[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 106 (Tuesday, September 12, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H7396-H7398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JACKSON MULTI-AGENCY CAMPUS ACT OF 1999
Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the Senate bill (S. 1374) to authorize the development and
maintenance of a multi-agency campus project in the town of Jackson,
Wyoming.
The Clerk read as follows:
S. 1374
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 ``Jackson Multi-Agency Campus
Act of 1999''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) the management of public land and natural resources and
the service of the public in the area of Jackson, Wyoming,
are responsibilities shared by--
(A) the Department of Agriculture;
(B) the Forest Service;
(C) the Department of the Interior, including--
(i) the National Park Service; and
(ii) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service;
(D) the Game and Fish Commission of the State of Wyoming;
(E) Teton County, Wyoming;
(F) the town of Jackson, Wyoming;
(G) the Jackson Chamber of Commerce; and
(H) the Jackson Hole Historical Society; and
(2) it is desirable to locate the administrative offices of
several of the agencies and entities specified in paragraph
(1) on 1 site to--
(A) facilitate communication between the agencies and
entities;
(B) reduce costs to the Federal, State, and local
governments; and
(C) better serve the public.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to authorize the Federal agencies specified in
subsection (a)--
(A) to develop and maintain the Project in Jackson,
Wyoming, in cooperation with the other agencies and entities
specified in subsection (a); and
(B) to provide resources and enter into such agreements as
are necessary for the planning, design, construction,
operation, maintenance, and fixture modifications of all
elements of the Project;
(2) to direct the Secretary to convey to the town of
Jackson, Wyoming, certain parcels of federally owned land
located in Teton County, Wyoming, in exchange for
construction of facilities for the Bridger-Teton National
Forest by the town of Jackson;
(3) to direct the Secretary to convey to the Game and Fish
Commission of the State of Wyoming certain parcels of
federally owned land in the town of Jackson, Wyoming, in
exchange for approximately 1.35 acres of land, also located
in the town of Jackson, to be used in the construction of the
Project; and
(4) to relinquish certain reversionary interests of the
United States in order to facilitate the transactions
described in paragraphs (1) through (3).
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Game and
Fish Commission of the State of Wyoming.
(2) Construction cost.--The term ``construction cost''
means any cost that is--
(A) associated with building improvements to Federal
standards and guidelines; and
(B) open to a competitive bidding process approved by the
Secretary.
(3) Federal parcel.--The term ``Federal parcel'' means--
(A) the parcel of land, and all appurtenances to the land,
comprising approximately 15.3 acres, depicted as ``Bridger-
Teton National Forest'' on the Map; and
(B) the parcel comprising approximately 80 acres, known as
the ``Cache Creek Administrative Site'', located adjacent to
the town.
(4) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map entitled ``Multi-
Agency Campus Project Site'', dated March 31, 1999, and on
file in the offices of--
(A) the Bridger-Teton National Forest, in the State of
Wyoming; and
(B) the Chief of the Forest Service.
(5) Master plan.--The term ``master plan'' means the
document entitled ``Conceptual Master Plan'', dated July 14,
1998, and on file at the offices of--
(A) the Bridger-Teton National Forest, in the State of
Wyoming; and
(B) the Chief of the Forest Service.
(6) Project.--The term ``Project'' means the proposed
project for construction of a multi-agency campus, to be
carried out by the town of Jackson in cooperation with the
other agencies and entities described in section 2(a)(1), to
provide, in accordance with the master plan--
(A) administrative facilities for various agencies and
entities; and
(B) interpretive, educational, and other facilities for
visitors to the greater Yellowstone area.
(7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Agriculture (including a designee of the Secretary).
(8) State parcel.--The term ``State parcel'' means the
parcel of land comprising approximately 3 acres, depicted as
``Wyoming Game and Fish'' on the Map.
(9) Town.--The term ``town'' means the town of Jackson,
Wyoming.
SEC. 4. MULTI-AGENCY CAMPUS PROJECT, JACKSON, WYOMING.
(a) Construction for Exchange of Property.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the town may construct, as part of the
Project, an administrative facility to be owned and operated
by the Bridger-Teton National Forest, if--
(A) an offer by the town to construct the administrative
facility is accepted by the Secretary under paragraph (2);
(B) a memorandum of understanding between the town and the
Secretary outlining the roles and responsibilities of each
party involved in the land exchange and construction is
executed;
(C) a final building design and construction cost estimate
is approved by the Secretary; and
(D) the exchange described in subsection (b)(2) is
completed in accordance with that subsection.
(2) Acceptance and authorization to construct.--The
Secretary, on receipt of an acceptable offer from the town
under paragraph (1), shall authorize the town to construct
the administrative facility described in paragraph (1) in
accordance with this Act.
(3) Conveyance.--
(A) Secretary.--The Secretary shall convey all right,
title, and interest in and to the Federal land described in
section 5(a)(1) to the town in simultaneous exchange for, and
on satisfactory completion of, the administrative facility.
(B) Town.--The town shall convey all right, title, and
interest in and to the administrative facility constructed
under this section in exchange for the land described in
5(a)(1).
(b) Offer To Convey State Parcel.--
(1) In general.--The Commission may offer to convey a
portion of the State parcel, depicted on the Map as ``Parcel
Three'', to the United States to be used for construction of
an administrative facility for the Bridger-Teton National
Forest.
(2) Conveyance.--If the offer described in paragraph (1) is
made not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall convey the Federal land
described in section 5(a)(2) to the Commission, in exchange
for the portion of the State parcel described in paragraph
(1), in accordance with this Act.
SEC. 5. CONVEYANCE OF FEDERAL LAND.
(a) In General.--In exchange for the consideration
described in section 3, the Secretary shall convey--
(1) to the town, in a manner that equalizes values--
(A) the portion of the Federal parcel, comprising
approximately 9.3 acres, depicted on the Map as ``Parcel
Two''; and
(B) if an additional conveyance of land is necessary to
equalize the values of land exchanged after the conveyance of
Parcel Two, an appropriate portion of the portion of the
Federal parcel comprising approximately 80 acres, known as
the ``Cache Creek Administrative Site'' and located adjacent
to the town; and
(2) to the Commission, the portion of the Federal parcel,
comprising approximately 3.2 acres, depicted on the Map as
``Parcel One''.
(b) Reversionary Interests.--As additional consideration
for acceptance by the United States of any offer described in
section 4, the United States shall relinquish all
reversionary interests in the State parcel, as set forth in
the deed between the United States and the State of Wyoming,
dated February 19, 1957, and recorded on October 2, 1967, in
Book 14 of Deeds, Page 382, in the records of Teton County,
Wyoming.
SEC. 6. EQUAL VALUE OF INTERESTS EXCHANGED.
(a) Valuation of Land To Be Conveyed.--
(1) In general.--The fair market and improvement values of
the land to be exchanged under this Act shall be determined--
(A) by appraisals acceptable to the Secretary, using
nationally recognized appraisal standards; and
(B) in accordance with section 206 of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716).
(2) Appraisal report.--Each appraisal report shall be
written to Federal standards, as defined in the Uniform
Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions developed
by the Interagency Land Acquisition Conference.
(3) No effect on value of reversionary interests.--An
appraisal of the State parcel shall not take into
consideration any reversionary interest held by the United
States in the State parcel as of the date on which the
appraisal is conducted.
(b) Value of Federal Land Greater Than Construction
Costs.--If the value of the Federal land to be conveyed to
the town under section 5(a)(1) is greater than the
construction costs to be paid by the town for the
administrative facility described in section 4(a), the
Secretary shall reduce the acreage of the Federal land
conveyed so that the value of the Federal land conveyed to
the town closely approximates the construction costs.
(c) Value of Federal Land Equal to Value of State Parcel.--
(1) In general.--The value of any Federal land conveyed to
the Commission under section 5(a)(2) shall be equal to the
value of the
[[Page H7397]]
State parcel conveyed to the United States under section
4(b).
(2) Boundaries.--The boundaries of the Federal land and the
State parcel may be adjusted to equalize values.
(d) Payment of Cash Equalization.--Notwithstanding
subsections (b) and (c), the values of Federal land and the
State parcel may be equalized by payment of cash to the
Secretary, the Commission, or the town, as appropriate, in
accordance with section 206(b) of the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716(b)), if the values
cannot be equalized by adjusting the size of parcels to be
conveyed or by conveying additional land, without
compromising the design of the Project.
SEC. 7. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS.
(a) Construction of Federal Facilities.--The construction
of facilities on Federal land within the boundaries of the
Project shall be--
(1) supervised and managed by the town in accordance with
the memorandum of agreement referred to in section
4(a)(1)(A); and
(2) carried out to standards and specifications approved by
the Secretary.
(b) Access.--The town (including contractors and
subcontractors of the town) shall have access to the Federal
land until completion of construction for all purposes
related to construction of facilities under this Act.
(c) Administration of Land Acquired by United States.--Land
acquired by the United States under this Act shall be
governed by all laws applicable to the administration of
national forest sites.
(d) Wetland.--
(1) In general.--There shall be no construction of any
facility after the date of conveyance of Federal land under
this Act within any portion of the Federal parcel delineated
on the map as ``wetlands''.
(2) Deeds and conveyance documents.--A deed or other
conveyance document executed by the Secretary in carrying out
this Act shall contain such reservations as are necessary to
preclude development of wetland on any portion of the Federal
parcel.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Oregon (Mr. Walden) and the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr.
Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden).
General Leave
Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 1374.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Oregon?
There was no objection.
Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, S. 1374, the Jackson Multi-Agency Campus Act of 1999,
provides for an exchange of land for a building. The Forest Service
will transfer approximately 12 acres of the Bridger-Teton National
Forest to the State of Wyoming and to the town of Jackson, Wyoming in
exchange for a building site and construction of a multi-agency office
to house Forest Service and other Federal, State and local resource
organizations.
S. 1374 provides for a fair market exchange among willing sellers.
The agencies gain a modern office location where employees from
different organizations will be able to work closely together in
partnership, which should lead to better decisions being made on the
ground. The public gains a convenient facility for one-stop shopping
when doing business with natural resource agencies.
All parties to the agreement, Federal and local officials, as well as
the public, are in favor of the bill, and I urge my colleagues to vote
in favor of S. 1374.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the gentleman
from Oregon (Mr. Walden), for management of this legislation, and
certainly want to commend the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin), a
member of the Committee on Resources, for her strong support of this
legislation as introduced by the other body.
Mr. Speaker, Senate bill 1374 authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture
to convey up to 90 acres of land in the Bridger-Teton National Forest
in Teton County, Wyoming, to the town of Jackson. In exchange for the
land, the town will construct an administrative facility for the Forest
Service and other Federal, State and local agencies and organizations
within 5 years of the exchange. The value of the facility is estimated
to be around $7 million.
The bill also provides for the Game and Fish Commission of Wyoming to
convey nearly 1.5 acres of land for the future site of the facility in
exchange for 3.2 acres of a parcel of Federal land. The bill contains
several other contingencies.
{time} 1545
While this bill represents a creative public-private partnership, I
have some concerns about the precedential and public interest value of
relinquishing Federal land in exchange for the construction of an
administrative facility. The need for such a facility has not been
thoroughly examined in the context of existing maintenance costs.
Nevertheless, despite these concerns, the administration does support
this legislation, it has bipartisan support, and I thank the chairman
of our committee, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) and the
gentleman from California (Mr. Miller), the ranking member, for their
support of this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may
consume to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin).
Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, S. 1374, the Senate companion bill to H.R.
2577 which I introduced to establish a multiagency campus in Jackson,
Wyoming, is widely supported by the Clinton administration and by the
people of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
The bill provides for a newly established campus which will afford
much-needed office space for the town of Jackson, the Bridger-Teton
National Forest employees, the National Elk Refuge employees, the
Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, and
other State and local entities.
The multiagency campus will provide one-stop shopping, if you will,
for those who want to visit Federal, State, and local land and wildlife
management agencies, as well as to allow visitors to utilize a number
of resources in one central location.
Specifically, the legislation before us today provides a land-for-
land exchange between the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the U.S.
Forest Service, a land-for-building exchange between the United States
Forest Service and the town of Jackson, which will provide the land for
the Chamber of Commerce and historical society museum, as well as for
additional parking spaces for the entire campus.
Due to the fact that there are a number of Federal, State, and local
government agencies involved, straight land exchanges cannot take place
interagency.
What that means is that Federal legislation must be introduced to
make this project a reality. Additionally, in the interest of time, I
have agreed to move the Senate bill instead of the bill which I
introduced so that construction could take place sooner rather than
later.
The hard work and the diligence of the people in Jackson who have
made this project possible should be commended. A project like this is
not easy. It is a private-public partnership. But I am pleased that I
have been able to give some assistance in making it a reality.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for the this opportunity.
Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers on this
matter, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Quinn). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 1374.
The question was taken.
Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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