[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 155 (Tuesday, December 6, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H11042-H11043]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  GATEWAY COMMUNITIES COOPERATION ACT

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 585) to require Federal land managers to support, and to 
communicate, coordinate, and cooperate with, designated gateway 
communities, to improve the ability of gateway communities to 
participate in Federal land management planning conducted by the Forest 
Service and agencies of the Department of the Interior, and to respond 
to the impacts of the public use of the Federal lands administered by 
these agencies, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 585

       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 ``Gateway Communities 
     Cooperation Act''.

     SEC. 2. IMPROVED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FEDERAL LAND MANAGERS 
                   AND GATEWAY COMMUNITIES TO SUPPORT COMPATIBLE 
                   LAND MANAGEMENT OF BOTH FEDERAL AND ADJACENT 
                   LANDS.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) Many communities that abut or are near Federal lands, 
     including units of the National Park System, units of the 
     National Wildlife Refuge System, units of the National Forest 
     System, and lands administered by the Bureau of Land 
     Management, are vitally impacted by the management and public 
     use of these Federal lands.
       (2) Some of these communities, commonly known as gateway 
     communities, fulfill an integral part in the mission of the 
     Federal lands by providing necessary services, such as 
     schools, roads, search and rescue, emergency service, medical 
     support, logistical support, living quarters, and drinking 
     water and sanitary systems for visitors to the Federal lands 
     and employees of Federal land management agencies.
       (3) Provision of these vital services by gateway 
     communities is an essential ingredient for a meaningful and 
     enjoyable experience by visitors to the Federal lands because 
     Federal land management agencies are unable to provide, or 
     are prevented from providing, these services.
       (4) Many gateway communities serve as an entry point for 
     persons who visit the Federal lands and are ideal for 
     establishment of visitor services, including lodging, food 
     service, fuel, auto repairs, emergency services, and visitor 
     information.
       (5) Development in some gateway communities may impact the 
     management and protection of these Federal lands.
       (6) The planning and management decisions of Federal land 
     managers can have unintended consequences for gateway 
     communities and the Federal lands when the decisions are not 
     adequately communicated to, or coordinated with, the elected 
     officials and residents of gateway communities.
       (7) Experts in land management planning are available to 
     Federal land managers, but persons with technical planning 
     skills are often not readily available to gateway 
     communities, particularly small gateway communities.
       (8) Gateway communities are often affected by the policies 
     and actions of several Federal land management agencies and 
     the communities and the agencies would benefit from greater 
     interagency coordination of those policies and actions.
       (9) Persuading gateway communities to make decisions and 
     undertake actions in their communities that would also be in 
     the best interest of the Federal lands is most likely to 
     occur when such decisionmaking and actions are built upon a 
     foundation of cooperation and coordination.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to require 
     Federal land managers to communicate, coordinate, and 
     cooperate with gateway communities in order to--
       (1) improve the relationships among Federal land managers, 
     elected officials, and residents of gateway communities;
       (2) enhance the facilities and services in gateway 
     communities available to visitors to Federal lands when 
     compatible with the management of these lands, including the 
     availability of historical and cultural resources; and
       (3) result in better local land use planning in gateway 
     communities and decisions by the relevant Secretary.
       (c) Definitions.--For the purpose of this section, the 
     following definitions apply:
       (1) Gateway community.--The term ``gateway community'' 
     means a county, city, town, village, or other subdivision of 
     a State, a federally recognized Indian tribe, or Alaska 
     Native village, that--
       (A) is incorporated or recognized in a county or regional 
     land use plan or within tribal jurisdictional boundaries; and
       (B) the relevant Secretary (or the head of the tourism 
     office for the State) determines is significantly affected 
     economically, socially, or environmentally by planning and 
     management decisions regarding Federal lands administered by 
     the relevant Secretary.
       (2) Relevant secretary.--The term ``relevant Secretary'' 
     means the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of 
     Agriculture, as appropriate.
       (d) Participation in Federal Planning and Land Use.--
       (1) Participation in planning.--At the earliest possible 
     time, the relevant Secretary shall solicit the involvement of 
     elected and appointed officials of governments of gateway 
     communities in the development of land use plans, programs, 
     land use regulations, land use decisions, transportation 
     plans, general management plans, and any other plans, 
     decisions, projects, or policies for Federal lands under the 
     jurisdiction of these Federal agencies that are likely to 
     have a significant impact on these gateway communities.
       (2) Information provided.--To facilitate such involvement, 
     the relevant Secretary shall provide the appropriate 
     officials, at the earliest possible time but not later than 
     the scoping process, with the following:
       (A) A summary, in nontechnical language, of the 
     assumptions, purposes, goals, and objectives of the plan, 
     decision, project, or policy.
       (B) A description of any anticipated significant impact of 
     the plan, decision, project, or policy on gateway 
     communities.
       (C) Information regarding the technical assistance and 
     training available to the gateway community.
       (3) Training sessions.--At the request of a gateway 
     community, the relevant Secretary shall offer training 
     sessions for elected and appointed officials of gateway 
     communities at which such officials can obtain a better 
     understanding of--
       (A) the agency planning processes; and
       (B) the methods by which they can participate most 
     meaningfully in the development of the agency plans, 
     decisions, and policies referred to in paragraph (1).
       (4) Technical assistance.--At the request of a gateway 
     community, the relevant Secretary shall make available 
     personnel, on a temporary basis, to assist gateway 
     communities in development of mutually compatible land use or 
     management plans.
       (5) Coordination of land use.--The relevant Secretary may 
     enter into cooperative agreements with gateway communities to 
     coordinate the management of--
       (A) the land use inventory, planning, and management 
     activities for the Federal lands administered by the relevant 
     Secretary; and
       (B) the land use planning and management activities of 
     other Federal agencies, agencies of the State in which the 
     Federal lands are located, and local and tribal governments 
     in the vicinity of the Federal lands.
       (6) Interagency cooperation and coordination.--To the 
     extent practicable, when the plans and activities of 2 or 
     more Federal agencies are anticipated to have a significant 
     impact on a gateway community, the Federal agencies involved 
     shall consolidate and coordinate their plans and planning 
     processes to facilitate the participation of affected gateway 
     communities in the planning processes.
       (7) Treatment as cooperating agencies.--To the earliest 
     extent practicable, but not later than the scoping process, 
     when a proposed action is determined to require an 
     environmental impact statement, the relevant Secretary shall 
     allow any affected gateway communities the opportunity to be 
     recognized as cooperating agencies under the National 
     Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

     SEC. 3. SUNSET.

       The authority of the Secretary to carry out any provisions 
     of this title shall terminate 10 years after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Radanovich) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) 
each will control 20 minutes.

[[Page H11043]]

  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 585, the Gateway Communities Cooperation Act, 
introduced by me and amended by the Resources Committee, would 
facilitate better communication between and among the Secretaries of 
the Interior and Agriculture and those designated communities located 
adjacent to our Federal lands, which are commonly known as gateway 
communities.
  These gateway communities are impacted by decisions made by managers 
of our public lands. The people in these communities fulfill an 
integral part in the mission of Federal lands by providing necessary 
services, such as schools, roads, search and rescue, emergency and 
medical support, drinking water and sanitary systems.
  H.R. 585, as amended, would improve the relationship among Federal 
land managers, elected officials and residents of gateway communities, 
as well as enhance facilities and service available to visitors of our 
Federal lands. Additionally, the measure will improve the coordination 
of land use planning and decisions made by Federal land managers.
  As the representative of Yosemite National Park here in Congress, I 
know how important coordination and communication is between Federal 
managers and the people living in the communities surrounding our 
national parks, forests and other Federal lands. This bill helps 
achieve a better relationship between these parties.
  I urge adoption of the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. UDALL of Colorado asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, through four Congresses now, we 
have worked with outside groups and the agencies to address the flaws 
in this legislation as it was originally introduced. As in the previous 
Congress, we do not intend to impose this legislation.
  However, the majority is amending H.R. 585 to remove authorize 
station for funding to assist these local gateway communities. It is 
unfortunate that as we are making available new information and 
technical assistance, we are not providing these communities the 
funding they will need to take advantage of these new opportunities.
  As I have said, Mr. Speaker, we do not oppose H.R. 585.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and 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. 585, 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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