[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 140 (Monday, November 17, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H8016-H8017]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IDAHO COUNTY SHOOTING RANGE LAND CONVEYANCE ACT
Mr. LABRADOR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5040) to require the Secretary of the Interior to convey
certain Federal land to Idaho County in the State of Idaho, and for
other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5040
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 ``Idaho County Shooting Range
Land Conveyance Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) County.--The term ``County'' means Idaho County in the
State of Idaho.
(2) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Idaho
County Land Conveyance'' and dated April 11, 2014.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF LAND TO IDAHO COUNTY.
(a) In General.--As soon as practicable after notification
by the County and subject to valid existing rights, the
Secretary shall convey to the County, without consideration,
all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to
the land described in subsection (b).
[[Page H8017]]
(b) Description of Land.--The land referred to in
subsection (a) consists of approximately 31 acres of land
managed by the Bureau of Land Management and generally
depicted on the map as ``Conveyance_Area''.
(c) Map and Legal Description.--
(1) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall finalize the legal
description of the parcel to be conveyed under this section.
(2) Minor errors.--The Secretary may correct any minor
error in--
(A) the map; or
(B) the legal description.
(3) Availability.--The map and legal description shall be
on file and available for public inspection in the
appropriate offices of the Bureau of Land Management.
(d) Use of Conveyed Land.--The land conveyed under this
section shall be used only as a shooting range.
(e) Administrative Costs.--The Secretary shall require the
County to pay all survey costs and other administrative costs
necessary for the preparation and completion of any patents
for, and transfers of title to, the land described in
subsection (b).
(f) Conditions.--As a condition of the conveyance under
subsection (a), the County shall agree--
(1) to pay any administrative costs associated with the
conveyance including the costs of any environmental,
wildlife, cultural, or historical resources studies;
(2) to release and indemnify the United States from any
claims or liabilities that may arise from uses carried out on
the land described in subsection (b) on or before the date of
the enactment of this Act by the United States or any person;
and
(3) to accept such reasonable terms and conditions as the
Secretary determines necessary.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Idaho (Mr. Labrador) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Nolan) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Idaho.
General Leave
Mr. LABRADOR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Idaho?
There was no objection.
Mr. LABRADOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am the author of H.R. 5040, which directs the
Secretary of the Interior to convey a 31-acre parcel of land to Idaho
County, Idaho, to use for public recreation.
Idahoans deeply value their Second Amendment rights, and many use
firearms for hunting and shooting sports. The safe and proper use of
firearms is often a tradition passed down from generation to
generation. People need a safe designated area where they may sight in
their rifles and teach safe firearms practices.
Nearly 6 years ago, a county in my district, Idaho County, began the
process of searching for a suitable location to install a shooting
range to serve the needs of the county residents interested in
exercising their Second Amendment rights.
Idaho County, which is 83 percent controlled by the Federal
Government, began working with the local BLM office in Cottonwood,
Idaho, to identify land that the BLM could transfer to the county for
use as a shooting range.
The BLM identified a buried landfill in the county as a suitable
location because the site is already used casually by recreational
hunters and the general public as a shooting range. The land also
provides the proper safety barriers because it is situated on an
elevated bench, approximately 240 feet above a nearby road and
surrounded by hills. The county and the local BLM officials agreed the
site was perfect for a shooting range.
The county began the process of seeking an administrative transfer
from the BLM, but soon ran into procedural roadblocks. The site of the
proposed shooting range is within a portion of the Lower Salmon River,
which was identified by the BLM for potential inclusion in the National
Wild and Scenic River System. Because of existing BLM regulations, the
parcel cannot be transferred to the county administratively.
As my staff and I met with the Idaho County commissioners to come up
with a solution, we determined the only path forward was to introduce
legislation in Congress to convey the land from the BLM to the county.
My bill, the Idaho County Shooting Range Land Conveyance Act, would
convey the 31-acre parcel to Idaho County for use as a shooting range.
The BLM has spent a great deal of time and resources studying the
proposed site and has determined the land would be perfect for a
shooting range. The local BLM office in Cottonwood has been
instrumental in gathering necessary environmental data to support the
land conveyance, and I am grateful for their ongoing efforts to work
with my staff and finally resolve this issue.
My office has also worked closely with the Idaho County commissioners
and Idaho County sheriff to develop a plan to manage the land for
public use as a shooting range. Part of the plan includes allowing
Idaho County law enforcement to use the range to conduct firearms
training and qualifications.
Idaho County has waited nearly 6 years for this process to be
completed. Idaho County residents want a safe, remote location to
exercise their Second Amendment rights, and my bill will provide a
solution that is long overdue.
I urge support for the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to commend Representative Labrador for the work
he has done on behalf of his constituents and their recreational
activities in their future.
H.R. 5040 transfers 31 acres of public land to Idaho County for the
purpose of establishing a public shooting range. The county will pay
the administrative costs associated with the transfer and release the
United States from any future liability.
Historically, a bill of this nature would contain stronger language
to guarantee that the transferred land would continue to be used for a
public purpose or the ownership would automatically revert back to the
United States Government.
These so-called reversionary clauses ensure that, once transferred,
the land is not sold or developed in a way not intended by Congress.
It is important for Congress to establish clear and fair expectations
when transferring management of an asset owned by the American
taxpayer. We encourage Idaho County to use the land as intended by this
bill.
With that said, this bill merits our support, and we urge its
adoption by the House.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LABRADOR. 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 Idaho (Mr. Labrador) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 5040.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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