[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 124 (Tuesday, October 5, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H8139-H8140]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 AUTHORIZING THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE TO SELL OR EXCHANGE CERTAIN 
  ADMINISTRATIVE SITES IN THE OZARK-ST. FRANCIS AND OUACHITA NATIONAL 
                                FORESTS

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 33) to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to sell 
or exchange all or part of certain administrative sites and other land 
in the Ozark-St. Francis and Ouachita National Forests and to use funds 
derived from the sale or exchange to acquire, construct, or improve 
administrative sites.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 33

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SALE OR EXCHANGE OF LAND.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to 
     in this Act as the ``Secretary'') may, under such terms and 
     conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, sell or exchange 
     any right, title, and interest of the United States in and to 
     the following National Forest System land and improvements:
       (1) In the Ouachita National Forest--
       (A) tract 1, ``Work Center and two Residences'' 
     (approximately 12.4 acres), as identified on the map entitled 
     ``Ouachita National Forest, Waldron, Arkansas, Work Center 
     and Residences'' and dated July 26, 2000;
       (B) tract 2, ``Work Center'' (approximately 10 acres), as 
     identified on the map entitled ``Ouachita National Forest, 
     Booneville, Arkansas, Work Center'' and dated July 26, 2000;
       (C) tract 3, ``Residence'' (approximately \1/2\ acre), as 
     identified on the map entitled ``Ouachita National Forest, 
     Glenwood, Arkansas, Residence'' and dated July 26, 2000;
       (D) tract 4, ``Work Center'' (approximately 10.12 acres), 
     as identified on the map entitled ``Ouachita National Forest, 
     Thornburg, Arkansas, Work Center'' and dated July 26, 2000;
       (E) tract 5, ``Office Building'' (approximately 1.5 acres), 
     as identified on the map entitled ``Ouachita National Forest, 
     Perryville, Arkansas, Office Building'' and dated July 26, 
     2000;
       (F) tract 6, ``Several Buildings, Including Office Space 
     and Equipment Depot'' (approximately 3 acres), as identified 
     on the map entitled ``Ouachita National Forest, Hot Springs, 
     Arkansas, Buildings'' and dated July 26, 2000;
       (G) tract 7, ``Isolated Forestland'' (approximately 120 
     acres), as identified on the map entitled ``Ouachita National 
     Forest, Sunshine, Arkansas, Isolated Forestland'' and dated 
     July 26, 2000;
       (H) tract 8, ``Isolated Forestland'' (approximately 40 
     acres), as identified on the map entitled ``Ouachita National 
     Forest, Sunshine, Arkansas, Isolated Forestland'' and dated 
     July 26, 2000;
       (I) tract 9, ``Three Residences'' (approximately 9.89 
     acres), as identified on the map entitled ``Ouachita National 
     Forest, Heavener, Oklahoma, Three Residences'' and dated July 
     26, 2000;
       (J) tract 10, ``Work Center'' (approximately 38.91 acres), 
     as identified on the map entitled ``Ouachita National Forest, 
     Heavener, Oklahoma, Work Center'' and dated July 26, 2000;
       (K) tract 11, ``Residence #1'' (approximately 0.45 acres), 
     as identified on the map entitled ``Ouachita National Forest, 
     Talihina, Oklahoma, Residence #1'' and dated July 26, 2000;
       (L) tract 12, ``Residence #2'' (approximately 0.21 acres), 
     as identified on the map entitled ``Ouachita National Forest, 
     Talihina, Oklahoma, Residence #2'' and dated July 26, 2000;
       (M) tract 13, ``Work Center'' (approximately 5 acres), as 
     identified on the map entitled ``Ouachita National Forest, 
     Big Cedar, Oklahoma, Work Center'' and dated July 26, 2000;
       (N) tract 14, ``Residence'' (approximately 0.5 acres), as 
     identified on the map entitled ``Ouachita National Forest, 
     Idabel, Oklahoma, Residence'' and dated July 26, 2000;
       (O) tract 15, ``Residence and Work Center'' (approximately 
     40 acres), as identified on the map entitled ``Ouachita 
     National Forest, Idabel, Oklahoma, Residence and Work 
     Center'' and dated July 26, 2000; and
       (P) tract 16, ``Isolated Forestland'' at sec. 30, T. 2 S., 
     R. 25 W. (approximately 2.08 acres), as identified on the map 
     entitled ``Ouachita National Forest, Mt. Ida, Arkansas, 
     Isolated Forestland'' and dated August 27, 2001.
       (2) In the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest--
       (A) tract 1, ``Tract 750, District 1, Two Residences, 
     Administrative Office'' (approximately 8.96 acres), as 
     identified on the map entitled ``Ozark-St. Francis National 
     Forest, Mountain View, Arkansas, Tract 750, District 1, Two 
     Residences, Administrative Office'' and dated July 26, 2000;
       (B) tract 2, ``Tract 2736, District 5, Mountainburg Work 
     Center'' (approximately 1.61 acres), as identified on the map 
     entitled ``Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, Mountainburg, 
     Arkansas, Tract 2736, District 5, Mountainburg Work Center'' 
     and dated July 26, 2000;
       (C) tract 3, ``Tract 2686, District 6, House'' 
     (approximately 0.31 acres), as identified on the map entitled 
     ``Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, Paris, Arkansas, Tract 
     2686, District 6 House'' and dated July 26, 2000;
       (D) tract 4, ``Tract 2807, District 6, House'' 
     (approximately 0.25 acres), as identified on the map entitled 
     ``Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, Paris, Arkansas, Tract 
     2807, District 6, House'' and dated July 26, 2000;
       (E) tract 5, ``Tract 2556, District 3, Dover Work Center'' 
     (approximately 2.0 acres), as identified on the map entitled 
     ``Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, Dover, Arkansas, Tract 
     2556, District 3, Dover Work Center'' and dated July 26, 
     2000;
       (F) tract 6, ``Tract 2735, District 2, House'' 
     (approximately 0.514 acres), as identified on the map 
     entitled ``Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, Jasper, 
     Arkansas, Tract 2735, District 2, House'' and dated July 26, 
     2000; and
       (G) tract 7, ``Tract 2574, District 2, House'' 
     (approximately 0.75 acres), as identified on the map entitled 
     ``Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, Jasper, Arkansas, Tract 
     2574, District 2, House'' and dated July 26, 2000.
       (b) Applicable Authorities.--Except as otherwise provided 
     in this Act, any sale or exchange of land described in 
     subsection (a) shall be subject to laws (including 
     regulations) applicable to the conveyance and acquisition of 
     land for National Forest System purposes.
       (c) Cash Equalization.--Notwithstanding any other provision 
     of law, the Secretary may accept cash equalization payments 
     in excess of 25 percent of the total value of the land 
     described in subsection (a) from any exchange under 
     subsection (a).
       (d) Solicitations of Offers.--
       (1) In general.--In carrying out this Act, the Secretary 
     may use solicitations of offers for sale or exchange under 
     this Act on such terms and conditions as the Secretary may 
     prescribe.
       (2) Rejection of offers.--The Secretary may reject any 
     offer under this Act if the Secretary determines that the 
     offer is not adequate or not in the public interest.

     SEC. 2. DISPOSITION OF FUNDS.

       Any funds received by the Secretary through sale or by cash 
     equalization from an exchange--
       (1) shall be deposited into the fund established by Public 
     Law 90-171 (commonly known as the ``Sisk Act'') (16 U.S.C. 
     484a); and
       (2) shall be available for expenditure, without further Act 
     of appropriation, for the acquisition, construction, or 
     improvement of administrative facilities, land, or interests 
     in land for the national forests in the States of Arkansas 
     and Oklahoma.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pearce). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) and the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Stenholm) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte).
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.

[[Page H8140]]

  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 33 which allows the Forest 
Service to sell or exchange a total of 23 administrative sites on 
national forest lands in Arkansas and Oklahoma. The funds generated 
will be used to relocate and renovate offices as well as purchase and 
replace administrative sites. Overall, the lands covered by the bill 
total just over 308 acres. The total value of the sites to be sold is 
$3.375 million.
  The total acreage involved requires an act of Congress to allow the 
agency to sell these lands. The sales will encourage efficient 
management of the National Forest Service lands in Arkansas and 
Oklahoma. And I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for S. 33, a lands exchange 
bill that was introduced by Senator Lincoln of Arkansas which passed 
the Senate on November 11, 2003. Its companion bill in the House, H.R. 
3744 was introduced by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross). These 
two pieces of legislation are the same except for changes to the title 
and some capitalization.
  This legislation authorizes the sale of 16 administrative sites in 
the Ouachita National Forest and 7 administrative sites in the Ozark-
St. Francis National Forest. Because some of the parcels contain 
buildings which must be maintained for historic preservation purposes, 
they are expensive to maintain, according to the U.S. Forest Service. 
In fact, the U.S. Forest Service contends that the cost of maintaining 
such parcels generally exceeds their value in terms of management. S. 
33 allows the monies from the sale of the sites to be used to relocate 
and renovate offices and to purchase and replace administrative sites.
  The Forest Service has indicated that it has no objections to the 
legislation. For all of these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support 
this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I welcome back the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Stenholm) who I hear has been at the Committee on Rules.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further request for time and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 33.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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