Congressional Record, Volume 146 Issue 130 (Tuesday, October 17, 2000)

[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 130 (Tuesday, October 17, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H9962-H9963]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

CASTLE ROCK RANCH ACQUISITION ACT OF 2000

Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
Senate bill (S. 1705) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to enter
into land exchanges to acquire from the private owner and to convey to
the State of Idaho approximately 1,240 acres of land near the City of
Rocks National Reserve, Idaho, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read as follows:

S. 1705

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 ``Castle Rock Ranch
Acquisition Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Monument.--The term ``Monument'' means the Hagerman
Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho, depicted on the
National Park Service map numbered 300/80,000, C.O. No. 161,
and dated January 7, 1998.
(2) Ranch.--The term ``Ranch'' means the land comprising
approximately 1,240 acres situated outside the boundary of
the Reserve, known as the ``Castle Rock Ranch''.
(3) Reserve.--The term ``Reserve'' means the City of Rocks
National Reserve, located near Almo, Idaho, depicted on the
National Park Service map numbered 003/80,018, C.O. No. 169,
and dated March 25, 1999.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.

SEC. 3. ACQUISITION OF CASTLE ROCK RANCH.

(a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary
shall acquire, by donation or by purchase with donated or
appropriated funds, the Ranch.
(b) Consent of Landowner.--The Secretary shall acquire land
under subsection (a) only with the consent of the owner of
the land.

SEC. 4. LAND EXCHANGE.

(a) In General.--
(1) Federal and state exchange.--Subject to subsection (b),
on completion of the acquisition under section 3(a), the
Secretary shall convey the Ranch to the State of Idaho in
exchange for approximately 492.87 acres of land near
Hagerman, Idaho, located within the boundary of the Monument.
(2) State and private landowner exchange.--On completion of
the exchange under paragraph (1), the State of Idaho may
exchange portions of the Ranch for private land within the
boundaries of the Reserve, with the consent of the owners of
the private land.
(b) Condition of Exchange.--As a condition of the land
exchange under subsection (a)(1), the State of Idaho shall
administer all private land acquired within the Reserve
through an exchange under this Act in accordance with title
II of the Arizona-Idaho Conservation Act of 1988 (16 U.S.C.
460yy et seq.).
(c) Administration.--State land acquired by the United
States in the land exchange under subsection (a)(1) shall be
administered by the Secretary as part of the Monument.
(d) No Expansion of Reserve.--Acquisition of the Ranch by a
Federal or State agency shall not constitute any expansion of
the Reserve.
(e) No Effect on Easements.--Nothing in this Act affects
any easement in existence on the date of enactment of this
Act.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Idaho (Mr. Simpson) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson).

General Leave

Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include therein extraneous material on S. 1705.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Idaho?
There was no objection.
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, Senate 1705 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior
to acquire the Castle Rock Ranch in the

[[Page H9963]]

State of Idaho. On completion of the acquisition, the Secretary will
convey the Castle Rock Ranch to the State of Idaho in exchange for
approximately 500 acres of State land located within the Hagerman
Fossil Beds National Monument.
The City of Rocks National Reserve is located in south central Idaho.
Most of the reserve is owned by the National Park Service with parts of
it being owned by the State of Idaho, the Forest Service, the Bureau of
Land Management, and private landowners. The reserve contains
distinctive and majestic rock formations. These unique geological rock
formations provide world-class rock climbing opportunities, in addition
to other recreational opportunities.
Additionally, the site has unique historical significance. The
California Trail, one of the major trails for westward expansion,
passes through the reserve. The State of Idaho manages the reserve
under a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service.
The Castle Rock Ranch, an approximately 1,240 acre ranch, is located
near the City of Rocks. The property gets its name from historic rock
formations found in the area, in particular, the Castle Rock formation
that has already been designated a National Historic Site on the
National Historic Registry. These extraordinary rock formations are
ideal for rock climbing. In addition, the ranch contains irrigated
pasture land.
Once the State acquires the ranch, they will create a new State park,
opening up rock formations for rock climbing, and providing camping and
hiking opportunities.
Furthermore, the State can then trade irrigated land for dry land
inholdings within the national reserve. This will allow local ranchers
to acquire irrigated land and allow the State to consolidate inholdings
within the reserve.
The Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument contains important fossil
deposits from the Pliocene time period, 3.5 million years ago.
Additionally, the fossil beds contain the largest concentration of the
Hagerman Horse fossils in North America.
While the State of Idaho owns the actual fossil beds, the National
Park Service runs and maintains the facility. The State wants to divest
its interest in the fossil beds and acquire the Castle Rock Ranch.
Additionally, the National Park Service wants to acquire the fossil
beds. Transferring the fossil beds to the National Park Service will
make it easier for everybody to protect this important area.
In the end, the National Park Service will consolidate the Hagerman
Fossil Beds National Monument, the State of Idaho will create a new
State park, and inholdings will be consolidated at the City of Rocks
National Reserve, and local ranchers will have access to irrigated
pasture land.
This legislation has the support of the National Park Service, the
State of Idaho, the Conservation Fund, the Access Fund, local
legislators and area residents.
I thank my colleagues for their support and urge their support of
Senate 1705.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, S. 1705, the Castle Rock Ranch Acquisition Act, would
require the Secretary of the Interior to purchase a ranch located near
the City of Rocks National Reserve in southern Idaho. The gentleman
from Idaho (Mr. Simpson) has given fine expression to the importance
and the beauty of the Castle Rock area.
Under the terms of the legislation, the Secretary would then trade
this ranch to the State of Idaho for lands the State currently owns
within the boundaries of the nearby Hagerman Fossil Beds National
Monument. The State would then be authorized to exchange pieces of the
ranch for private inholdings within the City of Rocks Reserve.
Such a series of exchanges raises several concerns with the minority
members of the Committee on Resources. We have seen no appraisals of
any of the properties included in these exchanges; and, as a result, we
are unable to be certain that the taxpayers are getting a good deal
under this bill.
Furthermore, it is unclear why it is in the taxpayers' interest to
have the State of Idaho act as a middleman for the exchanges within the
City of Rocks.
However, we fully support the goals of the legislation. The state-
owned land within the monument, known as the Horse Quarry, contains
perhaps the richest fossil deposits anywhere in the monument and would
be an important acquisition. Similarly, consolidation of public
ownership within the City of Rocks Reserve is an important goal.
Given the value of these acquisitions, we are satisfied that the
exchanges here are not unreasonable, and thus the minority will not
oppose the bill.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, if I might just respond. One of the reasons that the
State of Idaho must be the middleman in this is because Public Law 100-
696, title III, specifically limits the National Park Service
acquisition of this State property to only by donation or exchange.
Consequently, the purchase of the Castle Rock Ranch being able to
exchange that for the land in the Hagerman Falls Fossil Bed is the only
way that the Federal Government can then acquire that state-owned
endowment land, which is the fossil beds. That is the reason for this
Byzantine method of land exchanges which is necessary for this. I
appreciate the support of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt).
Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I thank the
gentleman for that clarification.
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the Senate bill, S. 1705.
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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