[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 157 (Monday, October 2, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H7641-H7642]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                UDALL PARK LAND EXCHANGE COMPLETION ACT

  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1547) to provide for the unencumbering of 
title to non-Federal land owned by the city of Tucson, Arizona, for 
purposes of economic development by conveyance of the Federal 
reversionary interest to the City.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1547

       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 ``Udall Park Land Exchange 
     Completion Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) City.--The term ``City'' means the city of Tucson, 
     Arizona.
       (2) Non-federal land.--The term ``non-Federal land'' means 
     the approximately 172.8-acre parcel of City land identified 
     in the patent numbered 02-90-0001 and dated October 4, 1989, 
     and more particularly described as lots 3 and 4, S\1/2\NW\1/
     4\, sec. 5, T.14S., R.15 E., Gila and Salt River Meridian, 
     Arizona.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.

     SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF FEDERAL REVERSIONARY INTEREST IN LAND 
                   LOCATED IN TUCSON, ARIZONA.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, the Secretary shall convey to the City, without 
     consideration, the reversionary interests of the United 
     States in and to the non-Federal land for the purpose of 
     unencumbering the title to the non-Federal land to enable 
     economic development of the non-Federal land.
       (b) Legal Descriptions.--As soon as practicable after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, the exact legal descriptions 
     of the non-Federal land shall be determined in a manner 
     satisfactory to the Secretary.
       (c) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may 
     require such additional terms and conditions to the 
     conveyance under subsection (a), consistent with that 
     subsection, as the Secretary considers appropriate to protect 
     the interests of the United States.
       (d) Costs.--The City shall pay all costs associated with 
     the conveyance under subsection (a), consistent with that 
     subsection, including the costs of any surveys, recording 
     costs, and other reasonable costs.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. 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 Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1547 completes the transfer of the Bureau of Land 
Management's reversionary interest in Udall Park, located in Tucson, 
Arizona, nearly three decades after the city donated $4 million worth 
of land to the Bureau of Land Management to complete their portion of 
the exchange.
  Twenty years after the exchange took place, the Bureau of Land 
Management threatened to invoke its reversionary interest because the 
city dared to hold a local farmers market in the park. The city of 
Tucson has invested millions of dollars in this community park, 
building swimming pools, recreation centers, and athletic fields, and 
it deserves to have clear title to the land and complete jurisdiction 
over the uses of the park.
  The bill is bipartisan and has nearly unanimous support from the 
Arizona congressional delegation. I urge adoption of the measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McEACHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1547 transfers the reversionary interest associated 
with Udall Park to the city of Tucson, Arizona.
  The land was transferred to the city back in the 1980s under the 
Recreation and Public Purposes Act, a program that authorizes the 
conveyance of Federal land to local governments and nonprofits.
  These conveyances include what is known as reversionary interest, 
which stipulates that the land must permanently remain in use for a 
public purpose or ownership reverts back to the United States.
  Typically, if a recipient wants to convert the land to a nonpublic 
purpose, they have to compensate the Federal Government. However, this 
is not the typical situation.
  In 1989, Tucson came to an agreement with the Bureau of Land 
Management. In exchange for the title to Udall Park, the city gave the 
Bureau of Land Management a 297-acre parcel known as the Freeman Road 
property.

[[Page H7642]]

  A letter from the BLM State Director at the time indicates that the 
agency supported elimination of Udall Park's reversionary interest in 
exchange for the Freeman Road property. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, 
Congress never followed through on that promise.
  This bill honors the Federal Government's long forgotten commitment, 
which is why we support it and encourage its swift adoption. The unique 
circumstances of Udall Park justify transferring the reversionary 
interest without further consideration or compensation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she 
may consume to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. McSally).
  Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, 
H.R. 1547, the Udall Park Land Exchange Completion Act.
  Udall Park is a cherished urban park in the heart of Tucson. The city 
has invested millions of dollars in park facilities, including 
construction of very large community recreation and senior centers, a 
large swimming pool, a walking track, and multiple athletic fields and 
picnic areas.
  In 2011, the mayor and city council approved a master plan update 
that calls for plans to invest even more money into the park by way of 
additional athletic fields and expanded recreational programming. 
However, unresolved disputes over this land have directly impeded the 
city from taking advantage of opportunities to supplement park funding, 
approve certain community events, or look to other commercial ventures 
like local farmers markets on small portions of the park that would 
benefit the city in general.
  The Udall Park Land Exchange Completion Act resolves this historic 
land exchange agreement between the city of Tucson and the Bureau of 
Land Management at Udall Park.
  In 1989, the city of Tucson and BLM entered into an agreement to 
exchange 297 acres of land adjacent to Saguaro National Park for 173 
acres of BLM-owned land in northeast Tucson, now known as Udall Park. 
This agreement specifically outlined that the terms and conditions of 
this land conveyance would include a legislative fix to remove any and 
all encumbrances on Udall Park. Unfortunately, this legislation never 
came to fruition due to staff changes in multiple agencies in the city, 
and who knows what else, but as a result, the city has been prevented 
from utilizing Udall Park to its fullest extent. Recently, the issue 
came to a head over disputes on a small commercial lease located in 
Udall Park.
  Federal red tape should not stand in the way of communities like mine 
developing local parks. It is common sense. Udall Park is a beautiful 
place in our southern Arizona community to gather, but this 
longstanding land dispute has prevented the city of Tucson from 
improving the park and growing it to its full potential for too long.
  When I am out and about in my district and people come to me with 
challenges and issues like this, the first question I usually ask is: 
Does this literally take an act of Congress to fix? Let me say that 
again. Does this literally take an act of Congress to fix? In this 
case, the answer is yes.
  I appreciate, as we testified before the House Natural Resources 
Federal Land Subcommittee, the ranking member, Ms. Hanabusa, was 
saying, no kidding, in July: ``If it takes an act of Congress to get 
this done . . . then that's what we've got to do.''

  I am with the ranking member at this point. It is time to finally 
take action and get this thing finished. My legislation would formally 
and finally complete a long overdue agreement on land that has already 
been exchanged at fair market value. The act directs conveyance of the 
Federal reversionary interest in Udall Park to the city, as the parties 
intended when the land exchange was made. This bill will allow Tucson 
to finally take full ownership of the park.
  In closing, I want to thank Chairman Bishop, Chairman McClintock, and 
the members of the Natural Resources Committee, really, on both sides 
of the aisle, for working with me to move this legislation forward. 
This has got strong bipartisan support. I look forward to seeing this 
issue through and ensuring the land transfer is completed.
  Mr. McEACHIN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on this issue.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional 
speakers.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1547.
  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. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. 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, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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