[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 146 (Monday, October 3, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H6475-H6476]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HELP TO ACCESS LAND FOR THE EDUCATION OF SCOUTS
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 473) 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, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 473
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) 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.
(f) 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.
(g) 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
Utah (Mr. Bishop) and the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands
(Mr. Sablan) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.
General Leave
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may 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 Utah?
There was no objection.
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
If I spend less time speaking about this particular bill, it's not my
commitment to this particular bill, only the gentleman from Oklahoma
seems to be here already.
H.R. 473 was introduced by the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Boren).
It would authorize the Forest Service to sell 143 acres of the Ouachita
National Forest to the Camp Hale Boy Scout camp, which is just under
500 acres adjacent to those Federal lands. The additional acreage will
allow the Boy Scouts to accommodate more campers and allow for a larger
array of activities at the camp. The legislation stipulates that the
acres will be appraised and sold at market value. The Boy Scouts will
pay for the appraisal as well as the survey and the administrative
costs.
This legislation is a commonsense solution to allow for an expansion
of the camp and better accommodations for the Boy Scouts of America.
I urge adoption of this brilliant piece of legislation, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
[[Page H6476]]
Mr. SABLAN. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. SABLAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, this legislation will allow the Indian
Nation's Council of the Boy Scouts to expand a very popular adventure
camp in Oklahoma. The Scouts would pay fair market value for an
additional 140 acres of Forest Service land to be added to the existing
camp.
Mr. Speaker, the Boy Scouts are a beloved organization dedicated to
education and public service. The sale of this parcel to the Scouts is
a good use of public lands, and we support the legislation.
I would also like to acknowledge that my good friend, Mr. Boren, has
been a tireless champion for this bill and for the Boy Scouts and is to
be commended for his work over several years on behalf of this
proposal.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 473.
I yield the balance of my time to the good gentleman from Oklahoma
(Mr. Boren).
Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge passage of H.R. 473, the
HALE Scouts Act. This bill grants the U.S. Forest Service the authority
to sell roughly 140 acres of land to the Indian Nation's Council of Boy
Scouts. The land for conveyance is adjacent to the Scouts' summer camp,
Camp Tom Hale, located in Talihina, Oklahoma.
The Indian Nation's Council of Boy Scouts is a nonprofit
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
McAlester, Oklahoma. It was originally located in 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. 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 outdoors has flourished, with over 6,000 scouts and
leaders from a five-State area attending weekly sessions offered in
June and July and enjoying the beautiful Ouachita Forest.
{time} 1630
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 and training services.
Successful completion of this objective will allow the Boy Scouts to
continue the expansion of outdoor and leadership training for thousands
of youths living in the central Southwest and bring additional usage
and enjoyment of the Ouachita Forest for more families.
I want to emphasize that the Boy Scouts will pay fair market value,
as was mentioned before, for this land, so that this bill will actually
bring money to the U.S. Government.
It is for the benefit of these thousands of young men across a five-
State area that I proudly sponsored this measure. I greatly appreciate
the House's consideration of the bill and would like to urge my
colleagues to support this bill, this legislation. I can think of no
greater thing that we can do than to invest in our young people. And
how can you be against the Boy Scouts?
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, to be honest, I had some doubts
about this piece of legislation. But after the eloquence of the
gentleman from Oklahoma, he has removed any doubts as to the viability
of this piece of legislation. It's obviously a brilliant bill and will
be a capstone to his career.
I urge its adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I associate myself also with my good friend
Mr. Bishop. How can anyone be against the Boy Scouts?
I ask my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of
H.R. 473, ``Help to Access Land for the Education of Scouts Act,''
which requires the conveyance of specified National Forest System land
in the Ouachita National Forest in Oklahoma to the Indian Nations
Council, Inc., of the Boy Scouts of America. This legislation is
appropriate and necessary for the continuation of the very principles
that Boy Scouts of America stands for.
Currently, the Indian Nations Council serves more than 28,000 youth
and 5,500 adult volunteers throughout 18 counties in eastern Oklahoma.
Over the past century, the Council has positively impacted hundreds of
thousands of Scouts and their families. However, due to the increased
growth of the scouting program in Eastern Oklahoma, attendance at Camp
Tom Hale has surpassed the maximum number of available campsites and
program capacity. In turn, the organization has been forced to turn
away many scouts and their families. There is a critical need to serve
more scouts. However, more land is needed to ensure the quality of
camping and experience for the scouts. Boundaries need to be extended
to help accommodate more scouts, and to maximize their camp experience.
Boy Scouts of America is a prominent values-based organization that
has helped to mold young boys into model citizens, while simultaneously
building character and promoting physical fitness. I do not feel that
anyone, or the lack of sufficient land should deprive more of our youth
from taking full advantage of all of the possibilities that Boy Scouts
of America, specifically, the Indian Nations Council provides. I
believe it is the responsibility of myself, as well as my colleagues,
to ensure that we do everything in our ability to ensure that we pass
H.R. 473 so that we can aid our young men in their development.
If passed, H.R. 473 will allow the Indian Nations Council to purchase
an additional 140 acres of U.S. Forest Service land immediately
adjacent to the existing Camp Tom Hale facility. To add to this, the
Indian Nations Council can expect to have more scouts participate in
their summer camps, without the burden of having to turn eager scouts
away.
H.R. 473 can benefit the overall well being of the public by
providing the Indian Nations Council of Boy Scouts of America with the
adequate and necessary space needed to accommodate the growing number
of scouts. It is essential that we pass H.R. 473 because organizations
such as Boy Scouts of America are the driving force behind the leaders
of tomorrow. By providing these young men, as well as their adult
leaders with the proper space they need, we will simultaneously provide
our youth with a place where they can live up to the morals and
standards of the organization's mission.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 473, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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