[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 95 (Tuesday, July 8, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H4853]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 FACILITATING A LAND EXCHANGE WITHIN THE WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST IN 
                           CHELAN COUNTY, WA

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 822) to facilitate a land exchange involving private land 
within the exterior boundaries of Wenatchee National Forest in Chelan 
County, WA, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 822

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

     SECTION 1. BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT, WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST, 
                   WASHINGTON.

       The boundary of the Wenatchee National Forest in Chelan 
     County, Washington, is hereby adjusted to exclude section 1 
     of Township 23 North, Range 19 East, Willamette Meridian.

  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. Speaker, H.R. 822, as amended, is a bill introduced by my 
colleague, the gentleman from Washington [Mr. Hastings]. Mr. Hastings 
has worked hard to make this bill acceptable to the administration. The 
passage of this bill will benefit the people of Washington and the 
people of the United States.
  H.R. 822 expedites a land exchange between a parcel of private 
property, currently within the boundaries of the Wenatchee National 
Forest, with the Bureau of Land Management. The Forest Service boundary 
needs to be removed for a land exchange to occur. The Forest Service 
does not have the authority to remove the boundary administratively, 
although they state the boundary is no longer needed. The Forest 
Service also agrees the old boundary does not contribute to the 
management of the Wenatchee National Forest. The BLM has expressed 
interest in acquiring the land parcel through exchange in order to 
consolidate their holdings which are adjacent to the private land. In 
order for this exchange to occur, the congressionally authorized Forest 
Service boundary surrounding this private property must be removed. 
This removal is required to allow an administrative exchange with the 
BLM.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a noncontroversial measure that is supported by 
the administration, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 822.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the good gentleman from the State of 
Washington [Mr. Hastings] for his sponsorship of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 822 directs that, if the Secretary of the Interior 
acquires by exchange certain private lands located within the 
boundaries of the Wenatchee National Forest, those lands will be 
administered by the Bureau of Land Management instead of the Forest 
Service. As originally drafted, the bill was opposed by the 
administration. There were discussions during the committee 
consideration of H.R. 822 on an alternative legislative approach that 
would statutorily remove the acquired lands from the national forest 
boundary, and the Committee on Resources adopted such language as an 
amendments. With this change we support the legislation.
  Again I thank my good friend, the gentleman from Utah, for his 
management of this legislation and our good friend from Washington for 
his sponsorship of this bill.
  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 Washington [Mr. Hastings], the sponsor of this bill.
  (Mr. HASTINGS of Washington asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense 
approach to a small problem, frankly, that deals with 640 acres in the 
Wenatchee National Forest, where an individual wants to exchange it to 
potentially put this into development; but he cannot exchange it unless 
these boundaries are removed because the other Federal agency involved, 
the Bureau of Land Management, would have input into that process. So 
this simply removes the boundary to allow negotiations to start between 
this individual and BLM. It does not mandate anything, it just allows 
the process to start.
  I might add that I think this is important for Chelan County, because 
upwards of 75 percent of that county is in Federal control. An 
opportunity like this for potential development in the private sector, 
I think, is good for Chelan and I think good for that area.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah [Mr. Hansen] for moving 
expeditiously on this.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HANSEN. 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. 822, 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.

                          ____________________