[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 20]
[House]
[Page 27818]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK SCHOOL LEASE ACT

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 53) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter 
into a long-term lease with the Government of the United States Virgin 
Islands to provide land on the island of Saint John, Virgin Islands, 
for the establishment of a school, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 53

       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 ``Virgin Islands National Park 
     School Lease Act''.

     SEC. 2. LONG-TERM LEASE, VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, SAINT 
                   JOHN, VIRGIN ISLANDS.

       (a) Lease Authorized.--The Secretary of the Interior may 
     lease to the Government of the United States Virgin Islands a 
     parcel of real property, including any improvements thereon, 
     located within the boundaries of Virgin Islands National Park 
     on the island of Saint John, Virgin Islands, as depicted on 
     the map entitled ``Virgin Islands National Park School 
     Exchange'', numbered 161/80,037, and dated September 19, 
     2007, for the purpose of providing a suitable location for 
     the establishment of a school by the Government of the United 
     States Virgin Islands on the island.
       (b) Term of Lease.--The lease authorized by subsection (a) 
     may not exceed a term of 99 years.
       (c) Availability of Map.--The map referred to in subsection 
     (a) shall be on file and available for public inspection in 
     the appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
       (d) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may 
     require such additional terms and conditions in connection 
     with the lease under this section as the Secretary considers 
     appropriate to protect the interests of the United States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Gohmert) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands.

                              {time}  1500


                             General Leave

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume to explain the bill.
  I want to thank the Chair of the Subcommittee on Parks for coming to 
the Virgin Islands and having a hearing in St. John on this important 
bill.
  This bill, H.R. 53, was introduced by me on January 4 of this year to 
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to lease land on the island of 
St. John to the Government of the United States Virgin Islands to build 
a public school. The legislation is strongly supported by the people of 
the Virgin Islands, particularly the residents of St. John.
  The Virgin Islands National Park was authorized by Congress in 1956 
and established largely by an initial land donation by Laurance 
Rockefeller through the Jackson Hole Preserve, Incorporated. In 1962 
and 1978, the park was enlarged by Congress so that it now takes up 
almost two-thirds of St. John, which is only 22 square miles.
  For at least the past three decades, the Government of the Virgin 
Islands and the National Park Service have been discussing the question 
of securing suitable land on the island of St. John to construct the 
public school. Since the 1970s, public school enrollment on St. John 
has more than doubled, and the U.S. VI Government owns no land on the 
island to expand either of the two public schools that now exist or to 
build a new one.
  The two existing public schools, Julius E. Sprauve and the Guy H. 
Benjamin Elementary School, only accommodate children up to the ninth 
grade. St. Johnian high school children have to travel to St. Thomas, 
20 minutes by ferry over open ocean to complete their secondary 
education.
  The Julius E. Sprauve School is in the middle of a heavily trafficked 
area, which really threatens and puts the lives of our children at risk 
as they come to and from school. About 2 years ago, a second-grade 
student was killed leaving a Christmas party. The schools are not in 
the best location; especially that school is not in the best location 
for our students.
  It is clear that with limited land and the continued growth and 
population, this legislation is critically needed.
  I want to thank Chairman Rahall and Ranking Member Don Young and 
Subcommittee Parks Chairman Raul Grijalva and Insular Affairs 
Subcommittee ranking member, Luis Fortuno, for their support to have 
this legislation considered on the floor today.
  I also have to thank the One Campus Group in St. John, Kirstin Cox, 
Lorelei Monsanto, Alvis Christian, Ronnie Jones and all of the others 
for the work that they have done to get us this far and to bring the 
community together in support of the process that is outlined in H.R. 
53 when all else failed.
  I urge my colleagues to support the people of St. John and to support 
H.R. 53.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOHMERT. I do thank my colleague from the Virgin Islands for 
outlining H.R. 53.
  Two-thirds of the island of St. John is comprised of the Virgin 
Islands National Park. The park's dominant size is negatively impacting 
the quality of life for the growing population there at St. John. 
Without utilizing the park land, there is no other suitable property to 
build a school on St. John.
  I urge my colleagues to support the bill. We had hoped to consider an 
amendment to convey the property outright for the school, as was 
offered, but then withdrawn by Congressman Jeff Flake during our 
committee consideration of this bill.
  However, Chairman Rahall has given his support for other long-term 
leases, and this bill does establish an important precedent for the 
National Park Service.
  We support the bill. It is for a great purpose. I would urge my 
colleagues to support this, since we don't have an amendment to give it 
outright to my colleague, but, in the meantime, we support this bill 
and wish the project well.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. I thank the gentleman for his support.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 53, 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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