[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 153 (Thursday, November 17, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13167-S13168]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REID:
  S. 2041. A bill to provide for the conveyance of a United States Fish 
and Wildlife Service administrative site to the city of Las Vegas, 
Nevada; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Ed Fountain 
Park Expansion Act. This legislation would transfer approximately eight 
acres of Federal land to the city of Las Vegas to allow for the 
expansion of one of the city's most popular parks.
  Ed Fountain Park is one of the best known and well-used parks in the 
city of Las Vegas. Located in a mature part of the city, adjacent to 
the city's oldest golf course, Ed Fountain Park has provided 
recreational opportunities for generations of local residents. For many 
years it has been home to Pop Warner football practices, youth soccer 
games, and family picnics and reunions. On any given day or night, a 
multitude of activities are taking place at the park, many of which are 
associated with the numerous nonprofit organizations that utilize the 
park's resources.
  The city of Las Vegas contacted my office several months ago to 
express their desire to expand Ed Fountain Park by acquiring land 
adjacent to the park that served as the site of the local 
administrative offices for the Bureau of Land Management, BLM, and U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service. The property was vacated by both Federal 
land management agencies several years ago after they relocated to a 
larger, multi-jurisdictional facility in the northwest part of the Las 
Vegas Valley.
  The property to be acquired by the city is technically classified as 
part of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex and is currently 
under the jurisdiction of the Fish and Wildlife Service. The parcel in 
question, however, is many miles away the actual wildlife refuge and 
sits as a vacant urban lot. The former administrative offices that were 
housed on the land were placed there many decades ago when this area 
was considered to be in the outskirts of town. Now, after years of 
unprecedented growth, this land is surrounded by well-established 
neighborhoods. The site also contains a single empty historical 
structure that would be part of the conveyance.
  Were the property under the jurisdiction of the BLM, as is usually 
the case in the Las Vegas Valley, the property could have been 
transferred administratively under the authority of the Recreation and 
Public Purposes Act. But because it is the property of the Fish and 
Wildlife Service, legislation is needed to transfer ownership of the 
property from the Fish and Wildlife Service to the city.
  This legislation provides the city with maximum flexibility to use 
the parcel to expand Ed Fountain Park, to build new athletic fields, to 
develop a community center, or any combination of these uses. All of 
these potential uses are in the public interest and provide important 
justification for conveying the land to the city at no cost.
  I look forward to working with the distinguished chairman and ranking

[[Page S13168]]

member of the Environment and Public Works Committee to move this 
legislation forward in a timely manner.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2041

       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 ``Ed Fountain Park Expansion 
     Act ''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Administrative site.--The term ``administrative site'' 
     means the parcel of real property identified as ``Lands to be 
     Conveyed to the City of Las Vegas; approximately, 7.89 
     acres'' on the map entitled ``Ed Fountain Park Expansion'' 
     and dated November 1, 2005.
       (2) City.--The term ``City'' means the city of Las Vegas, 
     Nevada.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United 
     States Fish and Wildlife Service.

     SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 
                   ADMINISTRATIVE SITE, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall convey to the City, 
     without consideration, all right, title, and interest of the 
     United States in and to the administrative site for use by 
     the City--
       (1) as a park; or
       (2) for any other recreation or nonprofit-related purpose.
       (b) Administrative Expenses.--As a condition of the 
     conveyance under subsection (a), the Secretary shall require 
     that the City pay the administrative costs of the conveyance, 
     including survey costs and any other costs associated with 
     the conveyance.
       (c) Reversionary Interest.--
       (1) In general.--If the Secretary determines that the City 
     is not using the administrative site for a purpose described 
     in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a), all right, title, 
     and interest of the City in and to the administrative site 
     (including any improvements to the administrative site) shall 
     revert, at the option of the Secretary, to the United States.
       (2) Hearing.--Any determination of the Secretary with 
     respect to a reversion under paragraph (1) shall be made--
       (A) on the record; and
       (B) after an opportunity for a hearing.
                                 ______