[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 82 (Monday, June 22, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H4900-H4901]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE AMENDMENTS

  Mrs. LINDA SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2411) to provide for a land exchange 
involving the Cape Cod National Seashore and to extend the authority 
for the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2411

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

     SECTION 1. CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE.

       (a) Land Exchange and Boundary Adjustment.--Section 2 of 
     Public Law 87-126 (16 U.S.C. 459b-1) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(d) The Secretary may convey to the town of Provincetown, 
     Massachusetts, a parcel of real property consisting of 
     approximately 7.62 acres of Federal land within such area in 
     exchange for approximately 11.157 acres of land outside of 
     such area, as depicted on the map entitled `Cape Cod National 
     Seashore Boundary Revision Map', dated May, 1997, and 
     numbered 609/80,801, to allow for the establishment of a 
     municipal facility to serve the town that is restricted to 
     solid waste transfer and recycling facilities and for other 
     municipal activities that are compatible with National Park 
     Service laws and regulations. Upon completion of the 
     exchange, the Secretary shall modify the boundary of the Cape 
     Cod National Seashore to include the land that has been 
     added.''.
       (b) Reauthorization of Advisory Commission.--Section 8(a) 
     of such Act (16 U.S.C. 459b-7(a)) is amended by striking the 
     second sentence and inserting the following new sentence: 
     ``The Commission shall terminate September 26, 2008.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Washington (Mrs. Linda Smith) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. 
Delahunt) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Linda 
Smith).

[[Page H4901]]

  Mrs. LINDA SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  (Mrs. LINDA SMITH of Washington asked and was given permission to 
revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. LINDA SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2411 is a bill 
introduced by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt). The 
gentleman from Massachusetts is to be commended on a bill which 
successfully resolves an environmentally sensitive issue and will 
benefit the people of Massachusetts.
  H.R. 2411 provides for a land exchange and minor boundary adjustment 
to the Cape Code National Seashore consistent with requirements of the 
omnibus parks bill enacted last year. It conveys to Provincetown, 
Massachusetts, 7.6 acres of Federal land in exchange for approximately 
11.2 acres of land outside the park, and modifies the park boundary to 
include the added land. In addition, the bill extends the statutory 
term of the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission by 10 years 
to September 2008. The Commission has provided valuable guidance to the 
Park Service and given local officials and community members a voice in 
the management of the Seashore.
  This bill is noncontroversial and is supported by the administration. 
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2411.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. DELAHUNT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of legislation which I 
sponsored which would resolve two matters concerning the Cape Cod 
National Seashore in Massachusetts. I wish to thank the gentlewoman 
from Washington for her management of this bill.

                              {time}  1530

  First, as she indicated, the bill would extend the statutory term of 
the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission for some 10 years. 
Since the seashore was created during the Kennedy administration, the 
commission has indeed provided invaluable guidance to the National Park 
Service and given residents of lower Cape Cod towns a voice in the 
management of the seashore. This extension is strongly supported by 
local, State and National Park Service officials.
  In addition, again as the gentlewoman indicated, the bill includes 
minor boundary adjustments to the national seashore consistent with 
requirements enacted last year. These adjustments resolve a decade-old 
dispute concerning the construction of a solid waste transfer station 
and is part of a settlement agreement among the Park Service, the 
Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the town of Provincetown.
  Let me conclude, Mr. Speaker, by thanking and acknowledging the 
support and the assistance of the Chair of the full committee, the 
gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) and the Chair of the subcommittee, 
the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) as well as the ranking member of 
the full committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Miller) and my 
friend, the ranking member of the subcommittee on National Parks and 
Public Lands, the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).
  I urge my colleagues to support this noncontroversial yet important 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. LINDA SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I have no further 
requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).
  (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 2411, as was introduced 
by my colleague and a Member of the Committee on Resources, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt). This is a piece of 
legislation that is supported by the National Park Service as well as 
the local community.
  The bill has two provisions. The first provision authorizes a minor 
land exchange between the National Park Service and the town of 
Provincetown. The second provision extends of the term of the Cape Cod 
National Seashore Advisory Commission. This advisory commission has 
been in existence since the seashore was established and works with the 
National Park Service and the local community on numerous issues.
  Mr. Speaker, when the committee marked up 2411, it adopted an 
amendment to the bill that spells out the uses that are permitted on 
the exchange property and limits the extension of the advisory 
commission to 2008. These changes have been agreed upon by the National 
Park Service and the gentleman from Massachusetts, and I do support 
these provisions as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this piece of 
legislation.
  Mrs. LINDA SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I, too, yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Nethercutt). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Linda Smith) 
that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2411, 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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