[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 149 (Tuesday, September 24, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5722-H5723]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MOUNTAIN VIEW CORRIDOR COMPLETION ACT
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2468) to require the Secretary of the Interior to convey to
the State of Utah certain Federal land under the administrative
jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management within the boundaries of
Camp Williams, Utah, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2468
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 ``Mountain View Corridor
Completion Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Covered land.--The term ``covered land'' means the
approximately 200.18 acres of land depicted as ``Land
Proposed for Conveyance'' on the map entitled ``Mountain View
Corridor Completion Act'' and dated October 6, 2023.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of
Land Management.
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Utah.
SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT LAND TO STATE
OF UTAH.
(a) Conveyance Required.--Not later than 90 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall convey to
the State all rights, title, and interest of the United
States in and to the covered land.
(b) Requirements.--
(1) In general.--The conveyance of the covered land under
this section shall be subject to valid existing rights.
(2) Payment of fair market value.--As consideration for the
conveyance of the covered land under this section, the State
shall pay to the Secretary an amount equal to the fair market
value of the covered land, as determined--
(A) in accordance with the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and
(B) based on an appraisal that is conducted in accordance
with--
(i) the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land
Acquisitions; and
(ii) the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal
Practice.
(c) Application of Executive Order.--Executive Order 1922
of April 24, 1914, as modified by section 907 of the Camp
W.G. Williams Land Exchange Act of 1989 (Public Law 101-628;
104 Stat. 4500), shall not apply to the covered land.
(d) Map and Legal Description.--
(1) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall finalize a map and
a legal description of the covered land to be conveyed under
this section.
(2) Controlling document.--In the case of a discrepancy
between the map and legal description finalized under
paragraph (1), the map shall control.
(3) Corrections.--The Secretary and the State, by mutual
agreement, may correct minor errors in the map or the legal
description finalized under paragraph (1).
(4) Map on file.--The map and legal description finalized
under paragraph (1) shall be kept on file and available for
public inspection in each appropriate office of the Bureau of
Land Management.
(e) Reversionary Interest.--If the Secretary, after
consultation with the State, determines that the covered land
conveyed under this section was sold, attempted to be sold,
or used for non-transportation or non-defenses purposes by
the State, all right, title, and interest in and to the
covered land shall revert to the Secretary, at the discretion
of the Secretary, after providing--
(1) to the State notice and a hearing or an opportunity to
correct any identified deficiencies; and
[[Page H5723]]
(2) to the public notice and an opportunity to comment.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Ocasio-
Cortez) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
General Leave
Mr. WESTERMAN. 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 H.R. 2468, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Representative Owens' bill,
the Mountain View Corridor Completion Act.
This legislation would expedite the completion of the Mountain View
Corridor by transferring roughly 200 acres from the Bureau of Land
Management to the State of Utah to complete the final segment of this
large and urgently needed transportation project in Utah.
Finishing the Mountain View Corridor will improve road safety and
reduce traffic congestion, results that Utah residents will readily
welcome.
Over 60 percent of Utah's land is federally owned. Without these
types of conveyances, Western States have limited land they can develop
into the homes, schools, and roads that growing communities demand.
H.R. 2468 is an example of Federal agencies, local stakeholders, and
Congress successfully collaborating productively to address the
problems of a growing population.
I hope this kind of collaboration will continue with all Federal land
management issues in Utah and across the West.
Mr. Speaker, I commend Representative Owens for leading this effort,
which will finally deliver the Mountain View Corridor to the growing
populations of Salt Lake and Utah Counties. He worked with local
communities and stakeholders, including the Utah Department of
Transportation, to address this need.
Mr. Speaker, I support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2468, the Mountain View Corridor Completion Act,
would authorize the Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, to convey
specified BLM lands south of Salt Lake City to the State of Utah to
develop new roadways and meet the increasing travel demands of the
surrounding area.
The parcels of BLM land under this legislation are currently within
the boundaries of Camp Williams, a military training center for the
Utah National Guard, but they are not being actively used or managed by
the BLM or the National Guard.
Following the transfer, the Utah Department of Transportation will
use the parcels to complete the Mountain View Corridor, a 35-mile
highway between the State's most populous counties, Salt Lake County
and Utah County. With these parcels, the State will develop new
roadways to connect frontage roads and upgrade interchanges. The
transfer of these parcels is expected to improve traffic and public
safety for the general public and Camp Williams.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Utah (Mr. Owens), the lead sponsor of the bill.
Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2468,
the Mountain View Corridor Completion Act.
I was pleased to introduce this legislation last year with the
support of Utah's entire congressional delegation.
As the Representative of the fastest growing district in the fastest
growing State in the Union, I can tell you firsthand that our
transportation infrastructure is under significant stress.
Rapid growth brings with it a host of challenges, particularly in the
Intermountain West, where over two-thirds of Utah is owned or
controlled by various Federal agencies.
This bill addresses one of those challenges, the need to connect our
communities with federally owned land.
The Utah Department of Transportation, UDOT, has anticipated
significant population growth for decades, and over 15 years ago, they
initiated the Mountain View Corridor project. This crucial corridor
connects eastern Utah County with southwestern Salt Lake County and
passes through Camp Williams, an important military training
installation managed by the U.S. Army National Guard.
The existing road is vital, serving as the only public access to the
headquarters of the Utah National Guard complex and providing essential
access to the National Security Agency's datacenter.
While two-thirds of Mountain View Corridor has been completed, the
final third requires UDOT to acquire three separate, irregular parcels
of Federal land to link 36 acres currently managed by the Bureau of
Land Management.
However, because these parcels are situated within the boundaries of
an active military reservation established by a 1914 executive order,
the BLM lacks the authority to transfer this land. That is why we are
here today.
I am proud to report that the Utah National Guard fully supports this
project and has collaborated extensively with UDOT and BLM to determine
the most effective alignment for the corridor.
This bill has already gone through a hearing and a markup in the
House Natural Resources Committee. I am grateful for the support of my
friend, Chairman Westerman.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation to help Utah complete
this vital transportation project 15 years in the making.
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this is straightforward, commonsense
legislation done correctly by prioritizing engagement with local
stakeholders.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage adoption of the bill, and 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. Westerman) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2468, 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.
____________________