[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3152]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  REMOVING CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS ON MAMMOTH COMMUNITY WATER DISTRICT'S 
    ABILITY TO USE CERTAIN PROPERTY ACQUIRED FROM THE UNITED STATES

  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 356) to remove certain restrictions on the Mammoth 
Community Water District's ability to use certain property acquired by 
that District from the United States.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 356

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

     SECTION 1. REMOVAL OF CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS ON PROPERTY.

       Notwithstanding Public Law 90-171 (16 U.S.C. 484a; 81 Stat. 
     531), the approximately 25 acres patented to the Mammoth 
     County Water District (now known as the ``Mammoth Community 
     Water District'') by Patent No. 04-87-0038, on June 26, 1987, 
     and recorded in Volume 482, at page 517, of the official 
     records of the Recorder's Office, Mono County, California, 
     may be used for purposes other than the purpose for which 
     those lands were being used prior to the conveyance to the 
     Mammoth County Water District and such lands may be 
     transferred as authorized under State law.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Napolitano) and the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. 
McMorris Rodgers) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative 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 California?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 356 removes congressionally imposed restrictions on the use of 
lands transferred in 1987 from the United States to the Mammoth 
Community Water District in California. This legislation would allow 
the District to modify the use of these lands so that those 12 acres of 
land now used for material storage may be put to a more beneficial use.
  In 2004, the Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing on 
similar legislation. In the 109th Congress, similar legislation was 
favorably reported by the committee and passed by the House.
  We have no objections on this noncontroversial bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 356. H.R. 356, introduced by 
our colleague from California, Buck McKeon, removes land use 
restrictions on property acquired from the Forest Service by the 
Mammoth Community Water District in Mono County, California.
  In 1987, the U.S. Forest Service conveyed 25 acres to the Water 
District under land use conditions at the time. Of these lands, 12 
acres are now needed for different uses, including much-needed water 
utility operations. Implementation of this noncontroversial bill will 
ultimately benefit the local water consumer and will adhere to all 
Federal, State, and local environmental laws.
  I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my strong support for 
HR 356, legislation I introduced earlier this year to remove 
restrictions on 25 acres of land patented to the Mammoth County Water 
District.
  Prior to 1987, the District occupied this land through a special use 
permit with the Forest Service. Of these 25 acres, 12 acres were used 
for the storage of materials, and prior to 1987, for oxidation ponds, 
which had become obsolete by that year.
  After that time, Congress passed Public Law 97-465 that allowed these 
lands to be transferred directly to the District. While the law allowed 
for acquisition of these lands, it also directed that they could only 
be used for those purposes prior to the time of the conveyance.
  Today, however, these 12 acres are no longer needed for the storage 
of materials and the community would like to utilize this land in a 
more economically and socially viable manner.
  Such restrictions as those currently placed on the aforementioned 
acreage hinder the Mammoth community's ability to respond to the 
growing needs of its citizens and visitors.
  As such, passage of this legislation would allow the town to 
accommodate for the growing economic and social needs of the region. In 
particular I am pleased to inform my colleagues of plans to use these 
acres for enhanced emergency services availability for the people of 
Mammoth Lakes.
  I would like to express my deep appreciation to Chairman Rahall for 
bringing this legislation to the floor and ask my colleagues to support 
its passage here today.
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. 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 California (Mrs. Napolitano) that the House suspend 
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 356.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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