[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 13, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H1516-H1517]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DIRECTING THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE TO TRANSFER CERTAIN FEDERAL LAND 
                   TO FACILITATE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

  Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1800) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer 
certain Federal land to facilitate scientific research supporting 
Federal space and defense programs, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1800

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

     SECTION 1. LAND CONVEYANCE, WASATCH-CACHE NATIONAL FOREST, 
                   RICH COUNTY, UTAH.

       (a) Land Conveyance Authorized.--Subject to valid existing 
     rights, not later than 6 months after the date of the 
     enactment of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
     convey, without consideration, to the Utah State University 
     Research Foundation, (in this section referred to as the 
     ``Foundation'') all right, title, and interest of the United 
     States in and to a parcel of real property consisting of 
     approximately 80 acres, including improvements thereon, 
     located outside of the boundaries of the Wasatch-Cache 
     National Forest, Rich County, Utah, within Sections 19 and 
     30, Township 14 North, Range 5 East, Salt Lake Base and 
     Meridian for the purpose of permitting the Foundation to use 
     the property for scientific and educational purposes.
       (b) Reversionary Interest.--If the Secretary of Agriculture 
     determines at any time that the real property conveyed under 
     subsection (a) is not being used in accordance with the 
     purpose of the conveyance specified in such subsection, all 
     right, title and interest in and to such real property, 
     including any improvements thereto, shall, at the option of 
     the Secretary, revert to and become the property of the 
     United States, and the United States shall have the right of 
     immediate entry onto such real property. A determination by 
     the Secretary under this subsection shall be made on the 
     record after an opportunity for a hearing.
       (c) Payment of Costs of Conveyance.--
       (1) Payment required.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall 
     require the Foundation to cover the costs (except any costs 
     for environmental remediation of the property) to be incurred 
     by the Secretary, or to reimburse the Secretary for such 
     costs incurred by the Secretary, to carry out the conveyance 
     under subsection (a), including survey costs, costs for 
     environmental documentation, and any other administrative 
     costs related to the conveyance. If amounts are collected 
     from the Foundation 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 
     conveyance, the Secretary shall refund the excess amount to 
     the Foundation.
       (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 conveyance. 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.
       (d) Description of Property.--The exact acreage and legal 
     description of the property to be conveyed under subsection 
     (a) shall be determined by a survey satisfactory to the 
     Secretary of Agriculture.
       (e) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary of 
     Agriculture may require such additional terms and conditions 
     in connection with the conveyance under subsection (a) as the 
     Secretary considers appropriate to protect the interests of 
     the United States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Curtis) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lowenthal) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which 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. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Utah 
(Mr. Bishop).
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, this bill involves 80 acres of land 
controlled by the Forest Service but not in the actual national forest.
  Over the past 50 years, this land has been used by the Space Dynamics 
Laboratory, by NASA, by the Naval Research Laboratory, and they have a 
great deal of infrastructure on this land.
  Unfortunately, the Forest Service decided to list this as disposable 
lands without contacting anybody, and now they don't have the ability 
of going back and delisting it so these groups can actually use this 
land for what they have been doing for the last 50 years.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill is the cleanest and simplest way of simply 
transferring control of this land back to the entity which is using it 
now so they can continue their research, much of which is done in 
support of our military. It is a simple and easy and correct way to 
solve an administrative lapse, and I urge its adoption.
  Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation and its adoption by the 
House.
  H.R. 1800 authorizes the transfer of 80 acres of Forest Service land 
to the Utah State University Research Foundation. The land will support 
ongoing research efforts that support national defense and space 
programs.
  The idea that there should be national public lands that belong to 
and are managed on behalf of the American people is a value that dates 
back to the founding of our country and is embedded in our 
Constitution.
  Generation after generation of Americans have endorsed the idea that 
our public lands should be managed for the benefit of all Americans to 
support a wide range of activities. As stewards of this land, we must 
work to find a balance between compelling yet sometimes competing 
interests and make sure that the Federal Government is a good neighbor 
to local communities.
  Whenever we decide that it is appropriate to sell or convey these 
shared resources, we must make sure there is adequate compensation to 
Federal taxpayers or safeguards in place to guarantee that the land is 
used for public purposes.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Bishop for working across the aisle to 
ensure that we met these goals in this legislation. I support H.R. 1800 
and its adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.

[[Page H1517]]

  

  Mr. CURTIS. 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 Utah (Mr. Curtis) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 1800, 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.

                          ____________________