[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 113 (Thursday, July 29, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H6444-H6445]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  0040
             FRANCIS MARION NATIONAL FOREST LAND CONVEYANCE

  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 5414) to provide for the conveyance of a small 
parcel of National Forest System land in the Francis Marion National 
Forest in South Carolina, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5414

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

     SECTION 1. LAND CONVEYANCE, FRANCIS MARION NATIONAL FOREST, 
                   SOUTH CAROLINA.

       (a) Conveyance Required.--Upon the tender of consideration 
     from the First Baptist Church of Bonneau, 108 West Church 
     Street, Bonneau, South Carolina (in this section referred to 
     as the ``Bonneau Baptist Church''), the Secretary of 
     Agriculture shall sell and quitclaim to Bonneau Baptist 
     Church all right, title, and interest of the United States in 
     and to a parcel of National Forest System land in the Francis 
     Marion National Forest consisting of up to approximately 3 
     acres, as generally depicted on a map titled, ``First Baptist 
     Church of Bonneau Cemetery Tract'' and dated May 6, 2010. The 
     conveyance shall be subject to valid existing rights and the 
     other provisions of this section.
       (b) Consideration.--
       (1) Cash consideration.--As consideration for the 
     conveyance under subsection (a), Bonneau Baptist Church shall 
     pay to the Secretary cash consideration in an amount equal to 
     the market value of the land.
       (2) Market value.--The market value of the land conveyed 
     under subsection (a) shall be determined by an appraisal 
     approved by the Secretary based on appraisal instructions 
     prescribed by the Secretary for a separate lot unconnected 
     with a larger parcel, unencumbered by any permit or 
     restrictive covenant (other than the restriction required by 
     subsection (f)), and otherwise in conformity with the Uniform 
     Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions.
       (3) Deposit and use of proceeds.--The consideration 
     received by the Secretary under this subsection shall be 
     deposited into the account in the Treasury established by 
     Public Law 90-171 (commonly known as the Sisk Act; 16 U.S.C. 
     484a). The monies so deposited shall be available to the 
     Secretary, until expended and without further appropriation, 
     for the acquisition of lands and interests in land in the 
     Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina.
       (c) Survey.--The land to be conveyed under subsection (a) 
     shall be surveyed, and such survey and resulting land 
     description shall be subject to approval by the Secretary.
       (d) Costs.--The Secretary shall require the Bonneau Baptist 
     Church to pay all reasonable costs associated with the 
     conveyance under subsection (a), including--
       (1) appraisal;
       (2) survey;
       (3) closing costs, including deed recordation; and
       (4) any administrative and environmental analyses required 
     by law or regulation.
       (e) Treatment of Existing Special Use Authorization.--Upon 
     completion of the conveyance under subsection (a), the 
     Special Use Authorization provided to Bonneau Baptist Church 
     for use of the conveyed lands shall be deemed to be 
     terminated.
       (f) Restriction on Use of Conveyed Land.--The deed of 
     conveyance for the land conveyed under subsection (a) shall 
     restrict the use of the conveyed land to cemetery purposes. 
     Structures may not be erected on the conveyed land, other 
     than for monumentation or cemetery maintenance facilities.
       (g) Compliance With Federal Laws and Regulations.--The 
     conveyance of the land under subsection (a) is subject to 
     compliance with existing laws and regulations.
       (h) 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.

     SEC. 2. STATUTORY PAY-AS-YOU-GO LANGUAGE.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go-Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Scott) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 5414 provides for the conveyance of a small parcel of National 
Forest System land in the Francis Marion National Forest in South 
Carolina, and for other purposes.
  H.R. 5414 authorizes the sale of land in the Francis Marion National 
Forest. The proceeds of the sale will be placed in the general account 
for the purchase of other suitable land within the Francis Marion 
National Forest when it becomes available. This legislation is 
sponsored by Representative Brown of South Carolina, and supported by 
the Forest Service.
  Since 1946, the Bonneau Baptist Church has operated 3 acres of the 
Francis Marion National Forest under a special use permit. The church 
has requested to expand the permit area and to purchase the land at 
fair market value to accommodate the growing needs of the cemetery they 
maintain on this property.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5414. This simple 
legislation allows the Forest Service to sell a 3-acre parcel of land 
in the Francis Marion National Forest to the Bonneau Baptist Church in 
Bonneau, South Carolina. The church needs this land to expand their 
cemetery, which is within

[[Page H6445]]

the boundary of the National Forest, and cannot expand without this 
sale.
  The church has agreed to pay for the costs of the transaction. The 
Forest Service is going to use the funds generated by the sale of this 
tract to purchase other land for the forest in the future. The 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown) has worked with the Forest 
Service, the church, and the community to ensure that this transaction 
is acceptable to everyone concerned. And most importantly, Mr. Speaker, 
this bill will not result in any expense to the taxpayers.
  I hope and urge that my colleagues will join me in support of this 
legislation.
  Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on a 
noncontroversial piece of legislation that I introduced that would 
assist many of my constituents in South Carolina's First Congressional 
District.
  My legislation would simply facilitate the conveyance of no more than 
three acres of land from the Francis Marion National Forest in South 
Carolina.
  The land would be acquired by constituents and families associated 
with the First Baptist Church in Bonneau, South Carolina. This land is 
needed in order to facilitate a one-time expansion of their cemetery 
which has currently reached its capacity.
  This legislation would eventually allow these families to be buried 
together alongside other family members. It would also provide the 
forest service with desperately needed funds that they would be able to 
put to good use during these very tough budgetary times.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this noncontroversial 
piece of legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 5414, 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. SCOTT of Georgia. 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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