Congressional Record, Volume 152 Issue 122 (Tuesday, September 26, 2006)

[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 26, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H7373-H7374]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

PROVIDING FOR CONVEYANCE OF FORMER KONNAROCK LUTHERAN GIRLS SCHOOL IN
SMYTH COUNTY, VIRGINIA

Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 5103) to provide for the conveyance of the former
Konnarock Lutheran Girls School in Smyth County, Virginia, which is
currently owned by the United States and administered by the Forest
Service, to facilitate the restoration and reuse of the property, and
for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:

H.R. 5103

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

SECTION 1. LAND CONVEYANCE, FORMER KONNAROCK LUTHERAN GIRLS
SCHOOL, JEFFERSON NATIONAL FOREST, SMYTH
COUNTY, VIRGINIA.

(a) Conveyance Required.--The Secretary of Agriculture
shall convey, without consideration, to the Evangelical
Lutheran Coalition for Mission in Appalachia (in this section
referred to as the ``recipient'') all right, title, and
interest of the United States in and to a parcel of real
property in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, Smyth
County, Virginia, located in the vicinity of the junction of
Virginia Routes 600 and 603, consisting of not more than six
acres, and containing the former Konnarock Lutheran Girls
School and its outbuildings, as depicted on the map entitled
``Proposed Area for New Legislation or Sale-Konnarock School-
Being a Portion of USA Tract J-935''.
(b) Condition of Conveyance.--The conveyance under
subsection (a) shall be subject to the condition that the
recipient accept the real property described in such
subsection in its condition at the time of the conveyance,
commonly known as conveyance ``as is''.
(c) Description of Property.--Subject to the acreage
limitation specified in subsection (a), the exact acreage and
legal description of the real property to be conveyed under
such subsection shall be determined by a survey satisfactory
to the Secretary. The cost of the survey shall be borne by
the recipient.
(d) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may
require such additional terms and conditions in connection
with the conveyance under subsection (a) as the Secretary
considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United
States.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr.
Peterson) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5103, a bill to provide for
the conveyance of the former Konnarock Lutheran Girls School in Smyth
County, Virginia. The Konnarock property is located in Representative
Rick Boucher's congressional district, just south of my district in the
southwestern part of Virginia. The land and buildings were acquired by
the Forest Service in 1967. The facility, at that time, was not in use.
It was last used as a school in 1959.
The Forest Service used the buildings to house fire crews and summer
trail crews, as well as the job corps operations. By the early 1980s,
continued deterioration rendered the facility unusable. There has been
considerable continued deterioration since that time. The facility is
now in severe disrepair.
Prior to Forest Service acquisition, the facility was owned by the
local Lutheran Church. This legislation would convey the land to the
Evangelical Lutheran Coalition for the mission in Appalachia, which
plans to restore/preserve the historic structures; develop a retreat
center; partner with area colleges to use the property as an
environmental learning center; and develop, archive, and exhibit the
history of the school and the community.
This bill was passed by the House Committee on Agriculture favorably
last week with the recommendation

[[Page H7374]]

that it does pass. Today's bill takes the bare minimum necessary to
convey this property to an owner who will have an opportunity to invest
in the buildings and restore them to their historical significance.
Prior to the committee's consideration of the bill, we were advised
by the Congressional Budget Office that the small area conveyed and the
deterioration of the buildings ensures that the bill will not have a
significant impact on spending.
I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Boucher), for
introducing this good measure and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr.
Peterson), the ranking member, for helping us get it to the floor. I
urge my colleagues to adopt this bill.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 5103. Mr. Boucher's bill will convey about
6 acres of land within Jefferson National Forest back to the Lutheran
Church to allow them to restore and preserve the historic Konnarock
Lutheran Girls School in Smyth County, Virginia.
The Lutheran Evangelical Coalition for Missions in the Appalachias
has developed a thoughtful plan for the site that includes the
restoration and preservation of the building, a retreat center, and an
environmental learning center that will work in conjunction with local
schools.
This is a worthwhile use of Federal forest land and an excellent
project which deserves congressional support.
Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Boucher), the author of the bill.
(Mr. BOUCHER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. BOUCHER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me
this time, and I want to express my appreciation to the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee,
and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Peterson) for moving this measure
through the committee and bringing the bill to the House floor today.
The Lutheran Girls School building in Konnarock, Virginia, is a
historic structure; and it is presently listed on the National Register
of Historic Places. It was constructed of wood and stone, hewed from
the mountains where the building is located during the 1920s, and has
graceful architecture that is typical of the rustic buildings
constructed during that era.
It was constructed by the Women's Missionary Society of the Lutheran
Church in America and was operated by the Lutheran Church as a girls
school from the middle 1920s until 1959. At that time the school was
closed and the building at that point entered a very long period of
disuse.
In 1967 the Forest Service acquired that building as part of a much
larger acquisition of 680 acres, all of which bordered the national
forest. Today, the building has fallen into a severe state of disrepair
and is in danger of collapse unless substantial remedial work is
performed in the very near future.
The bill before us would convey the building and up to 6 acres of
lands, the exact amount to be determined by conducting a survey, from
the Federal Government and to the Evangelical Lutheran Coalition for
Mission in Appalachia. That is an organization that is affiliated with
the Lutheran Church.
The Lutheran Coalition intends to restore and renovate the property
in a manner consistent with its historic status. Its future use will be
as a retreat center for the Lutheran Coalition, and it will be
available for use as a retreat center and by other nonprofit entities
and faith-based organizations.
The coalition also plans to partner with area colleges to establish
exhibits and a learning center for matters relating to the unique
mountain environment in which this building is located.
Through this conveyance, we can assure that the restoration and
future maintenance of this historic structure will occur. I thank
Chairman Goodlatte and Mr. Peterson for their work in bringing this
bill to the floor. I join with them in urging its approval by the House
Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the
legislation, 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 bill, H.R. 5103, 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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