[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 22, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H2499-H2500]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        COFFMAN COVE ADMINISTRATIVE SITE CONVEYANCE ACT OF 2008

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 831) to provide for the conveyance of certain Forest Service 
land to the city of Coffman Cove, Alaska, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 831

       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 ``Coffman Cove Administrative 
     Site Conveyance Act of 2008''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) City.--The term ``City'' means the city of Coffman 
     Cove, Alaska.
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Agriculture.

     SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE.

       (a) In General.--Subject to valid existing rights, the 
     Secretary shall convey to the City, without consideration and 
     by quitclaim deed all right, title, and interest of the 
     United States, except as provided in subsections (c) and (d), 
     in and to the parcel of National Forest System land described 
     in subsection (b).
       (b) Description of Land.--
       (1) In general.--The parcel of National Forest System land 
     referred to in subsection (a) is the approximately 12 acres 
     of land identified in U.S. Survey 10099, as depicted on the 
     plat entitled ``Subdivision of U.S. Survey No. 10099'' and 
     recorded as Plat 2003-1 on January 21, 2003, Petersburg 
     Recording District, Alaska.
       (2) Excluded land.--The parcel of National Forest System 
     land conveyed under subsection (a) does not include the 
     portion of U.S. Survey 10099 that is north of the right-of-
     way for Forest Development Road 3030-295 and southeast of 
     Tract CC-8.
       (c) Right-of-Way.--The United States may reserve a right-
     of-way to provide access to the National Forest System land 
     excluded from the conveyance to the City under subsection 
     (b)(2).
       (d) Reversion.--If any portion of the land conveyed under 
     subsection (a) (other than a portion of land sold under 
     subsection (e)) ceases to be used for public purposes, the 
     land shall, at the option of the Secretary, revert to the 
     United States.
       (e) Conditions on Subsequent Conveyances.--If the City 
     sells any portion of the land conveyed to the City under 
     subsection (a)--
       (1) the amount of consideration for the sale shall reflect 
     fair market value, as determined by an appraisal; and
       (2) the City shall pay to the Secretary an amount equal to 
     the gross proceeds of the sale, which shall be available, 
     without further appropriation, for the Tongass National 
     Forest.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. 
Duncan) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from West Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from West Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, the pending measure was introduced by the 
ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee, the gentleman from 
Alaska (Mr. Young).
  The bill would direct the U.S. Forest Service to convey a 12-acre 
administrative site in the middle of Coffman Cove, Alaska to that city.

[[Page H2500]]

                              {time}  1430

  The land under discussion is in the center of the town near a new 
ferry terminal. This conveyance will help the city's efforts to 
diversify its economic base.
  Additionally, the location of the site has been difficult for the 
Forest Service to manage.
  I support passage of H.R. 831.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 831 introduced by our distinguished colleague, Don 
Young, conveys approximately 12 acres of National Forest System land to 
the City of Coffman Cove. The City of Coffman Cove, Alaska, is a small 
community with about 200 residents that developed around the Tongass 
National Forest logging camp and work site. The 12-acre Forest Service 
site is now in the middle of town, and a new ferry terminal is planned 
for an adjacent parcel. The location of most of the Forest Service site 
makes it difficult and inefficient for the Forest Service to manage and 
an obstacle to the future development and design of the city's 
downtown. Conveyance of the Forest Service site would benefit both the 
Forest Service and the city in this regard.
  In short, this noncontroversial bill simply conveys to Coffman Cove a 
small parcel of Forest Service land for which the Forest Service has no 
use. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman 
Rahall for scheduling this noncontroversial bill for floor 
consideration today.
  H.R. 831 will provide for the conveyance of approximately 12 acres of 
surplus Forest Service land to the city of Coffman Cove, Alaska. The 
12-acre parcel sits in the middle of town adjacent to the site of a new 
Inter-Island Ferry Terminal that the city hopes to use to help spur 
economic growth. In addition to being an obstacle to the ferry terminal 
and any new economic development in the city's downtown, the location 
of the parcel makes it difficult and inefficient for the Forest Service 
to manage. As such, the conveyance provided for in this bill would 
benefit both the city and the Forest Service, and according to the 
Congressional Budget Office, it will do so at little or no cost to the 
taxpayer.
  To give you some background, Mr. Speaker, Coffman Cove is a small, 
isolated community with about 200 residents that developed around a 
Tongass National Forest logging camp and work site. While the timber 
industry and the jobs it once provided in the region have largely 
disappeared, the community remains, and opportunities for economic 
growth and expansion are limited by the fact that it is surrounded on 
all sides by the 17-million-acre Tongass National Forest. I don't 
expect to change that anytime soon, but I think it is more than 
reasonable to convey 12 acres of surplus Federal land located within 
the community's economic center.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill provides a fair and commonsense solution to a 
problem. The tiny parcel of land is of no use to the Forest Service and 
it is an impediment to the growth and economic well-being of an 
isolated community surrounded by a National Forest larger than the 
State of West Virginia. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 
831.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield back.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 831, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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