[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 78 (Tuesday, June 20, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5464-S5465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DOMENICI:
  S. 2757. A bill to provide for the transfer or other disposition of 
certain lands at Melrose Air Force Range, New Mexico, and Yakima 
Training Center, Washington; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources.


  LAND TRANSFER AND WITHDRAWAL OF CERTAIN LANDS IN MELROSE AIR FORCE 
                           RANGE, NEW MEXICO

  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to offer legislation that 
would allow for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over the 
Melrose Air Force Range in New Mexico and the Yakima Training Center in 
Washington to the appropriate Service in the Defense Department. Both 
of these affected areas are public domain lands under the Department of 
Interior. This legislation simply transfers authority from the 
Department of Interior to the Secretary of the Air Force in the case of 
the Melrose Range and to the Secretary of the Army in the case of the 
Yakima Training Center.
  Transfer and conversion of the lands to real property is proposed in 
lieu of the more customary withdrawal pursuant to the Act of February 
28, 1958. The affected lands are multiple parcels of public domain 
lands within a large block of Military Service acquired real property. 
Enactment on this transfer would provide for simplified management of 
these lands by the respective Defense Department Service.
  Melrose Air Force Range in Roosevelt County, New Mexico, is comprised 
of six parcels of public land, totaling about 6,714 acres. Over 1,118 
acres are utilized as bomb impact zone; the remainder is required as a 
safety buffer. The transfer is needed to provide the Air Force with 
complete control over land uses on the Range. This should serve to 
minimize potential safety concerns, liability of the United States, and 
land use conflicts that could interfere with the training mission.
  The lands have been used as part of the Range since 1957, under lease 
or other arrangement with the State of New Mexico which had ownership 
of the lands at the time. Expansion of the Range was authorized by 
Public Law 89-568, in September 1966. In 1970 and 1973, the Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM) acquired the lands through a land exchange with 
the State. During this same period, a land acquisition program to 
enlarge the Range was being conducted by the Air Force through the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers. The BLM exchange was undertaken in aid of that 
effort. In 1975, the U.S. Army Corps, on behalf of the Air Force, 
applied for withdrawal of the lands that the BLM had acquired.
  The lands that would be transferred through enactment of this 
legislation are an integral part of the Range, and continue to be 
suitable for training purposes. These lands will continue to be needed 
for Air Force training for the foreseeable future.
  The second installation affected by this legislation is the Yakima 
Training Center in Kittitas County, Washington. Congress authorized a 
63,000 acre expansion of the existing Center by the National Defense 
Authorization Act for fiscal years 1992 and 1993 and the Military 
Construction Appropriations Act of 1992.
  The lands to be transferred at the Center consist of 19 scattered 
small tracts of public lands totaling 6,649 acres within the expansion 
area. The remaining approximately 56,400 acres of real property within 
the expansion have already been acquired by the Army. There are an 
additional 3,090 acres of public domain mineral estate associated with 
the acquired land to be withdrawn from the general mining laws.
  In conclusion, Mr. President, this bill provides for the transfer of 
public domain lands to the Secretaries of the appropriate military 
service to complete the acquisitions at both installations as 
authorized by previous Acts of Congress. The consolidation of these 
lands as real property with the surrounding military acquired lands 
would provide a common management situation for the Military Service. 
This should serve to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their 
range operations and natural resource management.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the legislation 
be printed in the Record following my statement.
  There being no objection the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2757

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

     SECTION 1. LAND TRANSFER AND WITHDRAWAL, MELROSE AIR FORCE 
                   RANGE, NEW MEXICO, AND YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, 
                   WASHINGTON.

       (a) Melrose Air Force Range, New Mexico.--
       (1) Transfer.--Administrative jurisdiction over the surface 
     estate of the following lands is hereby transferred from the 
     Secretary of the Interior to the Secretary of the Air Force:


                       New Mexico Prime Meridian

       T. 1 N., R. 30 E.
       Sec. 2: S\1/2\.
       Sec. 11: All.
       Sec. 20: S\1/2\SE\1/4\.
       Sec. 28: All.
       T. 1 S., R. 30 E.
       Sec. 2: Lots 1-12, S\1/2\.
       Sec. 3: Lots 1-12, S\1/2\.
       Sec. 4: Lots 1-12, S\1/2\.
       Sec. 6: Lots 1 and 2.
       Sec. 9: N\1/2\, N\1/2\S\1/2\.
       Sec. 10: N\1/2\, N\1/2\S\1/2\.
       Sec. 11: N\1/2\, N\1/2\S\1/2\.
       T. 2 N., R. 30 E.
       Sec. 20: E\1/2\SE\1/4\.
       Sec. 21: SW\1/4\, W\1/2\SE\1/4\.
       Sec. 28: W\1/2\E\1/2\, W\1/2\.
       Sec. 29: E\1/2\E\1/2\.
       Sec. 32: E\1/2\E\1/2\.
       Sec. 33: W\1/2\E\1/2\, NW\1/4\, S\1/2\SW\1/4\.
       Aggregating 6,713.90 acres, more or less.
       (2) Status of surface estate.--Upon transfer of the surface 
     estate of the lands described in paragraph (1), the surface 
     estate shall be treated as real property subject to the 
     Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 
     U.S.C. 471 et seq.).

[[Page S5465]]

       (3) Withdrawal of mineral estate.--Subject to valid 
     existing rights, the mineral estate of the lands described in 
     paragraph (1) is withdrawn from all forms of appropriation 
     under the public land laws, including the mining laws and the 
     mineral and geothermal leasing laws, but not the Act of July 
     31, 1947 (commonly known as the Materials Act of 1947; 30 
     U.S.C. 601 et seq.).
       (4) Use of mineral materials.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of this subsection or the Act of July 31, 1947, the 
     Secretary of the Air Force may use, without application to 
     the Secretary of the Interior, the sand, gravel, or similar 
     mineral material resources on the lands described in 
     paragraph (1), of the type subject to disposition under the 
     Act of July 31, 1947, when the use of such resources is 
     required for construction needs on Melrose Air Force Range, 
     New Mexico.
       (b) Yakima Training Center, Washington.--
       (1) Transfer.--Administrative jurisdiction over the surface 
     estate of the following lands is hereby transferred from the 
     Secretary of the Interior to the Secretary of the Army:


                          Willamette Meridian

       T. 17 N., R. 20 E.
       Sec. 22: S\1/2\.
       Sec. 24: S\1/2\SW\1/4\ and that portion of the E\1/2\ lying 
     south of the Interstate Highway 90 right-of-way.
       Sec. 26: All.
       T. 16 N., R. 21 E.
       Sec. 4: SW\1/4\SW\1/4\.
       Sec. 12: SW\1/4\.
       Sec. 18: Lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, E\1/2\ and E\1/2\W\1/2\.
       T. 17 N., R. 21 E.
       Sec. 30: Lots 3 and 4.
       Sec. 32: NE\1/4\SE\1/4\.
       T. 16 N., R. 22 E.
       Sec. 2: Lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, S\1/2\N\1/2\ and S\1/2\.
       Sec. 4: Lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, S\1/2\N\1/2\ and S\1/2\.
       Sec. 10: All.
       Sec. 14: All.
       Sec. 20: SE\1/4\SW\1/4\.
       Sec. 22: All.
       Sec. 26: N\1/2\.
       Sec. 28: N\1/2\.
       T. 16 N., R. 23 E.
       Sec. 18: Lots 3 and 4, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, W\1/2\SE\1/4\, and 
     that portion of the E\1/2\SE\1/4\ lying westerly of the 
     westerly right-of-way line of Huntzinger Road.
       Sec. 20: That portion of the SW\1/4\ lying westerly of the 
     easterly right-of-way line of the railroad.
       Sec. 30: Lots 1 and 2, NE\1/4\ and E\1/2\NW\1/4\.
       Aggregating 6,640.02 acres.
       (2) Status of surface estate.--Upon transfer of the surface 
     estate of the lands described in paragraph (1), the surface 
     estate shall be treated as real property subject to the 
     Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 
     U.S.C 471 et seq.).
       (3) Withdrawal of mineral estate.--Subject to valid 
     existing rights, the mineral estate of the lands described in 
     paragraph (1) and of the following lands are withdrawn from 
     all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, 
     including the mining laws and the geothermal leasing laws, 
     but not the Act of July 31, 1947 (commonly known as the 
     Materials Act of 1947; 30 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and the Mineral 
     Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.):


                          Willamette Meridian

       T. 16 N., R. 20 E.
       Sec. 12: All.
       Sec. 18: Lot 4 and SE\1/4\.
       Sec. 20: S\1/2\.
       T. 16 N., R. 21 E.
       Sec. 4: Lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, S\1/2\NE\1/2\.
       Sec. 8: All.
       T. 16 N., R. 22 E.
       Sec. 12: All.
       T. 17 N., R. 21 E.
       Sec. 32: S\1/2\SE\1/4\.
       Sec. 34: W\1/2\.
       Aggregating 3,090.80 acres.
       (4) Use of mineral materials.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of this subsection or the Act of July 31, 1947, the 
     Secretary of the Army may use, without application to the 
     Secretary of the Interior, the sand, gravel, or similar 
     mineral material resources on the lands described in 
     paragraphs (1) and (3), of the type subject to disposition 
     under the Act of July 31, 1947, when the use of such 
     resources is required for construction needs on the Yakima 
     Training Center, Washington.
                                 ______