[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18749-18750]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         FORT PULASKI NATIONAL MONUMENT LEASE AUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (S. 535) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior 
to lease certain lands within Fort Pulaski National Monument, and for 
other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 535

       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 ``Fort Pulaski National 
     Monument Lease Authorization Act''.

     SEC. 2. LEASE AUTHORIZATION.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior (referred to 
     in this section as the ``Secretary'') may lease to the 
     Savannah Bar Pilots Association, or a successor organization, 
     no more than 30,000 square feet of land and improvements 
     within Fort Pulaski National Monument (referred to in this 
     section as the ``Monument'') at the location on Cockspur 
     Island that has been used continuously by the Savannah Bar 
     Pilots Association since 1940.
       (b) Rental Fee and Proceeds.--
       (1) Rental fee.--For the lease authorized by this Act, the 
     Secretary shall require a rental fee based on fair market 
     value adjusted, as the Secretary deems appropriate, for 
     amounts to be expended by the lessee for property 
     preservation, maintenance, or repair and related expenses.
       (2) Proceeds.--Disposition of the proceeds from the rental 
     fee required pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be made in 
     accordance with section 3(k)(5) of Public Law 91-383 (16 
     U.S.C. 1a-2(k)(5)).
       (c) Terms and Conditions.--A lease entered into under this 
     section--
       (1) shall be for a term of no more than 10 years and, at 
     the Secretary's discretion, for successive terms of no more 
     than 10 years at a time; and
       (2) shall include any terms and conditions the Secretary 
     determines to be necessary to protect the resources of the 
     Monument and the public interest.
       (d) Exemption From Applicable Law.--Except as provided in 
     section 2(b)(2) of this Act, the lease authorized by this Act 
     shall not be subject to section 3(k) of Public Law 91-383 (16 
     U.S.C. 1a-2(k)) or section 321 of Act of June 30, 1932 (40 
     U.S.C. 1302).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Hastings) and the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Lujan) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.


                             General Leave

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  S. 535 would allow the Savannah Bar Pilots Association to continue 
leasing a facility at Fort Pulaski National Monument as they have done 
since the 1940s.
  Congressman Jack Kingston of Georgia is the author of the House 
version of this bill, H.R. 2687, that the Committee on Natural 
Resources heard in September. The National Park Service testified in 
support, and we are pleased that this is one piece of legislation that 
will not cost the taxpayers a dime.
  So I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Fort Pulaski was completed in 1812. The Savannah Bar Pilots were 
founded in 1864, and they have had a lease to use part of the fort 
since 1940. It would appear that Congress is a little late in getting 
around to formalizing this arrangement.
  The Bar Pilots provide an invaluable service by protecting the people 
and the cargo entering the Port of Savannah. This has been a good use 
of part of the fort and should continue, so we support the passage of 
S. 535.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support passage of S. 535, the 
Fort Pulaski National Monument Lease Authorization Act, which would 
allow the Savannah Bar Pilots 10-year leases for their operating base 
on Cockspur Island which they have used continuously in cooperation 
with the National Park Service since 1940. I also would like to thank 
Chairman Hastings and Chairman Bishop for holding hearings and bringing 
this bill to the Floor today.
  The Savannah Bar Pilots were founded in 1864, making them one of the 
nation's oldest pilots associations. Since then, they have helped 
Savannah grow into the nation's fourth largest seaport and fastest 
growing port on the East Coast. Bar Pilots assist cargo ships 
navigating the Savannah River and guide them 20 miles upriver to either 
the Georgia Port Authority's Garden City Terminal or Ocean Terminal, 
both of which make up the Savannah Port.
  The Bar Pilots' expertise is essential in helping ships reach the 
terminals. Every cargo ship above 200 gross tons--which is nearly every 
ship that calls on the Port of Savannah--must have a bar pilot on 
board. After an incoming ship contacts the pilots and a meeting is 
established, the pilots depart from their operating base on Cockspur 
Island and are ferried on one of several pilot boats up to 12

[[Page 18750]]

miles offshore to the ``pilotage grounds.'' There they board the cargo 
ship and safely guide them through the channel. Cockspur Island is the 
ideal location for the operating base, situated just inside the mouth 
of the Savannah River separating the north and south channel. Other 
than this location, there is no other available land near the Savannah 
River entrance from which the pilot boats can quickly and efficiently 
reach the pilotage grounds in the Atlantic. If the pilots are forced to 
move, they would have to move inland, leading to longer transit times 
and ship delays, increased safety risks in stormy weather, and 
increased fuel usage. The Bar Pilots' use of the Park Service land is a 
unique situation in which the pilots provide a crucial public service 
and also act as good neighbors to one of Coastal Georgia's most 
treasured historic sites.
  S. 535 will allow the Bar Pilots to have 10-year leases with the 
National Park Service. Bar Pilots have been using this land since 1940 
under a Special Lease Permit agreement, sometimes having to renew the 
permit on a year-to-year basis. The National Park Service, the Bar 
Pilots, and local authorities have worked together to draft this 
language which will save all parties involved time and paperwork. 
Additionally, the language protects the integrity of the park and Fort 
Pulaski National Monument. The language explicitly states that the 
rental fee paid by the Bar Pilots will be based on a fair market value 
and be subject to change by the Secretary of the Interior if property 
preservation, maintenance, or repair require increased outlays. This 
bill is identical to H.R. 4773, also titled the For Pulaski National 
Monument Lease Authorization Act, which passed the House during the 
111th Congress.
  I thank Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member Lujan for their support 
of S. 535, and I urge my colleagues to pass the bill.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the 
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, S. 535.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________