[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 25, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S2703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CRAIG (for himself and Mr. Crapo):
  S. 435. A bill to provide for the conveyance by the Secretary of 
Agriculture of the Sandpoint Federal Building and adjacent land in 
Sandpoint, Idaho, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the, ``Sandpoint 
Land and Facilities Act of 2003''. This bill is a unique opportunity to 
meet the facility needs of the Forest Service in Sandpoint, ID and to 
provide facilities for the local county government. This bill will 
transfer ownership of the local General Service Administration building 
currently housing the Forest Service to that agency. The bill also 
provides authority for the Forest Service to work with Bonner County, 
ID to exchange the existing building to Bonner County in exchange for a 
new and more functional building to the Forest Service. This transfer 
of ownership will not only provide the opportunity for the local Forest 
Service office to obtain a facility that best meets their needs but 
also will meet the facility needs of Bonner County.
  The transfer of this facility will allow the Forest Service to 
improve service to the public, improve public and employee safety, make 
the Idaho Panhandle National Forest more financially competitive, and 
allow increased spending on resource programs that contribute to 
healthier ecosystems. In turn, Bonner County will benefit by providing 
to them a building that consolidates county offices so that better 
services can be provided to the local public, including ADA compliant 
access to the county courtrooms.
  Additionally, the GSA will dispose of a building that is only 
partially occupied and is remotely located from other GSA facilities.
  This is a win-win situation for the Forest Service, Bonner County, 
GSA, and the taxpayers and an outstanding example of the Federal 
Government at the local level working with the county government to 
create common sense solutions that result in more efficient operations 
and better service to the public.
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