[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 166 (Tuesday, December 4, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2194-E2195]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF THE CALIFORNIA FIVE MILE REGIONAL LEARNING CENTER 
                              TRANSFER ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 4, 2001

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to introduce 
legislation to transfer 27.1 acres of National Forest Service property 
from the Stanislaus Forest to the Clovis Unified School District. By so 
doing, this legislation will permit the school district to continue to 
operate the Five Mile Regional Learning Center on this National Forest 
land and, more to the point, it will now allow the school district

[[Page E2195]]

to fund vitally necessary capital improvements to the Learning Center 
facilities. Without this legislation, these improvements and non-
federal expenditures would not be allowed and the Learning Center could 
not continue due to dilapidation.
  This legislation, therefore, should be considered non-controversial 
and an exercise in cooperative and effective local, state and federal 
government relations.
  The Five Mile Regional Learning Center is an Outdoor Environmental 
Education School that benefits youth from all over the state of 
California. Classes range from forest to raptor studies with an 
emphasis on natural resource conservation. In addition to the 
environmental education program the school district offers course work 
on character development, team building, and individualized challenge 
activities such as high ropes. During the summer the site is used by a 
variety of groups, including Educators, DeMolay, Girl Scouts, 
basketball camps and school leadership students. In addition, a number 
of counties in conjunction with local and state agencies bring ``At 
risk kids'' to the program's Life's Alternatives Involving Risks (LAIR) 
Adventure Academy.
  The Regional Learning Center serves 138 schools from approximately 60 
school districts in California. Approximately 14,000 students 
participated in this educational program last year. Counties served 
include: Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Madera, Marin, Merced, 
Sacramento, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus, 
Toulumne, and Tulare. It operated three basketball camps that reached 
nearly 1,000 boys and girls. DeMolay, Fresno North LDS, and Four Square 
Church account for another 400 people using the facility. A project is 
in development that would utilize the LAIR area as an Elderhostel site 
focusing on living during the Gold Rush days.
  The Five Mile Regional Learning Center is a Forest Service 
Administrative site located in the Mi Wok Ranger District, Stanislaus 
Forest. The site includes bartacks, a mess hall, classrooms, a 
gymnasium and shop buildings. This site is 27.1 acres.
  Approximately 100 additional acres adjacent to the National Forest 
are used as part of the comprehensive conservation/education program 
for trails, campsites, ballfields, bird mew sites, bird blinds, and a 
tree nursery.
  The 120 acre Five Mile Regional Learning Center has been operated by 
the Clovis Unified School District since 1989. Prior to that the Fresno 
County Office of Education starting in 1969 operated the project.
  While the Five Mile Regional Learning Center is located on National 
Forest Land, the federal government plays no role in the operation or 
maintenance of the facilities used by the program or in delivery of the 
educational program. The National Forest Service merely permits the use 
of these facilities and lands to the Clovis Unified School District, 
and monitors the program to ensure that permit requirements are adhered 
to.
  The buildings and structures that are located on the 27.1 acres of 
main property have been in existence since the early 1960's. However, 
the Forest Service has not funded or appropriated monies to maintain or 
operate these buildings. According to Forest Service documents the 
``Regional Learning Center facility has outlived its life by years and 
if it were not for the efforts of the Clovis Unified School District, 
the buildings would be in a state of disrepair useable to no one.''
  In addition, Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor Ben Del Villar has 
stated to the Clovis Unified School District, in correspondence, ``We 
believe that your acquisition of the learning center would be in the 
best interest of the public and the Forest Service.''
  Without transfer of ownership the Clovis Unified School District is 
prohibited from spending its money on capital improvements to ensure 
that these facilities do not fall into disrepair to the extent that 
they would be unusable.
  The Clovis Unified School District has on average spent more that $1 
million per year over the last 12 years on operation and maintenance.
  In addition to the ongoing commitment of more than $1 million per 
year in operation costs, the Clovis Unified School District is willing 
to invest $5 million over 5 years in capital improvements and 
renovations to the existing facilities.
  The legislation authorizes a new Special Use permit that would 
essentially continue the authorization for Clovis to use the adjacent 
100 or so acres presently used but on which no structures in need of 
capital improvement exist.
  The federal costs of this transfer are administrative-only and 
negligible to the value that the school district will be spending to 
increase the value of the property and run this important educational 
program for the children of California.

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