[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 18 (Thursday, February 17, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1659-S1660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DOMENICI:
  S. 447. A bill to authorize the conveyance of certain Federal land in 
the State of New Mexico; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 
and Forestry.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce an 
uncontroversial piece of legislation that I hope will receive prompt 
committee action and will make its way quickly to the President's desk 
for his signature.
  I would first like to familiarize the Senate with the important 
mission and related work of the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park in Las 
Cruces, NM. The Chihuahuan Desert is the largest desert in North 
America and contains a great diversity of unique plant and animal 
species. The ecosystem makes up an indispensable part of Southwest's 
treasured ecological diversity. As such, it is important that we teach 
our young ones an appreciation for New Mexico's biological diversity 
and impart upon them the value of this ecological treasure.
  The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park is a nonprofit institution that has 
spent the past 6 years providing hands-on science education to K-12th 
graders. To achieve this mission, the Nature Park provides classroom 
presentation, field trips, schoolyard ecology projects, and teacher 
work shops. The Nature Park serves more than 11,000 students and 600 
teachers annually. This instruction will enable our future leaders to 
make informed decisions about how best to manage these valuable 
resources. I commend those at the Nature Park for taking the initiative 
to create and administer a wonderfully successful program that has been 
so beneficial to the surrounding community.
  The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park was granted a 1,000 acre easement 
in 1998 at the southern boundary of USDA-Agriculture Research Service, 
USDA-ARS, property just north of Las Cruces, NM. This easement will 
expire soon. It is important that we provide them a permanent location 
so that they are able to continue their valuable mission.
  The bill I introduce today would transfer an insignificant amount of 
land: 1,000 of 193,000 USDA acres to the Desert Nature Park so that 
they may continue their important work. The USDA-ARS has approved the 
land transfer, noting the critically important mission of the Desert 
Park. I have no doubt that Senators on both sides of the aisle will 
recognize the importance of this land transfer.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be printed in 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 447

       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 ``Jornada Experimental Range 
     Transfer Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Chihuahuan Desert 
     Nature Park Board.
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Agriculture.

     SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF LAND TO CHIHUAHUAN DESERT NATURE PARK 
                   BOARD.

       (a) Conveyance.--The Secretary may convey to the Board, by 
     quitclaim deed, for no consideration, all right, title, and 
     interest of the United States in and to the land described in 
     subsection (b).
       (b) Description of Land.--The parcel of land referred to in 
     subsection (a) consists of not more than 1000 acres of land 
     selected by the Secretary--
       (1) that is located in the Jornada Experimental Range in 
     the State of New Mexico; and
       (2) that is subject to an easement granted by the 
     Agricultural Research Service to the Board.
       (c) Conditions.--The conveyance of land under subsection 
     (a) shall be subject to--
       (1) the condition that the Board pay--

[[Page S1660]]

       (A) the cost of any surveys of the land; and
       (B) any other costs relating to the conveyance;
       (2) any rights-of-way to the land reserved by the 
     Secretary;
       (3) a covenant or restriction in the deed to the land 
     described in subsection (b) requiring that--
       (A) the land may be used only for educational purposes;
       (B) if the land is no longer used for the purposes 
     described in subparagraph (A), the land shall, at the 
     discretion of the Secretary, revert to the United States; and
       (C) if the land is determined by the Secretary to be 
     environmentally contaminated under subsection (d)(2)(A), the 
     Board shall remediate the contamination; and
       (4) any other terms and conditions that the Secretary 
     determines to be appropriate.
       (d) Reversion.--If the land conveyed under subsection (a) 
     is no longer used for the purposes described in subsection 
     (c)(3)(A)--
       (1) the land shall, at the discretion of the Secretary, 
     revert to the United States; and
       (2) if the Secretary chooses to have the land revert to the 
     United States, the Secretary shall--
       (A) determine whether the land is environmentally 
     contaminated, including contamination from hazardous wastes, 
     hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, petroleum, or 
     petroleum by-products; and
       (B) if the Secretary determines that the land is 
     environmentally contaminated, the Board or any other person 
     responsible for the contamination shall remediate the 
     contamination.
                                 ______