[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[House]
[Pages 23816-23817]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                   CONVEYING CERTAIN LAND IN WYOMING

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the Senate bill (S. 610) to direct the Secretary of the Interior 
to convey certain land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land 
Management in Washakie County and Big Horn County, Wyoming, to the 
Westside Irrigation District, Wyoming, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 610

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

     SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE.

       (a) In General.--On completion of an environmental analysis 
     under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
     U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Secretary of the Interior, acting 
     through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management 
     (referred to in this Act as the

[[Page 23817]]

     ``Secretary''), shall convey to the Westside Irrigation 
     District, Wyoming (referred to in this Act as ``Westside''), 
     all right, title, and interest (excluding the mineral 
     interest) of the United States in and to such portions of the 
     Federal land in Big Horn County and Washakie County, Wyoming, 
     described in subsection (c), as the district enters into an 
     agreement with the Secretary to purchase.
       (b) Price.--The price of the land conveyed under subsection 
     (a) shall be equal to the appraised value of the land, as 
     determined by the Secretary.
       (c) Land Description.--
       (1) In general.--The land referred to in subsection (a) is 
     the approximately 16,500 acres of land in Big Horn County and 
     Washakie County, Wyoming, as depicted on the map entitled 
     ``Westside Project'' and dated May 9, 2000.
       (2) Adjustment.--On agreement of the Secretary and 
     Westside, acreage may be added to or subtracted from the land 
     to be conveyed as necessary to satisfy any mitigation 
     requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 
     1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
       (d) Use of Proceeds.--Proceeds of the sale of land under 
     subsection (a) shall be deposited in a special account in the 
     Treasury of the United States and shall be available to the 
     Secretary of the Interior, without further Act of 
     appropriation, for the acquisition of land and interests in 
     land in the Worland District of the Bureau of Land Management 
     in the State of Wyoming that will benefit public recreation, 
     public access, fish and wildlife habitat, or cultural 
     resources.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Alaska (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from California (Mr. George 
Miller) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young).
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in support of S. 610, a bill to direct the conveyance of 
certain BLM lands to the Westside Irrigation District of Wyoming.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 610 directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey 
roughly 37,000 acres of land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of 
Land Management in Washakie County and Big Horn County, Wyoming, to the 
Westside Irrigation District.
  In turn, Westside Irrigation District will irrigate these lands and 
sell them as farmland parcels. Proceeds raised from the land sales will 
be given to the Secretary of the Interior for the acquisition of the 
land in the Worland District of the Bureau of Land Management, for the 
purpose of benefiting public recreation, increasing public access, 
enhancing fish and wildlife habitat, and improving cultural resources.
  In recent years, expanded residential development in Washakie and Big 
Horn Counties has resulted in key loss to the economy: farmland. This 
legislation will afford communities an opportunity to retain their 
economic vitality, while protecting cultural and natural resources and 
the environment.
  I would personally like to congratulate everyone who worked so 
diligently on this measure. I believe it is a job well done between the 
Federal agencies of the State and individual landholders. I ask my 
colleagues to support S. 610.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  As the gentleman has explained, this is an exchange of land or the 
direct sale of land in Wyoming, and while the administration is 
concerned that not all of the lands have been identified, we have no 
objections to the bill at this time, and we urge its passage.
  S. 610 (Enzi) is a Senate passed measure that directs the sale of 
16,500 acres of public land in Wyoming to the Westside Irrigation 
District. Mineral estate would remain with the United States.
  District required to pay fair market value for the lands.
  Prior to any sale there has to be completed an environmental analysis 
under NEPA.
  Bill allows the Secretary and the District to add or subtract lands 
if necessary to satisfy the mitigation requirements of the NEPA 
analysis.
  Administration had raised a number of concerns with the bill as 
introduced. While the bill was amended in the Senate to address some of 
these concerns, the Administration still does not support passage.
  Administration concerned that they are required to sell lands that 
had not been identified for disposal. The lands contain significant 
paleontological resources and provide important wildlife habitat.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. 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 Alaska (Mr. Young) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the Senate bill, S. 610.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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