[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 126 (Thursday, July 28, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H7399-H7400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             WIND RIVER ADMINISTRATIVE SITE CONVEYANCE ACT

  Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5093) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer 
certain National Forest System land in the State of Washington to 
Skamania County, Washington, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5093

       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 ``Wind River Administrative 
     Site Conveyance Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

        In this Act:
       (1) County.--The term ``County'' means the Skamania County, 
     Washington.
       (2) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Wind 
     River Administrative Site Conveyance Proposal'' and dated 
     July 7, 2020.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest 
     Service.

     SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF LAND AND IMPROVEMENTS.

       (a) In General.--If the County submits a written request to 
     the Secretary not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, not later than 24 
     months after the date of the enactment of this Act, convey to 
     the County all right, title, and interest of the United 
     States in and to the approximately 23.4 acres of National 
     Forest System land, related infrastructure, and all 
     improvements, as generally depicted as ``proposed 
     conveyance'' on the map.
       (b) Map.--
       (1) Availability of map.--The map shall be kept on file and 
     available for public inspection in the appropriate office of 
     the Forest Service.
       (2) Correction of errors.--The Secretary may correct minor 
     errors in the map.
       (c) Terms and Conditions.--The conveyance under subsection 
     (a) shall be--
       (1) subject to valid existing rights;
       (2) notwithstanding any other provision of law, made 
     without consideration;
       (3) made by quitclaim deed;
       (4) subject to a right-of-way and restrictive easement 
     reservation of a width to be determined by the Secretary, for 
     the protection of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail;
       (5) completed in accordance with the Forest Service 
     Facility Realignment and Enhancement Act of 2005 (16 U.S.C. 
     580d et seq.), except that section 504(b) and (c) of that Act 
     shall not apply;
       (6) subject to right-of-way reservations made pursuant to 
     section 507 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
     1976 (43 U.S.C. 1767); and
       (7) subject to any other terms and conditions as the 
     Secretary determines appropriate.
       (d) Federal Property Disposal.--Chapter 5 of subtitle I of 
     title 40, United States Code, shall not apply to the 
     conveyance under subsection (a).
       (e) Hazardous Materials.--With respect to the conveyance 
     under subsection (a), the Secretary--
       (1) shall meet disclosure requirements for hazardous 
     substances, pollutants, or contaminants under section 120(h) 
     of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, 
     and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9620(h)); and
       (2) shall not otherwise be required to remediate or abate 
     the hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants 
     disclosed pursuant to paragraph (1).
       (f) Closing Costs.--As a condition for the conveyance under 
     subsection (a), the County shall pay all closing costs 
     associated with the conveyance, including for--
       (1) title insurance and title search; and
       (2) any applicable inspection fees, escrow fees, attorneys 
     fees, and recording fees.
       (g) Survey.--
       (1) In general.--The exact acreage and legal description of 
     the National Forest System land to be conveyed under 
     subsection (a) shall be determined by a survey satisfactory 
     to the Secretary.
       (2) Costs of survey.--The Secretary shall bear all costs 
     associated with the survey under paragraph (1).
       (h) Use of Land.--
       (1) In general.--The lands and related infrastructure 
     conveyed under subsection (a) shall be maintained by the 
     County pursuant to standards established by the Secretary of 
     the Interior under section 306101 of title 54, United States 
     Code.
       (2) Reversion.--If any portion of the land conveyed under 
     subsection (a) is used in a manner that is inconsistent with 
     the use described in paragraph (1), the land shall, at the 
     discretion of the Secretary, revert to the United States.

     SEC. 4. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lowenthal) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. 
Westerman) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5093, the Wind River 
Administrative Site Conveyance Act. This bill would authorize the U.S. 
Forest Service to convey a 23.4-acre portion of the Wind River Nursery 
to Skamania County, Washington.
  Congress authorized a land exchange that included a large portion of 
the Wind River Nursery in 2001. The conveyance authorized by this 
legislation will complete the transfer and place the entire Wind River 
property under the stewardship of the county.
  This legislation will allow the Skamania County Board of 
Commissioners to continue rehabilitation of the buildings and the 
grounds in the Wind River Historic District.
  The bill also includes important and routine safeguards so the 
property will continue to be managed in a manner that ensures the 
preservation of its historic characteristics.
  I thank the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Herrera Beutler) for 
introducing this important legislation and championing this bill on 
behalf of her constituents.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise in support of H.R. 5093, sponsored by the 
gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Herrera Beutler). This is a good bill, 
and I commend her for her leadership on this effort.
  Skamania County in Representative Herrera Beutler's district is 
almost 77 percent federally owned. Unfortunately, because of the large 
number of public lands in the county, less than 2 percent of the 
county's land base can be taxed at full market value.
  The presence of a large Federal estate is shared by many other rural 
counties in the West, and it makes it very difficult for communities to 
generate revenue needed to fund schools, roads, and vital public 
services, such as police and fire departments.
  H.R. 5093 would transfer ownership of approximately 23 acres of the 
former Wind River Nursery from the Forest Service to the county to 
expand uses that will draw in tourism, provide economic opportunities, 
and create additional tax revenue for the county. The county estimates 
that this conveyance will ultimately lead to an additional $600,000 in 
revenue each year.

[[Page H7400]]

  Skamania County has also already made considerable investments to 
restore this site with upgrades to water mains, full restorations to 
two residential buildings, and electric improvements to four additional 
buildings.
  I, again, thank the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Herrera Beutler) 
for her leadership on this bill. The legislation reflects a locally 
driven compromise that meets the needs of the community, creates 
additional recreation opportunities, and will lead to better management 
of Federal land.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am 
prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Washington (Ms. Herrera Beutler).
  Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, 
the Wind River Administrative Site Conveyance Act which, if we get it 
passed today by the House and signed into law, will provide enormous 
benefits to the folks I serve in Skamania County, Washington.
  This bill exemplifies a groundbreaking win-win agreement in a rural 
county where so often locals' needs get completely trampled by the 
Federal Government.
  With this carefully negotiated solution, the Forest Service unloads 
land that it no longer wants to manage, and the local community gains a 
very valuable economic asset and resource.
  In Skamania County, where 80 percent of the land is locked up by the 
Federal Government, even more if you count the State-owned land, only 
1.8 percent of the land in the county is taxed at full market value.
  What does that mean?
  It means that this has severely hindered the county's ability to fund 
basic services that citizens rely upon, like roads and schools, and 
police and fire protection.
  The bill that I have introduced and that we are considering today is 
simple. It would convey ownership of approximately 23 acres in the 
former Wind River Nursery from the U.S. Forest Service to Skamania 
County. It is important to note here that this proposal is supported by 
Skamania County and by the Forest Service.
  The Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which covers a majority of the 
county, is currently facing tens of millions of dollars in deferred 
maintenance.
  By conveying the land to the county, the Forest Service will shed 
that financial responsibility for these pieces associated with the 
maintenance of buildings and facilities on the Wind River Nursery, and 
by taking ownership of the land, Skamania County will develop 
recreational, historical, and business opportunities that will draw in 
tourism and critical revenue.
  This is a win-win solution, and it will result in substantial 
benefits to the folks who call Skamania County home.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the House to approve this important legislation.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity to visit 
Skamania County. It is a beautiful place, and I know that the people 
there will be great stewards of this land. It will be good for Skamania 
County, for Washington, and for the United States, and I urge adoption 
of the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Lowenthal) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5093, 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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