[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 21, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H1136-H1137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      MIWALETA PARK EXPANSION ACT

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1725) to provide for the conveyance by the Bureau of Land 
Management to Douglas County, Oregon, of a county park and certain 
adjacent land.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1725

       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 ``Miwaleta Park Expansion 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. LAND CONVEYANCE, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT LAND, 
                   DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Conveyance.--The Secretary of the Interior (referred to 
     in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall convey, without 
     consideration, to Douglas County, Oregon (referred to in this 
     section as the ``County''), all right, title, and interest of 
     the United States in and to a parcel of land (including 
     improvements on the land) described in paragraph (2) and 
     consisting of--
       (A) Miwaleta Park, a county park managed under agreement by 
     the County on Federal land managed by the Bureau of Land 
     Management; and
       (B) an adjacent tract of Federal land managed by the Bureau 
     of Land Management.
       (2) Legal description.--The parcel of land referred to in 
     paragraph (1) is the parcel in the SW \1/4\ of the NE \1/4\; 
     SE \1/4\ of the NW \1/4\ of sec. 27, T31S, R4W, W.M., Douglas 
     County, Oregon, described as follows:

     The property lying between the southerly right-of-way line of 
     the relocated Cow Creek County Road No. 36 and contour 
     elevation 1881.5 MSL, comprising approximately 28.50 acres.
       (b) Use of Land.--
       (1) In general.--After conveyance of land under subsection 
     (a), the County may manage and exercise any program or policy 
     that the County considers appropriate in the use of the land 
     for park purposes.
       (2) Reversionary interest.--
       (A) In general.--If the Secretary determines that the land 
     conveyed under subsection (a) is not being used for park 
     purposes--
       (i) all right, title, and interest in and to the land, 
     including any improvements on the land, shall revert to the 
     United States; and
       (ii) the United States shall have the right of immediate 
     entry onto the land.
       (B) Determination on the record.--Any determination of the 
     Secretary under subparagraph (A) shall be made on the record.
       (c) Survey.--The exact acreage and legal description of the 
     land to be conveyed under subsection (a) shall be determined 
     by a survey satisfactory to the Secretary and paid for by the 
     County.
       (d) Impact on FERC Withdrawal.--
       (1) In general.--The conveyance of land under subsection 
     (a) shall have no effect on the conditions and rights 
     provided in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Withdrawal 
     No. 7161.
       (2) Conflicts.--In a case of conflict between the use of 
     the conveyed land as a park and the purposes of the 
     withdrawal, the purposes of the withdrawal shall prevail.
       (e) Costs of Conveyance.--Except as provided in subsection 
     (c), costs associated with the conveyance under subsection 
     (a) shall be borne by the party incurring the costs.
       (f) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may 
     require such additional terms and conditions in connection 
     with the conveyance under subsection (a) as the Secretary 
     considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United 
     States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Romero-
Barcelo) 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, I rise in support of H.R. 1725, introduced by the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).
  Mr. Speaker, a significant amount of effort has gone into the 
preparation of this bill, and I would like to begin by commending the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. 
Walden) for their diligence in bringing this legislation to the floor.
  Miwaleta Park, located in Oregon, is a 30-acre area jointly managed 
by the Bureau of Land Management and Douglas County. The title to this 
park and surrounding area is currently held by the BLM. Under H.R. 
1725, the title, and all rights and interest of this land, would be 
transferred to Douglas County for the purpose of building a public 
campground.
  Mr. Speaker, I reiterate my support for H.R. 1725, and ask for the 
endorsement of all Members to pass this needed legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1725 authorizes the conveyance 
of approximately 29 acres of public land to Douglas County, Oregon for 
park purposes. Currently 25 acres of the land proposed to be conveyed 
are used as a county park, Miwaleta Park, under an agreement between 
the county and the Bureau of Land Management.
  The county has been working with the Bureau of Land Management to 
develop a campground on four adjacent acres, but this development has 
been complicated by the site's location within a Late Successional 
Reserve designated by the Northwest Forest Plan. However, the Bureau of 
Land Management has completed an environmental assessment that 
concluded the county could proceed with the proposed campground 
development.
  Douglas County and the Bureau of Land Management had previously 
discussed conveying the land in question under the Recreation and 
Public Purposes Act, but that procession was abandoned because current 
law does not allow Oregon and California lands to be transferred or 
leased. The land transfer contained in H.R. 1725 is an alternative to 
other administrative processes available to deal with these lands.
  We should note that the legislation the House is considering today is 
different from a related Senate bill, S. 977, that the Senate passed 
late last year. We hope that the remaining issues between the two 
versions of the legislation can be satisfactorily resolved so that this 
legislative initiative can be finalized and sent to the President for 
his signature.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time, 
and I thank him for his help with this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, it has been a long and difficult process for Douglas 
County to improve and obtain the properties adjacent to their park in 
order that they might provide for camping facilities and might make 
this area more desirable for hundreds of families each year.
  The Miwaleta Park is adjacent to a reservoir. It is heavily recreated 
now, and we have problems because of dispersed camping in the area. 
This park is actually going to, with the development of facilities by 
the county, ameliorate existing problems that we have with the 
dispersed camping and trash

[[Page H1137]]

and other problems, and provide for a family camping experience, 
provide for sanitary facilities, and really enhance the experience for 
everyone.
  The Secretary of the Interior will continue to have the right to 
revoke title if the county does not maintain these lands for parks. I 
am fully confident that Douglas County will substantially invest in and 
manage this property very well, but, in order to meet concerns that 
some have expressed, we included that in the legislation.
  We also, in going through and evaluating this legislation, determined 
that in fact the environmental impacts would be positive, not negative; 
that by cutting down on the dispersed camping and the sanitation and 
trash problems with the developed facility and concentrating the 
camping activities in a smaller area, that a number of problems would 
also be ameliorated.
  Mr. Speaker, a lot of people have contributed to this legislation. 
Douglas County, of course, has been persistent in dealing with the 
Bureau of Land Management over 8 long years and working with me. Former 
chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, Bob Smith, supported the bill 
in the last Congress. My colleague the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. 
Walden) was very supportive and a cosponsor of the legislation in this 
Congress, as well as the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) and the 
gentleman from Utah (Chairman Hansen). Of course on the Senate side, we 
have had support from the Oregon delegation. I have great support from 
staff, both Rick Healy now as staff and my former staff, Jeff Steer.
  So it has been a long time, but sometimes good things take a very 
long time. After 8 long years, the people of Douglas County in the very 
near future will have greatly enhanced camping facilities available so 
that they might enjoy Oregon's summer on this wonderful body of water.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the Chair for his support.
  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. 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. 1725.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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