[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 85 (Monday, June 24, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H3830-H3831]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA BOUNDARY REVISION ACT OF 2002

  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3786) to revise the boundary of the Glen Canyon National 
Recreation Area in the States of Utah and Arizona, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3786

       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 ``Glen Canyon National 
     Recreation Area Boundary Revision Act of 2002''.

     SEC. 2. GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA BOUNDARY 
                   REVISION.

       (a) In General.--The first section of Public Law 92-593 (16 
     U.S.C. 460dd; 86 Stat. 1311) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``That in'' and inserting ``Section 1. (a) 
     In''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(b)(1) In addition to the boundary change authority under 
     subsection (a), the Secretary may acquire approximately 152 
     acres of private land in exchange for approximately 370 acres 
     of land within the boundary of Glen Canyon National 
     Recreation Area, as generally depicted on the map entitled 
     `Page One Land Exchange Proposal', number 608/60573a-2002, 
     and dated May 16, 2002. The map shall be on file and 
     available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of 
     the National Park Service. Upon conclusion of the exchange, 
     the boundary of the recreation area shall be revised to 
     reflect the exchange.
       ``(2) Before the land exchange under this subsection, the 
     Secretary may enter into a memorandum of understanding with 
     the person that will acquire lands from the United States in 
     the exchange, to establish such terms and conditions as are 
     mutually agreeable regarding how those lands will be managed 
     after the exchange.''.
       (b) Change in Acreage Ceiling.--Such section is further 
     amended by striking ``one million two hundred and thirty-six 
     thousand eight hundred and eighty acres'' and inserting 
     ``1,256,000 acres''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Cannon) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. 
Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon).
  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 3786, which I introduced, would authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to complete a land exchange that would help him protect an 
important scenic view located in southern Utah at the Glen Canyon 
National Recreation Area and to revise the boundaries of the park to 
reflect the exchange and the present boundaries of the park.
  The exchange would facilitate the acquisition of 152 acres, including 
an important scenic view by the Park Service, while the private 
developer would acquire 370 acres of land on the other side of Highway 
89. The parcel acquired by the Park Service will also help facilitate a 
more manageable boundary at the park's most visited entrance. While the 
Park Service will be acquiring land of considerably greater value than 
the developer, the private developer has expressed a willingness to 
donate the approximately $350,000 difference in value to the National 
Park Service.
  H.R. 3786, as amended, also contains a provision that authorizes the 
Secretary of the Interior to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding 
with the developer to describe such terms and conditions as are 
mutually agreeable regarding how the lands will be managed following 
the exchange.
  The bill is supported by both the majority and minority, as well as 
the administration, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

[[Page H3831]]

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
her remarks.)
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3786 would authorize the exchange 
of land within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area for a private 
parcel adjacent to the park.
  Mr. Speaker, a land exchange issue is very complex, and I want to 
take this opportunity to commend my colleague, the gentleman from Utah 
(Mr. Cannon), for his work in ushering this bill to the subcommittee 
and committee and getting it to the floor today.
  As all of my colleagues are aware, there continues to be great 
concern regarding exchanges in general. In many instances, it is not at 
all clear that the taxpayers are receiving full value for the lands 
being traded away in their names. In fact, in many instances, it is 
clear they are not. We remain committed to developing a comprehensive 
approach that might address the failures in the current exchange 
process.
  In the meantime, it is our hope that we would only approve specific 
exchanges that truly serve the best interests of the taxpayers, and it 
appears we have such an exchange in this instance.
  The basic concept of the exchange contained in H.R. 3786 appears to 
serve both the interests of the private landowner as well as the park. 
In addition, once authorized, this exchange will go through a full NEPA 
process, including appraisals, which should identify and address any 
remaining issues.
  We support passage of H.R. 3786.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her support and 
kind words; and, having no more speakers, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 3786, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. CANNON. 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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