[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20236]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2330
        OUACHITA NATIONAL FOREST BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 2006

  Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5690) to adjust the boundaries of the Ouachita National 
Forest in the States of Oklahoma and Arkansas.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 5690

       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 ``Ouachita National Forest 
     Boundary Adjustment Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT, OUACHITA NATIONAL FOREST, 
                   OKLAHOMA AND ARKANSAS.

       (a) Boundary Adjustment.--The boundaries of the Ouachita 
     National Forest in the States of Oklahoma and Arkansas are 
     hereby modified as generally depicted on the following maps, 
     all dated May 15, 2001, and more particularly delineated and 
     described according to the final boundary adjustment maps and 
     boundary descriptions filed in the Office of the Chief of the 
     Forest Service:
       (1) The map entitled ``Ouachita National Forest Boundary 
     Extension for the Broken Bow Area''.
       (2) The map entitled ``Ouachita National Forest Boundary 
     Extension for the Southern Tiak Area''.
       (3) The map entitled ``Ouachita National Forest Boundary 
     Extension for the Northern Ouachita Area''.
       (4) The map entitled ``Ouachita National Forest Boundary 
     Extension for the Southern Ouachita Area''.
       (5) The map entitled ``Ouachita National Forest Boundary 
     Extension for the Eastern Ouachita Area''.
       (b) Availability and Correction.--The maps referred to in 
     subsection (a) shall be on file and available for public 
     inspection in the Office of the Chief of the Forest Service. 
     The Secretary of Agriculture may make minor corrections to 
     the maps.
       (c) Management of Acquired Land.--Any federally-owned lands 
     that have been or hereafter may be acquired for National 
     Forest System purposes within the boundaries of the Ouachita 
     National Forest, as modified by subsection (a), shall be 
     managed as lands acquired under the Act of March 1, 1911 
     (commonly known as the Weeks Act), and in accordance with the 
     other laws and regulations pertaining to the National Forest 
     System. Nothing in this subsection shall limit the authority 
     of the Secretary of Agriculture to adjust the boundaries of 
     the Ouachita National Forest pursuant to section 11 of such 
     Act (16 U.S.C. 521).
       (d) Relation to Land and Water Conservation Fund Act.--For 
     purposes of section 7 of the Land and Water Conservation Fund 
     Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l-9), the boundaries of the 
     Ouachita National Forest, as modified by subsection (a), 
     shall be considered to be boundaries of the Ouachita National 
     Forest as of January 1, 1965.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Gohmert) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 5690 simply makes a technical correction to 
section 305 of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 
1996. The Act provided for a land exchange between the Ouachita 
National Forest and private lands but did not establish the new 
boundaries for the National Forest. This bill remedies the problem by 
adjusting the National Forest boundary and also allowing future land 
management adjustments to proceed without the continuing need for 
future boundary adjustments.
  I urge support for this measure.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, I yield at this time such time as he may 
consume to the chief sponsor of this important legislation, my good 
friend from the great State of Oklahoma (Mr. Boren).
  Mr. BOREN. Madam Speaker, I introduced the Ouachita National Forest 
Boundary Adjustment Act to provide a technical correction to section 
305 of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996.
  Section 305 provided for a land exchange between the Ouachita 
National Forest and Weyerhaeuser Timber Company but did not fully 
establish the new boundaries of the forest. My legislation would make 
this technical correction so that the boundaries of the forest would 
accurately reflect the land exchange.
  This correction would allow the Forest Service to better manage the 
land, because the boundaries of the forest would be more uniform and 
would allow future land management adjustments without the need to 
continuously adjust the boundaries.
  H.R. 5690 has the support of the administration, the local Forest 
Service office, Weyerhaeuser Timber Company, Plum Creek, and the 
members of the Arkansas delegation whose district would be affected.
  The Forest Service is a valuable partner in preserving and managing 
the resource for Oklahoma and Arkansas, and I urge my colleagues to 
support this legislation that will make managing the Ouachita easier 
for the Forest Service.
  Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, I urge passage of this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I also urge support for this and would 
thank the gentleman from Oklahoma. But I can't recognize my dear friend 
from Oklahoma without commenting that he has also got Texas ties that 
we are proud of.
  Madam Speaker, I have no additional requests for time, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 5690.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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