[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 119 (Tuesday, September 28, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H7669-H7670]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LAND EXCHANGE INVOLVING PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LAND IN VICINITY OF HOLLOMAN
AIR FORCE BASE, NEW MEXICO
Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4808) to provide for a land exchange involving private land
and Bureau of Land Management land in the vicinity of Holloman Air
Force Base, New Mexico, for the purpose of removing private land from
the required safety zone surrounding munitions storage bunkers at
Holloman Air Force Base, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 4808
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. LAND EXCHANGE, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LAND IN VICINITY
OF HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, NEW MEXICO.
(a) Conveyance of Public Land.--In exchange for the land
described in subsection (b), the Secretary of the Interior
shall convey to Randal, Jeffrey, and Timothy Rabon of Otero
County, New Mexico (in this section referred to as the
``Rabons''), all right, title, and interest of the United
States in and to certain public land administered by the
Secretary through the Bureau of Land Management consisting of
a total of approximately 320 acres, as depicted on the map
entitled ``Alamogordo Rabon Land Exchange'' and dated
September 24, 2004, and more specifically described as
follows:
(1) SE1/4 of section 6, township 17 south, range 10 east,
New Mexico principal meridian.
(2) N1/2N1/2 of section 7, township 17 south, range 10
east, New Mexico principal meridian.
(b) Consideration.--As consideration for the conveyance of
the real property under subsection (a), the Rabons shall
convey to the United States all right, title, and interest
held by the Rabons in and to three parcels of land depicted
on the map referred to in subsection (a), which consists of
approximately 241 acres, is contiguous to Holloman Air Force
Base, New Mexico, and is located within the required safety
zone surrounding munitions storage bunkers at the
installation. The Secretary shall assume jurisdiction over
the land acquired under this subsection. The three parcels
are more specifically described as follows:
(1) Lot 4 in the S1/2 of section 30, township 16 south,
range 9 east, New Mexico principal meridian, consisting of
approximately 17.6 acres.
(2) E1/2SW1/4 of section 31, township 16 south, range 9
east, New Mexico principal meridian, consisting of
approximately 80 acres.
(3) Lots 1, 2, 3, and 4 of section 31, township 16 south,
range 9 east, New Mexico principal meridian, consisting of
approximately 143 acres.
(c) Interests Included in Exchange.--Subject to valid
existing rights, the land exchange under this section shall
include conveyance of all surface, subsurface, mineral, and
water rights in the lands.
(d) Compliance With Existing Law.--(1) The Secretary shall
carry out the land exchange under this section in the manner
provided in section 206 of the Federal Land Policy Management
Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716). Notwithstanding subsection (b)
of such section, if necessary, a cash equalization payment
may be made in excess of 25 percent of the appraised value
the public land to be conveyed under subsection (a).
(2) The cost of the appraisals performed as part of the
land exchange shall be borne by the Secretary.
(e) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may
require such additional terms and conditions in connection
with the land exchange under this section as the Secretary
considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United
States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Radanovich) and the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms.
Bordallo) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich).
Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman
from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce), the author of the bill.
Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4808 and
would like to thank the gentleman from California (Chairman Pombo) and
the gentleman from West Virginia (Ranking Member Rahall), the gentleman
from California (Mr. Radanovich), the subcommittee chairman, and the
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen), the ranking
member, for working with me on this important legislation and for
moving it expeditiously. I also appreciate the bipartisan support from
the Committee on Resources members in reaching a compromise that is
reflected in this legislation.
The need for Congress to pass H.R. 4808 arose when a munitions
storage bunker was built at Holloman Air Force Base in 1997 and 1998.
Holloman Air Force Base serves both the United States' and the German
Air Force's training and readiness functions, with Holloman being the
home to the F-117 stealth fighter. The Holloman air-to-ground training
ranges consist of 1,385,262 acres, almost exclusively in Federal land,
and air-to-air training ranges provide 8,352,878 acres of airspace for
national security and training. The total military training routes at
Holloman Air Force Base is 8,657,964 acres, which includes DOD, DOI,
USDA and private lands.
Without an explosive clear zone, Holloman Air Force Base is unable to
fully utilize the designed capacity of the bunker, and it adversely
impacts the storage quantity of munitions required for training and
operations. This directly impacts the ability of Holloman Air Force
Base to fully meet its mission of training, readiness, and national
security, as well as training our NATO partner, Germany. The cost to
replace the munitions storage area is estimated by the Air Force to be
$40 million.
The problem is the proposed explosive clear zone encroaches on
private property. The Federal Government originally sought to take the
private property through condemnation, leaving little choice but for
the property owners to vigorously defend their private property rights.
This bill resolves the issue and protects both private property and the
investment made by the Air Force, and would simply exchange Federal
lands in close proximity to ranch boundaries.
Mr. Speaker, this bill reverses a history of over 50 years of the
Federal Government either coercing, cajoling, or confiscating property
from the landowners. I am proud that the 2nd District has so much land
to offer to the Federal Government. I will tell my colleagues that we
should not continue to get it through confiscation.
I would like to thank the committee staff members, both minority and
majority, for working with my staff member Matt Meagher over the
weekend, through the nights, and through very difficult hurdles to
solve this bill. This bill protects our national security, saves the
taxpayers a minimum $40 million, protects private property, guarantees
the Federal Government will receive value for value given, and is fair
to all the parties concerned.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4808.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, we have no objection to the consideration of this
measure.
Ms. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support S.
643, the Hibben Center Act. S. 643 is identical to H.R. 3258, a bill
that I introduced on November 7, 2003 and that was favorable reported
by the House Resources Committee on September 9, 2004.
For six centuries, massive prehistoric structures lay untouched in a
remote area of northwestern New Mexico. Chaco Canyon was the home of
many indigenous southwestern peoples from between A.D. 850 and 1250.
The Pueblo peoples of New Mexico, the Hopi of Arizona, and the Navajo
consider Chaco Canyon to be part of their ancestral homelands.
In recognition of its significance, President Theodore Roosevelt
designated Chaco Canyon a national monument in 1907 and Congress
changed the park's designation to a national historical park in 1980.
The University of New Mexico (UNM) has participated in exploring,
preserving, and documenting Chaco Canyon's extensive archaeological
sites since Chaco Canyon National Monument was founded in 1907. In
1949,
[[Page H7670]]
UNM deeded its lands in Chaco Canyon National Monument to the United
States Government in exchange for continued rights to conduct
scientific research in the area. Since then, UNM and the National Park
Service (NPS) have been partners in researching and reserving the Chaco
Canyon collection.
S. 643 is an authorization bill, allowing the NPS to spend money away
from Park Service lands for this collection. Specifically, this bill
will allow the Park Service to design and construct a museum, storage
facility, and workspace in the Hibben Archaeological Research Center on
the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Funding
for this project has already been appropriated in the National Park
Service Line Item Construction Program 5-year budget, for funding in FY
2006. This project will require no additional or new money from
Congress.
Continuing the longstanding relationship with UNM, the shell of the
Hibben Center and academic spaces have already been built by UNM with
an area unfinished for the Park Service to build out for its Chaco
Collection if Congress authorizes it.
Additionally, there will be no ongoing operational costs for the Park
Service because UNM has agreed to be responsible for 100 percent of the
ongoing utilities, maintenance, and operation costs associated with the
project.
Over 5 million artifacts excavated from Chaco Canyon are stored at
UNM. Unfortunately, they are currently housed in three substandard
facilities that have water pipes that leak on the collection;
inadequate or non-existent security and fire protection systems; and no
environmental controls. In one instance, the tin roofing was blown off
a storage facility exposing artifacts to leaking tar.
A primary component of the project is to create a single storage
facility for the artifacts that will provide enhanced security,
environmental controls such as proper temperature and humidity levels,
and a fire detection and suppression system. In addition to storing the
Chaco Canyon collection, the Hibben Center will provide Chacoan
descendents, researchers, and students a single location from which to
access artifacts, archives, and data collections.
In closing, I would like to thank Chairman Pombo and Subcommittee
Chairman Radanovich for a their work on this bill and for moving this
bill through the House Resources Committee. I urge swift passage of
this legislation.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4808, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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