[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 125 (Tuesday, September 8, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H9293-H9294]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            HALE SCOUTS ACT

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 310) to provide for the conveyance of approximately 140 
acres of land in the Ouachita National Forest in Oklahoma to the Indian 
Nations Council, Inc., of the Boy Scouts of America, and for other 
purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 310

       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 ``Help to Access Land for the 
     Education of Scouts'' or ``HALE Scouts Act''.

     SEC. 2. LAND CONVEYANCE, OUACHITA NATIONAL FOREST, OKLAHOMA.

       (a) Finding.--Congress finds that it is in the public 
     interest to provide for the sale of certain federally owned 
     land in the Ouachita National Forest in Oklahoma to the 
     Indian Nations Council, Inc., of the Boy Scouts of America, 
     for market value consideration.
       (b) Conveyance Required.--Subject to valid existing rights, 
     the Secretary of Agriculture shall convey, by quitclaim deed, 
     to the Indian Nations Council, Inc., of the Boy Scouts of 
     America (in this section referred to as the ``Council'') all 
     right, title, and interest of the United States in and to 
     certain National Forest System land in the Ouachita National 
     Forest in the State of Oklahoma consisting of approximately 
     140 acres, depending on the final measurement of the road set 
     back and the actual size of the affected sections, as more 
     fully described in subsection (c). The conveyance may not 
     include any land located within the Indian Nations National 
     Scenic and Wildlife Area designated by section 10 of the 
     Winding Stair Mountain National Recreation and Wilderness 
     Area Act (16 U.S.C. 460vv-8).
       (c) Covered Lands.--The National Forest System land to be 
     conveyed under subsection (b) is depicted on the map entitled 
     ``Boy Scout Land Request-Ouachita NF''. The map shall be on 
     file and available for public inspection in the Forest 
     Service Regional Office in Atlanta, Georgia.
       (d) Consideration.--As consideration for the land conveyed 
     under subsection (b), the Council shall pay to the Secretary 
     an amount equal to the fair market value of the land, as 
     determined by an appraisal approved by the Secretary and done 
     in conformity with the Uniform Appraisal Standards for 
     Federal Land Acquisitions and section 206 of the Federal Land 
     Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716).
       (e) Use of Proceeds.--The consideration received under 
     subsection (d) shall be deposited in the fund established by 
     Public Law 90-171 (commonly known as the ``Sisk Act''; 16 
     U.S.C. 484a). The amount so deposited shall be available to 
     the Secretary, without further appropriation, for expenditure 
     for the acquisition of land and interests in land in the 
     Ouachita National Forest.
       (f) Survey and Administrative Costs.--The exact acreage and 
     legal description of the land to be conveyed under subsection 
     (b) shall be determined by a survey satisfactory to the 
     Secretary. The Council shall pay the reasonable costs of 
     survey, appraisal, and any administrative analyses required 
     by law.
       (g) Access.--Access to the land conveyed under subsection 
     (b) shall be from the adjacent land of the Council or its 
     successor. Notwithstanding section 1323(a) of the Alaska 
     National Interest Lands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 3210(a)), 
     the Secretary shall not be required to provide additional 
     access to the conveyed land.
       (h) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may 
     prescribe such terms and conditions on the conveyance under 
     subsection (b) as the Secretary considers in the public 
     interest, including the reservation of access rights to the 
     conveyed land for administrative purposes.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 310 would direct the Secretary of 
Agriculture to convey 140 acres of public land in Oklahoma administered 
by the United States Forest Service to the Indian Nations Council of 
Boy Scouts of America. The Boy Scouts will use the land to expand their 
existing camping area and will pay fair market value for the land.
  H.R. 310 is identical to legislation that passed the House last year 
by a vote of 370-2.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend our colleague, Representative Boren, 
for his work on this legislation, and I urge our colleagues to support 
passage of H.R. 310.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  The majority has explained this bill well. We are pleased to support 
this legislation also, which will help the young men of Oklahoma by 
allowing the Boy Scouts to expand their summer camp within the national 
forest to accommodate the fast-growing number of campers. This speaks 
volumes about the excellent organization that is the Boy Scouts of 
America.

                              {time}  1445

  I strongly support this legislation, and urge all of my colleagues to 
do so as well.
  Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this measure, H.R. 
310, the HALE Scouts Act, granting the U.S. Forest Service authority to 
sell roughly 140 acres of land to the Indian Nations Council of Boy 
Scouts, which is adjacent to the Scout's summer camp, Camp Tom Hale 
located in Talihina, OK. The Indian Nations Council of Boy Scouts is a 
non-profit organization providing educational programs for boys and 
young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of 
citizenship, and to develop personal fitness.
  Camp Tom Hale first opened in June 1930 to serve Boy Scouts in the 
McAlester, Oklahoma area. It was originally located at what is now 
Robbers Cave State Park near Wilburton, Oklahoma. In 1963, the Boy 
Scout Council in McAlester worked with the State of Oklahoma and the 
U.S. Forest Service to exchange the camp at Robbers Cave for 480 acres 
of wilderness area in the Ouachita National Forest.

[[Page H9294]]

This ``new'' Camp Hale has continued as a summer adventure camp serving 
thousands of scouts during the intervening 41 years.
  In 1997, the Council board developed a strategic plan for a $3.5 
million expansion and renovation of the camp. Since then, the Council 
has spent in excess of $1 million continually updating and expanding 
facilities to meet the needs of scouts. As a result, a renewed emphasis 
on wilderness and the outdoors has flourished, with over 6000 scouts 
and leaders from a five state area attending weekly sessions offered in 
June and July and enjoying the beautiful Ouachita Forest.
  Attendance has now exceeded the maximum number of available campsites 
and program areas, which is causing Camp Hale to begin turning away 
hundreds of scouts each summer. It is now critical for camp growth that 
the boundaries be extended to include more area for camping and 
additional program & training services. Successful completion of this 
objective will allow the Boy Scouts to continue the expansion of 
outdoor & leadership training for thousands of youth living in the 
Central Southwest and bring additional usage and enjoyment of the 
Ouachita Forest to more families.
  It is for the benefit of these thousands of young Oklahomans that I 
proudly sponsored this measure. I greatly appreciate this House's 
consideration of this bill, and would like to urge my colleagues to 
support the measure.
  Mr. LAMBORN. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 310.
  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. LAMBORN. 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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