[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 26, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H7374-H7375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  PROVIDING FOR CONVEYANCE OF CERTAIN NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LAND TO 
                      LAONA AND WABENO, WISCONSIN

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 4559) to provide for the conveyance of National Forest 
System land to the towns of Laona and Wabeno, Wisconsin, to authorize 
the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain isolated parcels of 
National Forest System land in Florence and Langlade Counties, 
Wisconsin, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4559

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

     SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE OF CHEQUAMEGON-NICOLET NATIONAL FOREST 
                   LAND TO TOWNS OF LAONA AND WABENO, WISCONSIN.

       (a) Conveyance to Town of Laona.--
       (1) Conveyance.--At the request of the town of Laona, 
     Wisconsin (referred to in this subsection as the ``town''), 
     the Secretary of Agriculture shall convey to the town all 
     right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the 
     parcel of National Forest System land in Forest County, 
     Wisconsin, consisting of approximately 176 acres, as further 
     described in paragraph (2), for the purpose of permitting the 
     town to use the parcel as a site for an industrial park and 
     for other purposes.
       (2) Legal description.--The parcel of land referred to in 
     paragraph (1) consists of the N\1/2\SW\1/4\, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, 
     S\1/2\SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, and that part of the W\1/2\NE\1/4\ 
     lying south of the Rat River, excluding Lot #1 of Forest 
     County Certified Survey Map #157861 and a 100-foot wide 
     former rail road right-of-way running through the W\1/2\NE\1/
     4\, all in section 6, township 35 north, range 15 east, Laona 
     Township, Forest County, Wisconsin.
       (3) Consideration.--As consideration for the conveyance 
     under this subsection, the town shall pay to the Secretary an 
     amount equal to $300,000, which is the appraised fair market 
     value of the parcel of National Forest System land to be 
     conveyed.
       (b) Conveyance to Town of Wabeno.--
       (1) Conveyance.--At the request of the town of Wabeno, 
     Wisconsin (referred to in this subsection as the ``town''), 
     the Secretary of Agriculture shall convey to the town all 
     right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the 
     parcel of National Forest System land in Forest County, 
     Wisconsin, consisting of approximately 173 acres, as further 
     described in paragraph (2), for the purpose of permitting the 
     town to use the parcel as a site for an industrial park and 
     for other purposes.
       (2) Legal description.--The parcel of land referred to in 
     paragraph (1) consists of the S\1/2\NW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, 
     and east 17.30 acres of the NW\1/4\SW\1/4\, excluding a 100-
     foot wide former rail road right-of-way running through the 
     NE\1/4\SW\1/4\ and SE\1/4\NW\1/4\ and a 0.02 acre parcel in 
     the SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, a 0.93 acre parcel in the SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, 
     and a 2.36 acre parcel in the E\1/2\SW\1/4\ reserved for 
     highway purposes, as described in volume 7, 276-277, Forest 
     County Records, and all in section 7, township 34 north, 
     range 15 east, Wabeno Township, Forest County, Wisconsin.
       (3) Consideration.--As consideration for the conveyance 
     under this subsection, the town shall pay to the Secretary an 
     amount equal to $320,000, which is the appraised fair market 
     value of the parcel of National Forest System land to be 
     conveyed.
       (c) Survey.--If necessary, the exact acreage and legal 
     description of the lands to be conveyed under subsections (a) 
     and (b) shall be determined by surveys satisfactory to the 
     Secretary. The cost of a survey shall be borne by the 
     recipient of the land.
       (d) Deposit and Use of Proceeds.--
       (1) Deposit.--The Secretary shall deposit the proceeds from 
     the conveyance of land under this section in the fund 
     established

[[Page H7375]]

     under Public Law 90-171 (commonly known as the Sisk Act; 16 
     U.S.C. 484a).
       (2) Use.--Funds deposited pursuant to paragraph (1) shall 
     be available to the Secretary, without further appropriation 
     and until expended--
       (A) to acquire land and interests in land for inclusion in 
     the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Wisconsin; and
       (B) to reimburse costs incurred by the Secretary in 
     carrying out the conveyances under this section, including 
     the payment of any real estate broker commissions.
       (3) Administration.--The lands acquired under paragraph 
     (2)(A) shall be included in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National 
     Forest and administered in accordance with the laws 
     applicable to that National Forest.
       (e) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, the land 
     to be conveyed under this section is withdrawn from location, 
     entry, and patent under the public land laws, mining laws, 
     and mineral leasing laws, including geothermal leasing laws.
       (f) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may 
     require such additional terms and conditions in connection 
     with the conveyances under this section 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. 4559. This bill simply 
provides the Forest Service with the required legislative authority to 
sell two tracts in Wisconsin to neighboring towns for a set price which 
the Forest Service and the towns agree represents fair market value.
  The intent of the land sale is to spur economic development by 
providing the towns room to grow and allow the Forest Service to 
acquire more sensitive lands that have higher natural resource value. 
The proceeds of these sales will be used by the Forest Service to 
acquire other higher priority lands in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National 
Forest.
  I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green) for introducing this 
legislation, and I thank Mr. Peterson for working with us on the 
committee to move this legislation forward. I urge my colleagues to 
support the 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.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4559. Mr. Green's bill would 
allow the towns of Laona and Wabeno in Wisconsin to purchase two 
parcels of marginal Forest Service land for development. Those towns, 
as was noted, suffer from low timber prices and a limited tax base, and 
this bill is an effort to provide economic development in these 
communities.
  This bill allows the Forest Service to use the proceeds of the sale 
to buy land with greater environmental value which will improve the 
forest. This project is a sensible transfer of Federal forest land, and 
it deserves congressional support.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). 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. 4559, 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.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to provide 
for the conveyance of certain National Forest System land to the towns 
of Laona and Wabeno, Wisconsin, and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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