[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 146 (Wednesday, October 14, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12531-S12532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    WEIR FARM NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I ask the Chair lay before the Senate a 
message from the House of Representatives on the bill (S. 1718) to 
amend the Weir Farm National Historic Site Establishment Act of 1990 to 
authorize the acquisition of additional acreage for the historic site 
to permit the development of visitor and administrative facilities and 
to authorize the appropriation of additional amounts for the 
acquisition of real and personal property.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the House of Representatives:

       Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 1718) entitled 
     ``An Act to amend the Weir Farm National Historic Site 
     Establishment Act of 1990 to authorize the acquisition of 
     additional acreage for the historic site to permit the 
     development of visitor and administrative facilities and to 
     authorize the appropriation of additional amounts for the 
     acquisition of real and personal property'', do pass with the 
     following amendments:
       Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

     SECTION 1. WEIR FARM NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, CONNECTICUT.

       (a) Acquisition of Land for Visitor and Administrative 
     Facilities.--Section 4 of the Weir Farm National Historic 
     Site Establishment Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 461 note; Public 
     Law 101-485; 104 Stat. 1171) is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:
       ``(d) Acquisition of Land for Visitor and Administrative 
     Facilities; Limitations.--
       ``(1) Acquisition.--
       ``(A) In general.--To preserve and maintain the historic 
     setting and character of the historic site, the Secretary may 
     acquire not more than 15 additional acres for the development 
     of visitor and administrative facilities for the historic 
     site.
       ``(B) Proximity.--The property acquired under this 
     subsection shall be contiguous to or in close proximity to 
     the property described in subsection (b).
       ``(C) Management.--The acquired property shall be included 
     within the boundary of the historic site and shall be managed 
     and maintained as part of the historic site.
       ``(2) Development.--The Secretary shall keep development of 
     the property acquired under paragraph (1) to a minimum so 
     that the character of the acquired property will be similar 
     to the natural and undeveloped landscape of the property 
     described in subsection (b).
       ``(3) Agreements.--Prior to and as a prerequisite to any 
     development of visitor and administrative facilities on the 
     property acquired under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
     enter into 1 or more agreements with the appropriate zoning 
     authority of the town of Ridgefield, Connecticut, and the 
     town of Wilton, Connecticut, for the purposes of--
       ``(A) developing the parking, visitor, and administrative 
     facilities for the historic site; and
       ``(B) managing bus traffic to the historic site and 
     limiting parking for large tour buses to an offsite 
     location.''.
       (b) Increase in Maximum Acquisition Authority.--Section 7 
     of the Weir Farm National Historic Site Act of 1990 (16 
     U.S.C. 461 note; Public Law 101-485; 104 Stat. 1173) is 
     amended by striking ``$1,500,000'' and inserting 
     ``$4,000,000''.

     SEC. 2. ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT OF WILCOX RANCH, UTAH, FOR 
                   WILDLIFE HABITAT.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) The lands within the Wilcox Ranch in eastern Utah are 
     prime habitat for wild turkeys, eagles, hawks, bears, 
     cougars, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and many other important 
     species, and Range Creek within the Wilcox Ranch could become 
     a blue ribbon trout stream.
       (2) These lands also contain a great deal of undisturbed 
     cultural and archeological resources, including ancient 
     pottery, arrowheads, and rock homes constructed centuries 
     ago.
       (3) These lands, while comprising only approximately 3,800 
     acres, control access to over 75,000 acres of Federal lands 
     under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management.
       (4) Acquisition of the Wilcox Ranch would benefit the 
     people of the United States by preserving and enhancing 
     important wildlife habitat, ensuring access to lands of the 
     Bureau of Land Management, and protecting priceless 
     archeological and cultural resources.
       (5) These lands, if acquired by the United States, can be 
     managed by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources at no 
     additional expense to the Federal Government.
       (b) Acquisition of Lands.--As soon as practicable, after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 
     Interior shall acquire, through purchase, the Wilcox Ranch 
     located in Emery County, in eastern Utah.
       (c) Funds for Purchase.--The Secretary of the Interior is 
     authorized to use not more than $5,000,000 from the land and 
     water conservation fund established under section 2 of the 
     Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l-
     5) for the purchase of the Wilcox Ranch under subsection (b).
       (d) Management of Lands.--Upon payment by the State of Utah 
     of one-half of the purchase price of the Wilcox Ranch to the 
     United States, or transfer by the State of Utah of lands of 
     the same such value to the United States, the Secretary of 
     the Interior shall transfer to the State of Utah all right, 
     title, and interest of the United States in and to those 
     Wilcox Ranch lands acquired under subsection (b) for 
     management by the State Division of Wildlife Resources for 
     wildlife habitat and public access.

     SEC. 3. LAND CONVEYANCE, YAVAPAI COUNTY, ARIZONA.

       (a) Conveyance Required.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, the Secretary of the Interior shall convey, 
     without consideration and for educational related purposes, 
     to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida, a nonprofit 
     corporation authorized to do business in the State of 
     Arizona, all right, title, and interest of the United States, 
     if any, to a parcel of real property consisting of 
     approximately 16 acres in Yavapai County, Arizona, which is 
     more fully described as the parcel lying east of the east 
     right-of-way boundary of the Willow Creek Road in the 
     southwest one-quarter of the southwest one-quarter (SW\1/
     4\SW\1/4\) of section 2, township 14 north, range 2 west, 
     Gila and Salt River meridian.
       (b) Terms of Conveyance.--Subject to the limitation that 
     the land to be conveyed is to be used only for educational 
     related purposes, the conveyance under subsection (a) is to 
     be made without any other conditions, limitations, 
     reservations, restrictions, or terms by the United States. If 
     the Secretary of the Interior determines that the conveyed 
     lands are not being used for educational related purposes, at 
     the option of the United States, the lands shall revert to 
     the United States.

     SEC. 4. LAND EXCHANGE, EL PORTAL ADMINISTRATIVE SITE, 
                   CALIFORNIA.

       (a) Authorization of Exchange.--If the non-Federal lands 
     described in subsection (b) are conveyed to the United States 
     in accordance with this section, the Secretary of the 
     Interior shall convey to the party conveying the non-Federal 
     lands all right, title, and interest of the United States in 
     and to a parcel of land consisting of approximately 8 acres 
     administered by the Department of Interior as part of the El 
     Portal Administrative Site in the State of California, as 
     generally depicted on the map entitled ``El Portal 
     Administrative Site Land Exchange'', dated June 1998.
       (b) Receipt of Non-Federal Lands.--The parcel of non-
     Federal lands referred to in subsection (a) consists of 
     approximately 8 acres, known as the Yosemite View parcel, 
     which is located adjacent to the El Portal Administrative

[[Page S12532]]

     Site, as generally depicted on the map referred to in 
     subsection (a). Title to the non-Federal lands must be 
     acceptable to the Secretary of the Interior, and the 
     conveyance shall be subject to such valid existing rights of 
     record as may be acceptable to the Secretary. The parcel 
     shall conform with the title approval standards applicable to 
     Federal land acquisitions.
       (c) Equalization of Values.--If the value of the Federal 
     land and non-Federal lands to be exchanged under this section 
     are not equal in value, the difference in value shall be 
     equalized through a cash payment or the provision of goods or 
     services as agreed upon by the Secretary and the party 
     conveying the non-Federal lands.
       (d) Applicability of Other Laws.--Except as otherwise 
     provided in this section, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
     process the land exchange authorized by this section in the 
     manner provided in part 2200 of title 43, Code of Federal 
     Regulations, as in effect on the date of the enactment of 
     this subtitle.
       (e) Boundary Adjustment.--Upon completion of the land 
     exchange, the Secretary shall adjust the boundaries of the El 
     Portal Administrative Site as necessary to reflect the 
     exchange. Lands acquired by the Secretary under this section 
     shall be administered as part of the El Portal Administrative 
     Site.
       (f) Map.--The map referred to in subsection (a) shall be on 
     file and available for inspection in appropriate offices of 
     the Department of the Interior.
       (g) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary of the 
     Interior may require such additional terms and conditions in 
     connection with the land exchange under this section as the 
     Secretary considers appropriate to protect the interests of 
     the United States.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
agree to the amendments of the House.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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