[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 163 (Wednesday, November 17, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H12126-H12127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DIRECTING THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO CONVEY CERTAIN LANDS TO THE 
                    COUNTY OF RIO ARRIBA, NEW MEXICO

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 278) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey 
certain lands to the county of Rio Arriba, New Mexico.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 278

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

     SECTION 1. OLD COYOTE ADMINISTRATIVE SITE.

       (a) Conveyance of Property.--Not later than one year after 
     the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 
     Interior (herein ``the Secretary'') shall convey to the 
     County of Rio Arriba, New Mexico (herein ``the County''), 
     subject to the terms and conditions stated in subsection (b), 
     all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to 
     the land (including all improvements on the land) known as 
     the ``Old Coyote Administrative Site'' located approximately 
     \1/2\ mile east of the Village of Coyote, New Mexico, on 
     State Road 96, comprising one tract of 130.27 acres (as 
     described in Public Land Order 3730), and one tract of 276.76 
     acres (as described in Executive Order 4599).
       (b) Terms and Conditions.--
       (1) Consideration for the conveyance described in 
     subsection (a) shall be--
       (A) an amount that is consistent with the special pricing 
     program for Governmental entities under the Recreation and 
     Public Purposes Act; and
       (B) an agreement between the Secretary and the County 
     indemnifying the Government of the United States from all 
     liability of the Government that arises from the property.
       (2) The lands conveyed by this Act shall be used for public 
     purposes. If such lands cease to be used for public purposes, 
     at the option of the United States, such lands will revert to 
     the United States.
       (c) Land Withdrawals.--Land withdrawals under Public Land 
     Order 3730 and Executive Order 4599 as extended in the 
     Federal Register on May 25, 1989 (54 F.R. 22629) shall be 
     revoked simultaneous with the conveyance of the property 
     under subsection (a).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) 
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, S. 278, introduced by Senator Domenici of New Mexico, 
directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture 
to convey land known as the Old Coyote Administrative Site to the 
county of Rio Arriba, New Mexico.
  This site includes a Forest Service tract of 130 acres and a BLM 
tract of 276 acres. The site was vacated by the Forest Service in 1993. 
This legislation is patterned after a similar transfer that the 103rd 
Congress directed the Secretary of Agriculture to complete in 1993 on 
the Old Taos Ranger District Station.
  As with Taos Station, the Coyote Station will continue to be used for 
public purposes, including a community center and a fire substation. 
Some buildings will also be available for the county to use for storage 
of road maintenance equipment and other county vehicles.
  The conveyance will be consistent with the Recreation and Public 
Purposes Act pricing program. The lands

[[Page H12127]]

must be used for public purposes, and revert back to the U.S. 
Government if not used for these purposes.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill, and I ask my colleagues to support 
it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 278 is a companion measure to a bill introduced by my 
colleague on the Committee on Resources, the gentleman from New Mexico 
(Mr. Udall). The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey 
land known as the Old Coyote Administrative Site to the county of Rio 
Arriba in New Mexico.
  The site, which is approximately 307 acres, was formerly used by the 
Forest Service, but was vacated in 1993 when the Forest Service moved 
to a new location. The legislation provides for the transfer of the 
property to the county at a reduced price. The land must be used for a 
public purpose, and will revert back to the Federal government if not 
used for these purposes.
  It is our understanding the county will continue to use the site for 
public purposes, including a community center and a fire substation. 
Mr. Speaker, S. 278 is a noncontroversial item which I support. I want 
to congratulate my colleagues who have offered this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Mrs. Wilson).
  Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for yielding 
time to me, and thank the Committee on Resources, and particularly the 
chairman, for bringing this bill up. As we approach the end of this 
session of the Congress, there are a lot of things we are trying to 
wrap up. This is one that has been pending for some time.
  This Rio Arriba legislation authorizes the transfer of a little more 
than 400 acres of Federal land in the Old Coyote Ranger District 
Station near Coyote, New Mexico, and it would give it to Rio Arriba 
County so they can have that land and those buildings for county 
purposes and public purposes. They are going to use those buildings for 
a community center, for a fire station, for their storage and road 
maintenance equipment, and I think it is a win-win situation.
  The Federal government no longer wants to maintain those buildings 
and has moved to a new ranger station about 6 miles away, so this is a 
good land transfer bill. This bill passed the Senate in the last 
session of the Congress, did not pass the House in the waning days. 
When we finish this here today, it will go to the President for his 
signature. He has already indicated that he is supportive of this 
legislation.
  This is often the case in the West, we need to do these little 
Federal land transfer bills because so much of the West is owned by the 
Federal government.
  I thank the gentleman for his attention to this matter, and I commend 
particularly Senator Domenici for stewarding this through.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he 
may consume to the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall).
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, this legislation provides for a 
transfer by the Secretary of the Interior of real property and 
improvements at an abandoned and surplus ranger station in the Carson 
National Forest to Rio Arriba County.
  This site is known locally as the Old Coyote Administration Site, and 
it is located near the town of Coyote, New Mexico. This site will 
continue to be used for public purposes, and may be used as a community 
center, fire station, fire substation, storage facilities, or space to 
repair road maintenance equipment or other county vehicles.
  Mr. Speaker, the Forest Service has moved its operations to a new 
facility and has determined that this site is of no further use. 
Furthermore, the Forest Service has notified the General Services 
Administration that improvements to the site are considered surplus and 
the sites are available for disposal.
  In addition, the lands on which the facility is built is withdrawn 
public domain land, and falls under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of 
Land Management. Since neither the Bureau of Land Management nor the 
Forest Service has future plans to utilize this site, the transfer of 
the land and the facilities to Rio Arriba County would create a benefit 
to a community that would make productive use of it.
  This county is one that has a heavy Federal land presence. This will 
enable them to utilize the land that they have not been able to have 
and be able to do some very productive things.
  In summary, this legislation creates a situation in which the Federal 
government, the State of New Mexico, and the people of Rio Arriba 
County all benefit. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. It is a 
good bill. I also want to thank our senior Senator from New Mexico, 
Senator Domenici, for all his hard work on this bill over the years.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. 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 Senate bill, S. 278.
  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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