[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13753-13754]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       CALIFORNIA FIVE MILE REGIONAL LEARNING CENTER TRANSFER ACT

  Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3401) to provide for the conveyance of Forest Service 
facilities and lands comprising the Five Mile Regional Learning Center 
in the State of California to the Clovis Unified School District, to 
authorize a new special use permit regarding the continued use of 
unconveyed lands comprising the Center, and for other purposes, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3401

       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 ``California Five Mile 
     Regional Learning Center Transfer Act''.

     SEC. 2. LAND CONVEYANCE AND SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT, FIVE MILE 
                   REGIONAL LEARNING CENTER, CALIFORNIA.

       (a) Conveyance.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall convey 
     to the Clovis Unified School District of California all 
     right, title, and interest of the United States in and to a 
     parcel of National Forest System land consisting of 27.10 
     acres located within the southwest \1/4\ of section 2, 
     township 2 north, range 15 east, Mount Diablo base and 
     meridian, California, which has been utilized as the Five 
     Mile Regional Learning Center by the school district since 
     1989 pursuant to a special use permit (Holder No. 2010-02) to 
     provide natural resource conservation education to California 
     youth. The conveyance shall include all structures, 
     improvements, and personal property shown on original map 
     #700602 and inventory dated February 1, 1989.
       (b) Special Use Agreement.--As soon as practicable after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
     enter into negotiations with the Clovis Unified School 
     District to enter into a new special use permit for the 
     approximately 100 acres of National Forest System land that, 
     as of the date of the enactment of this Act, is being used by 
     the school district pursuant to the permit described in 
     subsection (a), but is not included in the conveyance under 
     such subsection.
       (c) Reversion.--In the event that the Clovis Unified School 
     District discontinues its operation of the Five Mile Regional 
     Learning Center, title to the real property conveyed under 
     subsection (a) shall revert back to the United States.
       (d) Costs and Mineral Rights.--The conveyance under 
     subsection (a) shall be for a nominal cost. Notwithstanding 
     such subsection, the conveyance does not include the transfer 
     of mineral rights.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin) and the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. 
Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.

[[Page 13754]]

  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin).
  Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to be working with the gentleman from 
American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).
  H.R. 3401, introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Radanovich), my colleague and chairman of the Subcommittee on National 
Parks, Recreation and Public Lands, provides for the conveyance of 
Forest Service facilities and lands comprising the Five Mile Regional 
Learning Center in the State of California to the Clovis Unified School 
District.
  The bill authorizes also a new special use permit for the continued 
use of unconveyed lands used by the center.
  The regional learning center is an outdoor education center that 
serves several thousand elementary school students throughout the State 
of California, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to offer my commendation to the gentlewoman 
from Wyoming whom I have had the privilege of working closely with on a 
couple of pieces of legislation on national parks.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill was introduced by the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Radanovich), the distinguished chairman of the 
Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3401 directs the Forest Service to convey 
approximately a 27.10-acre administrative site on the Stanislaus 
National Forest in California to the Clovis Unified School District, or 
CUSD. The parcel contains the Five Mile Regional Learning Center, which 
since 1989 has been operating under a special use permit by the school 
district as a conservation education center.
  The learning center serves approximately 14,000 students and is in 
need of significant repair. While the Clovis Unified School District is 
willing to put up $5 million toward capital improvement, it could only 
secure funding for district-owned properties. The bill also mandates 
that the Secretary negotiate a special use permit for approximately 100 
acres for the school district to use in its educational programs. The 
school district currently has a special use permit covering 120 acres. 
The bill includes a reversionary clause as well.
  Mr. Speaker, the administration values this land at approximately $1 
to $2 million. Although we generally do not support the conveyance of 
Federal lands for little or no consideration, this conveyance is to a 
school district to foster environmental education. The Clovis Unified 
School District is also willing to make capital improvements or 
investment of some $5 million and requires title to do so, when the 
Forest Service is apparently unable to maintain the property.
  I would like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich), 
the chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and 
Public Lands, for working with us on this side of the aisle, the 
minority, to address concerns with the reversionary clause and 
clarifying that were the land to revert to the United States, the 
learning center would be liable for any hazardous substances present on 
the property since 1989.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentlewoman for her management of 
this bill.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, there has been some concern regarding 
the provision regarding the reversionary interest in the land and the 
potential liabilities to the Government. I would like to clarify the 
issue for the record. It is our intent that the California Five Mile 
Regional Learning Center shall be liable for any contamination of the 
property by hazardous substances since it commenced occupancy in 1989. 
In the event that the property reverts back to the United States under 
section 2(c) of the Act, the Center or its successors shall continue to 
be liable for environmental contamination under existing law, and the 
Secretary shall require environmental remediation in such event before 
retaking possession.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I do not have additional speakers, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, having no other requests for time, I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3401, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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