[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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