[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 47 (Tuesday, April 6, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S3793]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. HATCH (for himself and Mr. Bennett):
  S. 2285. A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey a 
parcel of real property to Beaver County, Utah; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill that would 
direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey a parcel of property to 
Beaver County, UT. This bill would allow Beaver County in Southwestern 
Utah to obtain and maintain, without restrictions, the former 
Minersville State Park. In sum, this bill is necessary to allow County 
officials to sell a small portion of this land--which has essentially 
been under their control for over 40 years--in order to offset funding 
needed to maintain the remainder of the park.
  Some history might be beneficial at this point. In 1961, Beaver 
County obtained a lease for 207 acres of land from the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) to develop a recreational locale under the Recreation 
and Public Purposes Act. In 1963, Beaver County turned over the acreage 
to the State for the development of a park. Over the course of nearly 
40 years, the State of Utah spent about one million dollars to develop 
campsites, a boat ramp, a dock, and other camping amenities to turn 
this area into the Minersville Reservoir State Park. In 2002, in an 
endeavor to reduce operating costs, Utah State Parks transferred 
control of the area back over to Beaver County. As County officials 
stated during negotiations, in order for Beaver County to afford 
management of the day to day operations of the would-be county park, 
they would need to sell some of the property to private investors. 
However, it was not until after park management responsibility was 
transferred to the county that the BLM pointed out that the state had 
not yet acquired the property through the Recreation and Public 
Purposes Act process. The plan for Beaver County to sell some of the 
land to pay for park operation, however, is not allowed under the 
Recreation and Public Purposes Act lease, which only allows the 
property to be developed for recreation or other purposes. The only way 
for Beaver County to undertake responsibility for park is to remove the 
current Federal restrictions on the property.
  Today, Beaver County faces financial constraints in operating this 
park that threaten its continued use. Due to the prevailing 
restrictions in the Recreation and Public Purposes Act lease, initiated 
more than 40 years ago, the good people of southern Utah and visitors 
to the area will not be able to access and enjoy this county park. The 
campsites would be littered and unkept. The boat ramp and the boat 
docks would have to be closed. The park would become a destitute 
recreation area, because there would be no one to administer park 
maintenance and upkeep. The only public access to Minersville 
Reservoir, which features a converted blue ribbon trout fishery, would 
go to waste because of the Federal government's current Recreation and 
Public Purposes Act lease restriction.
  I don't believe that letting management of the park revert to the BLM 
is a viable option either. The intensive, day to day management this 
small park requires can be best accomplished to local officials. If 
Beaver County acquires the property, it will continue to make this park 
an excellent recreational refuge, a superb fishery, and a great place 
to visit. Beaver County will be able to provide a clean and safe park 
enjoyed by all who visit. That is why I am introducing this legislation 
this legislation that would convey the Minersville Park land to Beaver 
County.
  I thank the Senate for the opportunity to address this issue today, 
and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
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