[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 176 (Tuesday, October 31, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H8283-H8284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




AUTHORIZING PURCHASE OF SMALL PARCEL OF NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION 
               SERVICE PROPERTY IN RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA

  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3567) to authorize the purchase of a small parcel of Natural 
Resources Conservation Service property in Riverside, California, by 
the Riverside Corona Resource Conservation District, and for other 
purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3567

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

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds as follows:
       (1) Since 1935, the United States has owned a parcel of 
     land in Riverside, California, consisting of approximately 
     8.75 acres, more specifically described in section 2(a) (in 
     this section referred to as the ``property'').
       (2) The property is under the jurisdiction of the 
     Department of Agriculture and has been variously used for 
     research and plant materials purposes.
       (3) Since 1998, the property has been administered by the 
     Natural Resources Conservation Service of the Department of 
     Agriculture.
       (4) Since 2002, the property has been co-managed under a 
     cooperative agreement between the Natural Resources 
     Conservation Service and the Riverside Corona Resource 
     Conservation District, which is a legal subdivision of the 
     State of California under section 9003 of the California 
     Public Resources Code.
       (5) The Conservation District wishes to purchase the 
     property and use it for conservation, environmental, and 
     related educational purposes.
       (6) As provided in section 2, the purchase of the property 
     by the Conservation District would promote the conservation 
     education and related activities of the Conservation District 
     and result in savings to the Federal Government.

     SEC. 2. LAND PURCHASE, NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE 
                   PROPERTY, RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

       (a) Purchase Authorized.--The Secretary of Agriculture 
     shall sell and quitclaim to the Riverside Corona Resource 
     Conservation District (in this section referred to as the 
     ``Conservation District'') all right, title, and interest of 
     the United States in and to a parcel of real property, 
     including improvements thereon, that is located at 4500 
     Glenwood Drive in Riverside, California, consists of 
     approximately 8.75 acres, and is administered by the Natural 
     Resources Conservation Service of the Department of 
     Agriculture. As necessary or desirable to facilitate the 
     purchase of the property under this section, the Secretary or 
     the Conservation District may survey all or portions of the 
     property.
       (b) Consideration.--As consideration for the purchase of 
     the property under this section, the Conservation District 
     shall pay to the Secretary of Agriculture an amount equal to 
     the appraised value of the property.
       (c) Prohibition on Reservation of Interest.--The Secretary 
     of Agriculture shall not reserve any future interest in the 
     property to be conveyed under this section, except such 
     interest as may be acceptable to the Conservation District.
       (d) Hazardous Substances.--Notwithstanding section 120(h) 
     of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, 
     and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9620(h)) or the Solid 
     Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.), in the case of 
     the property purchased by the Conservation District under 
     this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall be only 
     required to meet the disclosure requirements for hazardous 
     substances, pollutants, or contaminants, but shall otherwise 
     not be required to remediate or abate any such releases of 
     hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants, including 
     petroleum and petroleum derivatives.
       (e) Cooperative Authority.--
       (1) Leases, contracts, and cooperative agreements 
     authorized.--In conjunction with, or in addition to, the 
     purchase of the property by the Conservation District under 
     this section, the Secretary of Agriculture may enter into 
     leases, contracts and cooperative agreements with the 
     Conservation District.
       (2) Sole source.--Notwithstanding sections 3105, 3301, and 
     3303 to 3305 of title 41, United States Code, or any other 
     provision of law, the Secretary may lease real property from 
     the Conservation District on a noncompetitive basis.
       (3) Non-exclusive authority.--The authority provided by 
     this subsection is in addition to any other authority of the 
     Secretary.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Crawford) and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Fudge) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CRAWFORD. 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 Arkansas.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3567, to authorize the 
transfer of the title of land owned by the NRCS in Riverside, 
California, to the Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District. The 
conservation district has invested $2.8 million in the facility with 
the hope of eventually acquiring the property, and would like to invest 
in further improvements when the property title issue is resolved.
  Conservation districts work closely with their Federal partner, the 
NRCS. This legislation is a simple fix to allow the Riverside-Corona 
district to utilize the facility and serve the local folks on the 
ground through voluntary, incentive-based conservation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3567.
  H.R. 3567 will allow California's Riverside-Corona Resource 
Conservation District to purchase at appraised value the parcel of 
property on which it is currently located, which is the former U.S. 
Salinity Laboratory.
  The property is currently administered by the USDA's Natural 
Resources Conservation Service and is being comanaged under a 
cooperative agreement. The cooperative agreement dates back to 1996. 
Since that time, the Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District 
has invested $2.8 million into the property with the understanding that 
NRCS would eventually transfer ownership.
  The Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District provides natural 
resource conservation through education, collaboration, and technical 
assistance in southern California.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation and I urge my colleagues to 
vote in favor of this measure.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Calvert).
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the House to approve 
H.R. 3567, a necessary and long-overdue piece of legislation. This is a 
straightforward, commonsense bill that authorizes the purchase of a 
small parcel of Natural Resources Conservation Service property in 
Riverside, California, by the Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation 
District.
  Since 1996, the conservation district has partnered with NRCS to 
acquire, colocate and manage what was previously the USDA Salinity 
Laboratory. Following acquisition of the property, NRCS has not 
obligated any Federal funds for plant materials research at the 
Riverside location in question.
  On the other hand, the conservation district, as has been mentioned, 
has invested $2.8 million in improvements and upgrade to the property. 
All along, the conservation district has an understanding with NRCS 
that they would eventually transfer the property to its ownership.

                              {time}  1715

  Following a series of changes in personnel within NRCS, the 
conservation district was informed that legislation authorizing such a 
transfer would be necessary.
  H.R. 3567 authorizes USDA to sell the NRCS property in Riverside to 
the conservation district for an amount equal to the appraised value of 
the property. The legislation further states that current NRCS 
operation at the property shall be allowed to continue at no cost to 
the Federal Government.
  In closing, this legislation will provide long-term security for the 
conservation district and the investments it has, and will continue to 
make, in the property. It also protects the interests of the NRCS and 
the Federal Government for as long as its limited use of the property 
is needed.

[[Page H8284]]

  H.R. 3567 is a win-win solution for all stakeholders, and I urge my 
colleagues to support the bill.
  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for 
his remarks, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for her support, and I 
urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 3567.
  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 Arkansas (Mr. Crawford) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3567.
  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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