trend for years
to come. As with many Western States, Las Vegas is landlocked by the
vast Federal ownership in Nevada and, as the area grows, demands for
Federal lands increase.
During the 104th Congress, the Subcommittee on National Parks,
Forests and Lands requested the Interior Inspector General to audit the
Federal land exchange process in Nevada. The Inspector General found
that the BLM had lost millions of dollars of taxpayer money because the
system is flawed, easily manipulated and subject to political
pressures. The Ensign bill will implement an open process wherein the
public will have more input and lands will be sold for fair market
value.
The revenues received from these sales will be used to purchase
environmentally sensitive lands within the State of Nevada. Fifteen
percent of the revenues will be shared with the local government to
help pay for the incredible demands for infrastructure and water.
H.R. 449 is the culmination of many hours of Mr. Ensign's public
lands task force which involved representatives from all sides of this
debate. Environmentalists, developers, planners, local and Federal
Government came together to agree on this legislation. Moreover, Mr.
Ensign has worked hard to accommodate administration and minority
concerns. This is a balanced and equitable approach to a very difficult
issue, and I commend Mr. Ensign and the gentleman from Nevada, Mr.
Gibbons, for their efforts. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 449
and pass it as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. ABERCROMBIE asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I think that my good friend, the
gentleman from Utah [Mr. Hansen], has made an excellent summation of
the bill to this point.
The language of bill, H.R. 449, has undergone a number of
refinements, as indicated, since it was first considered in the last
Congress. Originally there were a number of very serious concerns with
the bill. Tremendous progress on the measure has been made over the
past year. Senators Bryan and Reid and the gentleman from Nevada, Mr.
Ensign, have worked with the Bureau of Land Management and other
interested parties to address a number of issues of concern, and
changes to the bill continue to be made up until the very recent time,
as indicated again by my good friend.
An agreement is near on the total bill, but it has not been
completed. The administration's statement of policy on H.R. 449 notes
the remaining concerns, but with the understanding that further
refinements to the bill are likely in the Senate, neither the
administration nor this side of the aisle will oppose passage today of
H.R. 449, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend Mr. Ensign.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Las Vegas, NV [Mr. Ensign], the sponsor of this bill.
(Mr. ENSIGN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 449, the Southern
Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1997. I would like to start by
thanking the gentleman from Utah [Mr. Hansen], the subcommittee
chairman, for all his diligent work and also the staff, my staff, the
committee staff and everybody who participated in this bill and, of
course, the chairman of the House Committee on Resources, the gentleman
from Alaska [Mr. Young], for all of the work that has been done on this
bill. This bill has been commonly referred to as the Ensign/Bryan bill
because Senator Bryan introduced companion legislation on the Senate
side.
Mr. Speaker, this is good legislation, especially with this being
Earth Week and our awareness of the environment is heightened. H.R. 449
is good for the environment, good for education, and good for quality
of life in Nevada. I believe that this legislation will prove to be
model legislation not only in policy but in process.

[[Page H1749]]

This process first started with my predecessor, Representative Jim
Bilbray, who formed a public lands task force. Members of this task
force were representatives from local governments, utility providers,
developers, recreationalists, environmentalists, and Federal agencies
such as the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and BLM. When I
came to office, I continued the meetings of the task force, and with
their help and input and with the assistance of Senator Bryan we
drafted what ultimately became the legislation before us today.
After numerous meetings and constant flow of information and ideas,
we drafted what we believe to be excellent, compromise legislation
where an extremely wide variety of interests have been served and are
ultimately satisfied. In a political atmosphere that has seen so much
controversy, it is refreshing to see true bipartisan legislation.
During the 104th Congress, the Subcommittee on National Parks,
Forests and Lands held a field hearing in Las Vegas on similar
legislation. We heard overwhelming testimony and startling statistics
about what is occurring in Clark County. Our witnesses included
Governor Miller, Clark County School Superintendent Dr. Brian Cram,
representatives from the Clark County Commission and Southern Nevada
Water Authority, and representatives from local environmental groups.
The witnesses unanimously supported our legislation.
As some of my colleagues may know, the Las Vegas valley is the
fastest growing metropolitan city in the country, and this single issue
has been the central focus of our State legislature. No other issue,
besides Yucca Mountain receives the attention that growth and
development do. In addition, 87 percent of the State of Nevada is
federally controlled, resulting in a patchwork pattern of private lands
interspersed with public lands.
The blue on this map indicates the public lands that are located
within the red boundary which this legislation establishes. The blue
lands are the public lands within the Las Vegas valley to be disposed
of within this legislation.
This dueling combination makes it very difficult for the Federal
agencies to manage this land and puts enormous pressure on local
elected officials, the school district, utility providers and, most
importantly, the current residents who are forced to shoulder the price
tag of this development.
Given the high quality of life and large percentage of federally
owned land, the valley is a prime platform for development. Over the
years, the land exchange process has been used to privatize the public
land that is interspersed among the private land. Many aspects of this
process have greatly benefited Nevada as well as the entire country.
Nevada's economy and job market have experienced a boost. We have
acquired environmentally sensitive lands throughout the State and
relieved the Federal agencies of some burdensome management
responsibilities.
Despite all the good that seems to stem from the land exchange
process, it unfortunately cannot possibly accommodate the ever-changing
market of the Las Vegas valley and give the fairest value of the land
in a fast growing area like Las Vegas. Therefore, an open, fair market
auction process will best serve the American people by ensuring the
most revenue to purchase and improve our favorite environmental areas.
Currently, it is nearly impossible for the BLM to guarantee fair market
value for exchanged lands.
Furthermore, it is exceedingly expensive for our local utilities to
transport services across Federal lands to private tracts, and everyone
is in agreement that it makes sense to dispose of these lands.

{time} 1830

The general manager of the Southern Nevada water authority has
repeatedly testified that it costs an estimated $14,000 per acre of
land that is privatized through the exchange process.
It is very important to point out that the value of this Federal land
is greatly inflated due to the infrastructure that the local taxpayers
are providing. Land in the desert without roads or water is virtually
worthless from a financial standpoint, and I see no reason why we
should not be getting a little something back from the sale of these
lands that our utility bills have made so valuable.
H.R. 449 authorizes the sale of these lands while providing that 85
percent of the generated revenue would go to the Federal Government for
use in the State of Nevada to purchase environmentally sensitive lands
and the remaining 15 percent would be used locally. Most importantly,
the Ensign-Bryan bill provides the essential mechanisms to, one, allow
this growth to occur in an orderly fashion by allowing local officials
a seat at the table; two, ensure this growth occurs without neglecting
the environment by funneling revenue for acquisition of environmentally
sensitive lands and to our existing federal facilities, such as Lake
Tahoe, Red Rock and Lake Mead. Nevada is home to some of the most
beautiful and pristine areas in the country. Areas around Lake Tahoe
and Spring Mountains are unparalleled in their natural environmental
splendor. These lands must be protected for the enjoyment of future
generations and the Ensign-Bryan bill provides the necessary means to
accomplish this united goal.
H.R. 449 provides money to offset a $1.7 billion water delivery
system for Clark County. Ten percent of the revenues would be used by
Southern Nevada Water Authority for construction of a future water
delivery system. The ability of the residents to receive an adequate
water supply is the most pressing issue currently facing southern
Nevada.
Finally, H.R. 449 helps future generations by providing revenue for
education. It has been estimated that school enrollment is projected to
increase by 83 percent by 2006 and the Clark County School District
will need to build one elementary school a month just to accommodate
the new students coming in.
H.R. 449 also helps our youngest residents by setting aside nearly 40
acres of land to be used specifically for development of youth
recreation facilities like baseball diamonds and soccer fields. As this
phenomenal rate of growth sweeps the Las Vegas Valley, it is important
we preserve ample and safe areas for our children and our children's
children to play.
The Ensign-Bryan bill gives new authority to the Secretary of the
Interior to sell lands to local governments for affordable housing. The
entire State of Nevada is experiencing growth and affordable housing
needs exist throughout the State. With this new authority, the
Secretary, working with local governments, can provide adequate housing
facilities for our less fortunate residents. It is vitally important
that everyone, young and old, have access to a roof over their head,
and the Ensign-Bryan bill makes this possible.
Mr. Speaker, I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of
this legislation to Nevada and the precedent it will set for other
areas. We have come a long way since this legislation was initially
introduced, and again I want to thank my colleague in the Senate,
Senator Bryan, I want to thank the gentleman from Utah, Chairman
Hansen, my colleague the gentleman from Nevada, Jim Gibbons, and also
the minority and the minority staff for all the work they have done on
this.
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of the time to the
gentleman from Nevada, [Mr. Gibbons], who has the rest of the State.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ewing). The gentleman from Nevada, [Mr.
Gibbons], is recognized for 9 minutes.
(Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking my colleague,
the Congressman from southern Nevada, John Ensign, for his outstanding
work on H.R. 449, the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act of
1997. H.R. 449 will solve many land, sale and exchange problems for
Southern Nevada because Southern Nevada is one of the Nation's fastest
growing areas and, with over 87 percent of Nevada owned by the Federal
Government, it makes expansion for our communities almost impossible.
The Bureau of Land Management and many developers continually
disagree over the fair market value of these public lands. The BLM
praises the land

[[Page H1750]]

as being fully developed, trying to maximize the returns on public
lands, while developers, on the other hand, feeling the land would
continue to be sagebrush without their development, appraise the land
as desert.
H.R. 449 will change the appraisal process by auctioning off land to
the highest bidder. This will ensure the taxpayers of America get the
highest probable price for our public lands, and will allow developers
to acquire needed lands for community expansion and development.
My colleague the gentleman from Nevada, [Mr. Ensign], was helpful in
working with me to get report language that assures all Federal
proceeds from the land sales would be spent first in Clark County and
then priority would be placed on lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
H.R. 449 requires a funding split from land sales, 85 percent going
to the Federal Government for the purchase of environmentally sensitive
land in Nevada and the remaining 15 percent going to the State of
Nevada.
The Federal Government's 85 percent, which is used to purchase
environmentally sensitive areas, caused me and my constituents great
concern. Many times in previous land exchanges, large amounts of land
in Northern Nevada were bought and exchanged for small parcels of land
in Southern Nevada. This process has destroyed the tax base of many
cities and counties and essentially gave the Federal Government more
land ownership in Nevada.
No longer were ranches farmed, taxes paid or workers hired. Needless
to say, land exchanges and sales have been tough for many local
governments in Nevada.
That is why Congressman Ensign's diligent effort has allowed Northern
Nevada to protect its tax base and stop the Federal Government from
continually owning more and more of Nevada. The land in the Lake Tahoe
Basin is very pristine, and it is in need of protection to guarantee
the quality of the lake and the surrounding forests.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, the Southern Nevada Public Land
Management Act of 1997 accomplishes two very important goals in Nevada.
First, it allows land in the Las Vegas area to be developed to
accommodate the ever growing number of people moving to that area. And
second, it will serve to protect and improve many environmentally
sensitive areas in Clark County and the Lake Tahoe Basin while
protecting the tax base in Northern Nevada.
Finally, this bill is good for the American taxpayer because it
protects them in the land sale and exchange process.
Mr. Speaker, I would again like to compliment my colleagues on this
bill and encourage all Members to support H.R. 449.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, we understand Las Vegas and Clark County are under
tremendous growth pressure, and we can sympathize with their situation.
I think we can all agree that the BLM should work with the local
community regarding land sales and exchanges the agency is undertaking
in the area. We want to see this done in a fair and reasonable way, one
that protects the national interests in these public lands and is
mindful of local needs and concerns.
With that in mind, Mr. Speaker, we will accept the bill and ask that
it move forward today.
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. 449, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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