[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.
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