[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 27, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H7653-H7654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             DOUGLAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON, PUD CONVEYANCE ACT

  Mr. PEARCE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4789) to require the Secretary of the Interior to convey 
certain public land located wholly or partially within the boundaries 
of the Wells Hydroelectric Project of Public Utility District No. 1 of 
Douglas County, Washington, to the utility district, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4789

       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 ``Douglas County, Washington, 
     PUD Conveyance Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Public land.--The term ``public land'' means the 
     approximately 622 acres of Federal land managed by the Bureau 
     of Land Management and identified for conveyance on the map 
     prepared by the Bureau of Land Management entitled ``Douglas 
     County Public Utility District Proposal'' and dated March 2, 
     2006.
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (3) PUD.--The term ``PUD'' means the Public Utility 
     District No. 1 of Douglas County, Washington.

     SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF PUBLIC LAND, WELLS HYDROELECTRIC 
                   PROJECT, PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 1 OF 
                   DOUGLAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON.

       (a) Conveyance Required.--Notwithstanding the land use 
     planning requirements of sections 202 and 203 of the Federal 
     Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712, 
     1713), and notwithstanding section 24 of the Federal Power 
     Act (16 U.S.C. 818) and Federal Power Order for Project 2149, 
     and subject to valid existing rights, if not later than 45 
     days after the date of completion of the appraisal required 
     under subsection (b), the Public Utility District No. 1 of 
     Douglas County, Washington, submits to the Secretary of the 
     Interior an offer to acquire the public land for the 
     appraised value, the Secretary shall convey, not later than 
     30 days after the date of the offer, to the PUD all right, 
     title, and interest of the United States in and to the public 
     land.
       (b) Appraisal.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall complete an 
     appraisal of the public land. The appraisal shall be 
     conducted in accordance with the ``Uniform Appraisal 
     Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions'' and the ``Uniform 
     Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice''.
       (c) Payment.--Not later than 30 days after the date on 
     which the public land is conveyed under this section, the PUD 
     shall pay to the Secretary an amount equal to the appraised 
     value of the public land as determined under subsection (b).
       (d) Map and Legal Descriptions.--As soon as practicable 
     after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
     finalize legal descriptions of the public land to be conveyed 
     under this section. The Secretary may correct any minor 
     errors in the map referred to in section 2 or in the legal 
     descriptions. The map and legal descriptions shall be on file 
     and available for public inspection in appropriate offices of 
     the Bureau of Land Management.
       (e) Costs of Conveyance.--As a condition of conveyance, any 
     costs related to the conveyance under this section shall be 
     paid by the PUD.
       (f) Disposition of Proceeds.--The Secretary shall deposit 
     the proceeds from the sale in the working capital fund of the 
     Bureau of Land Management established by section 306 of the 
     Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
     1736).

     SEC. 4. SEGREGATION OF LANDS.

       (a) Withdrawal.--Except as provided in section 3(a), 
     effective immediately upon enactment of this Act, and subject 
     to valid existing rights, the public land is withdrawn from
       (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under 
     the public land laws, and all amendments thereto;
       (2) location, entry, and patenting under the mining laws, 
     and all amendments thereto; and
       (3) operation of the mineral leasing, mineral materials, 
     and geothermal leasing laws, and all amendments thereto.
       (b) Duration.--This section expires two years after the 
     date of enactment of this Act or on the date of the 
     completion of the conveyance under section 3, whichever is 
     earlier.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Mexico (Mr. Pearce) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Mexico.
  Mr. PEARCE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 4789 would convey nearly 400 acres of small 
isolated Bureau of Land Management parcels of land to the Wells 
Hydroelectric Project located in Anzwell, Washington. The project 
provides power to large parts of Oregon and Washington.
  The small parcels being conveyed are difficult for the BLM to manage 
and makes management of the Wells Hydroelectric project area difficult 
for the utility company which manages its area not just for power 
generation, but also for a variety of public recreation uses.
  The land would be conveyed for fair market value and the legislation 
ensures that recreational opportunities would continue.
  I urge passage of this bill.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, I too support this legislation. I encourage 
its

[[Page H7654]]

passage this evening and yield back the balance of our time.
  Mr. PEARCE. Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers and yield 
back the balance of our time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4789, 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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