[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 105 (Thursday, July 28, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9306-S9307]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself and Mr. Stevens):
  S. 1548. A bill to provide for the conveyance of certain Forest 
Service land to the city of Coffman Cove, Alaska; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, today I introduce a bill that is very 
important to a small community in my home State of Alaska. This bill 
will authorize the U.S. Forest Service to convey approximately 12 acres 
of land, which it no longer needs but continues to own in Coffman Cove, 
AK to the city of Coffman Cove. The bill authorizes that the land, a 
former administrative site, be conveyed without charge to the city 
which has a population of about 230 people.
  Coffman Cove was founded in 1965 as a logging community to provide 
support for the timber industry on Prince of Wales Island in the 
Tongass National Forest. It operated for almost 35 years in that 
capacity. Due to changes in Federal policy, the timber industry on the 
island no longer provides the economic base necessary to sustain 
Coffman Cove. Attempts at economic diversification are very difficult 
so long as the Forest Service holds in Federal ownership these 12 acres 
which literally occupy the center of this small community.
  Just a few years ago, the Forest Service in conjunction with the 
timber industry completed the environmental cleanup of the logging site 
and facility at Coffman Cove. That cleanup was funded by the timber 
industry as good corporate citizens. The result of the cleanup is that 
the 12 acres can now be made available for disposal to the city.
  This bill, in which I am joined by my colleague Mr. Stevens, would 
convey title to the City without cost so that it

[[Page S9307]]

can begin a redevelopment plan for the community. The city of Coffman 
Cove needs this land if it is to hope to reorient its economy from a 
principally logging community to a more diversified economic community. 
A small town of 230 people simply does not have the funds to purchase 
this land and the Federal Government needs to pitch in by conveying 
full title without cost to the community.
  This is only fair since the Federal Government's change in timber 
policy has created the city's dilemma. As a result of the change in 
timber policy with which the Senate is so familiar, the city has been 
set adrift to fend for itself economically. And it has done a good job. 
It will soon become the southern terminus for the Inter-Island Ferry 
Authority's new northern route which will connect Prince of Wales 
Island with Wrangell and Petersburg. The new route will go into service 
in the next few months and this should provide an economic boost to the 
community.
  But, Coffman Cove must control the land in the heart of its community 
if it is to economically diversify. For the new ferry route to bring 
economic development to the City, the City must able to sell, rent, or 
develop its local land base. The 12 acres which are the subject of my 
bill are the 12 key acres right in the center of town. Now this is a 
small town and without control of this land, the City cannot ever 
successfully diversity and recovers from the change in its economy as a 
result of the change in Federal timber policy.
  This Forest Service desires to retain a 3 acre site for its continued 
administrative purposes. My bill does not affect that site and I expect 
the Forest Service to have no problem with the land conveyance 
locations provided in this bill. I appreciate the assistance of the 
Forest Service in helping me to draft the legislation.
  This conveyance fulfills the Federal Government's commitment that 
changes in Federal timber policy would be matched by Federal help to 
the local communities to diversify. It is absolutely appropriate and 
fair to offer Coffman Cove this former Forest Service administrative 
site that no longer has value to the Federal government but that is 
crucial to Coffman Cove as it plans its future.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the legislation be printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1548

       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 ``Coffman Cove Administrative 
     Site Conveyance Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) the community of Coffman Cove, Alaska, which originated 
     as a logging camp in the 1960's, was incorporated as a city 
     in 1989;
       (2) the Forest Service property located in the center of 
     the City was used by the Forest Service as a work center;
       (3) the Forest Service work facilities included part of the 
     logging camp, a log sort yard, and a log transfer site, all 
     of which supported the long-term timber sale operations and 
     other subsequent timber sales in the Tongass National Forest;
       (4) as the long-term timber sale operations concluded, the 
     need for the Forest Service to use the Forest Service site in 
     Coffman Cove diminished;
       (5) the Forest Service work center facilities that 
     supported timber operations have been removed and the site 
     has been restored;
       (6) the location of the administrative site interferes with 
     the ability of the City to further develop commercial 
     operations and tourism support facilities relating to a new 
     ferry terminal;
       (7) the City wants to acquire a portion of the site to 
     continue the transition of the City from a timber-dependent 
     economy to a more fully developed and diversified economy; 
     and
       (8) the Forest Service expects that only approximately 3 
     acres of the administrative site will be used in the future 
     for National Forest System purposes.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) City.--The term ``City'' means the city of Coffman 
     Cove, Alaska.
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Agriculture.

     SEC. 4. CONVEYANCE.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, the Secretary shall convey to the City, without 
     consideration and without additional warrants or liability on 
     behalf of the United States, fee simple title to the parcel 
     of Forest Service land described in subsection (b).
       (b) Description of Land.--
       (1) In general.--The parcel of Forest Service land referred 
     to in subsection (a) is the approximately 12 acres of land 
     identified in U.S. Survey 10099, as depicted on the plat 
     entitled ``Subdivision of U.S. Survey No. 10099'' and 
     recorded as Plat 2003-1 on January 21, 2003, Petersburg 
     Recording District, Alaska.
       (2) Excluded land.--The parcel of Forest Service land 
     conveyed under subsection (a) does not include the portion of 
     U.S. Survey 10099 that is north of the right-of-way for 
     Forest Development Road 3030-295 and southeast of Tract CC-8.
       (c) Right-of-way.--The United States may reserve a right-
     of-way to provide access to the Forest Service land excluded 
     from the conveyance to the City under subsection (b)(2).

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