[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 193 (Tuesday, November 28, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H9442-H9443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE LAND EXCHANGE ACT OF 2017
Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2615) to authorize the exchange of certain land located in
Gulf Islands National Seashore, Jackson County, Mississippi, between
the National Park Service and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and for
other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2615
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 ``Gulf Islands National
Seashore Land Exchange Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. LAND EXCHANGE, GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE,
JACKSON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI.
(a) Land Exchange Authorized.--The Secretary of the
Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park
Service (in this section referred to as the ``Secretary'')
may convey to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5699 (in this
section referred to as the ``Post'') all right, title, and
interest of the United States in and to a parcel of real
property, consisting of approximately 1.542 acres, located
within the Gulf Islands National Seashore in Jackson County,
Mississippi, and identified as ``NPS Exchange Area'' on the
map entitled ``Gulf Islands National Seashore, Proposed Land
Exchange with VFW, Davis Bayou Area--Jackson County, MS'',
numbered 635/133309, and dated June 2016.
(b) Land To Be Acquired.--In exchange for the property
described in subsection (a), the Post shall convey to the
Secretary all right, title, and interest of the Post in and
to a parcel of real property, consisting of approximately
2.161 acres, located in Jackson County, Mississippi, and
identified as ``VFW Exchange Area'' on the map described in
subsection (a).
(c) Equal Value Exchange.--
(1) In general.--The values of the parcels of real property
to be exchanged under this section shall be determined by an
appraisal conducted--
(A) by a qualified and independent appraiser; and
(B) in accordance with nationally recognized appraisal
standards.
(2) Equalization.--If the values of the parcels of real
property to be exchanged under this section, as determined
pursuant to paragraph (1), are not equal, the values shall be
equalized through--
(A) a cash payment; or
(B) adjustments to the acreage of the parcels of real
property to be exchanged.
(d) Payment of Costs of Conveyance.--
(1) Payment required.--The Secretary shall require the Post
to cover costs to be incurred by the Secretary, or to
reimburse the Secretary for such costs incurred by the
Secretary, to carry out the land exchange under this section,
including survey costs, costs related to environmental
documentation, and any other administrative costs related to
the land exchange. If amounts are collected from the
Secretary in advance of the Secretary incurring the actual
costs and the amount collected exceeds the costs actually
incurred by the Secretary to carry out the land exchange, the
Secretary shall refund the excess amount to the Post.
(2) Treatment of amounts received.--Amounts received as
reimbursement under paragraph (1) shall be credited to the
fund or account that was used to cover those costs incurred
by the Secretary in carrying out the land exchange. Amounts
so credited shall be merged with amounts in such fund or
account and shall be available for the same purposes, and
subject to the same conditions and limitations, as amounts in
such fund or account.
(e) Description of Property.--The exact acreage and legal
description of property to be exchanged under this section
shall be determined by surveys satisfactory to the Secretary
and the Post.
(f) Conveyance Agreement.--The exchange of real property
under this section shall be accomplished using a quit claim
deed or other legal instrument and upon terms and conditions
mutually satisfactory to the Secretary and the Post,
including such additional terms and conditions as the
Secretary considers appropriate to protect the interests of
the United States.
(g) Valid Existing Rights.--The exchange authorized under
this section shall be subject to valid existing rights.
(h) Title Approval.--Title to the real property described
in subsection (a) and the real property described in
subsection (b) to be exchanged under this section shall be in
a form acceptable to the Secretary.
(i) Treatment of Acquired Land.--Land and interests in land
acquired by the United States under subsection (b) shall be
administered by the Secretary as part of the Gulf Islands
National Seashore.
(j) Modification of Boundary.--Upon completion of the land
exchange under this section, the Secretary shall modify the
boundary of the Gulf Islands National Seashore to reflect
such land exchange.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Tipton) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Torres)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.
General Leave
Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Member may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Colorado?
There was no objection.
Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 2615, introduced by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr.
Palazzo), authorizes the National Park Service to convey to the
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5699 1.54 acres located within the Gulf
Islands National Seashore in Jackson County, Mississippi, in exchange
for a 2.16-acre parcel of land owned by the VFW post.
This bill benefits both the VFW post and the Park Service. It
provides the VFW post with permanent access to their building via a
long driveway currently owned by the Park Service while also adding
land to the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2615 is a simple bipartisan bill that authorizes
the exchange of two small parcels of land to provide needed access for
our veterans in Mississippi.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5699 is located adjacent to a
portion of Gulf Islands National Seashore, and while having a national
park in your backyard is a desirable condition, the post has found
themselves landlocked and in need of direct access to their facility.
To solve this issue, the Gulf Islands National Seashore Land Exchange
Act will exchange approximately 2 acres of land owned by the VFW with
1.5 acres owned by the Federal Government.
The acreage required by the VFW will be used to establish a short
driveway directly to the post while the land given in exchange to the
Federal Government will be managed as part of Gulf Islands National
Seashore.
This exchange is supported by both the VFW post and the National Park
Service and is a simple and logical solution to a local issue. I am
pleased to see the National Park Service and the VFW working together
to form a solution to this issue. This bill passed the House in the
114th Congress, and I urge all Members to support this commonsense,
bipartisan bill.
[[Page H9443]]
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Palazzo).
Mr. PALAZZO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Colorado for
the time and for his positive comments, as well as Mrs. Torres, in
support of H.R. 2615.
I rise today in support of H.R. 2615, the Gulf Islands National
Seashore Land Exchange Act.
The Gulf Islands National Seashore is a national park that draws
millions of visitors to the islands in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The
Gulf Islands National Seashore includes the Mississippi barrier islands
of Petit Bois, Horn, East and West Ship, and Cat, as well as the Davis
Bayou Area.
I am proud to have this important park and its natural beaches,
historic sites, and wildlife sanctuaries within my district.
The Gulf Islands National Seashore has been a part of the Mississippi
Gulf Coast community since Congress established the park in 1971. Since
that establishment, the Gulf Islands National Seashore has worked
closely with the Mark Seymour Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5699. In
fact, the post has shared a road with the seashore for the better part
of the last 30 years.
The Gulf Islands National Seashore Land Exchange Act would make
permanent a 30-year easement that has provided an access road and
driveway for the VFW. In exchange, the VFW will give the Gulf Islands
National Seashore some of its acreage, which also includes valuable
wetlands.
The Gulf Islands National Seashore and the Mark Seymour VFW Post
strongly support this land exchange, but the Department of the Interior
needs congressional approval before it can make the land exchange
official. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I encourage the House to pass this
bill as a suspension vote.
I would also like to thank the subcommittee chairman, Mr. McClintock,
as well as Chairman Bishop and the Committee on Natural Resources for
their support and help in bringing this bill to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, this is also a noncontroversial bill, and I urge the
Senate to pass it without delay.
Mr. TIPTON. 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 Colorado (Mr. Tipton) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2615.
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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