[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 106 (Tuesday, September 12, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S8415]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. THURMOND (for himself and Mr. Hollings):
  S. 3027. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to purchase 
and transfer certain land; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 
and Forestry.


   A BILL TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE TO PURCHASE LAND 
   ADJACENT TO THE COASTAL PLAINS SOIL, AND PLANT RESEARCH CENTER IN 
                        FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA

  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I rise today, along with Senator 
Hollings, to introduce legislation that will enable the Secretary of 
Agriculture to purchase up to ten acres of land for the U.S. Department 
of Agriculture's Coastal Plains Soil, Water, and Plant Research Center 
in Florence, South Carolina. This land is located within 150 feet of 
the Center's administrative offices. Part of it has been leased and 
used for agricultural research for almost 25 years. If these ten acres 
were to be developed commercially the Center's operations would be 
impaired substantially. This land will be used for agricultural 
research.
  The Coastal Plains Soil, Water, and Plant Research Center focuses its 
research on the agricultural needs of farmers in both North and South 
Carolina. However, much of the work done by its staff benefits all U.S. 
agriculture. The Center undertakes basic and applied research with an 
emphasis toward total resource management. I would like to highlight 
just a few of its research programs in soil, water, and plant 
management. The Center's staff investigates the effects of soil 
erosion, non-point-source pollution, and animal waste disposal. 
Further, they work to develop better cropping systems for major field 
crops including cotton, corn, soybeans, and small grains; to identify 
high-value horticultural crops suitable for production on the soils of 
the coastal plains; and to improve cotton germ plasm.
  Mr. President, the Coastal Plains Soil, Water, and Plant Research 
Center does outstanding work that is not only very important to the 
farmers of the Carolinas but to all our Nation's farmers. This land 
purchase is important to the efficient continued operation of the 
Florence Center, and I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.
  I ask unanimous consent that the bill 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. 3027

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

     ASECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION FOR SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE TO 
                   PURCHASE AND TRANSFER LAND.

       Subject to the availability of funds appropriated to the 
     Agricultural Research Service, the Secretary of Agriculture 
     may--
       (1) purchase a tract of land in the State of South Carolina 
     that is contiguous to land owned on the date of enactment of 
     this Act by the Department of Agriculture, acting through the 
     Coastal Plains Soil, Water, and Plant Research Center of the 
     Agriculture Research Service; and
       (2) transfer land owned by the Department of Agriculture to 
     the Florence Darlington Technical College, South Carolina, in 
     exchange for land owned by the College.
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