[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8309-8310]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   FRUIT HEIGHTS LAND CONVEYANCE ACT

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 993) to provide for the conveyance of certain 
parcels of National Forest System land to the city of Fruit Heights, 
Utah.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 993

       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 ``Fruit Heights Land 
     Conveyance Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) City.--The term ``City'' means the city of Fruit 
     Heights, Utah.
       (2) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled 
     ``Proposed Fruit Heights City Conveyance'' and dated 
     September 13, 2012.
       (3) National forest system land.--The term ``National 
     Forest System land'' means the approximately 100 acres of 
     National Forest System land, as depicted on the map.
       (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Agriculture.

     SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF CERTAIN LAND TO THE CITY OF FRUIT 
                   HEIGHTS, UTAH.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall convey to the City, 
     without consideration, all right, title, and interest of the 
     United States in and to the National Forest System land.
       (b) Survey.--
       (1) In general.--If determined by the Secretary to be 
     necessary, the exact acreage and legal description of the 
     National Forest System land shall be determined by a survey 
     approved by the Secretary.
       (2) Costs.--The City shall pay the reasonable survey and 
     other administrative costs associated with a survey conducted 
     under paragraph (1).
       (c) Easement.--As a condition of the conveyance under 
     subsection (a), the Secretary shall reserve an easement to 
     the National Forest System land for the Bonneville Shoreline 
     Trail.
       (d) Use of National Forest System Land.--As a condition of 
     the conveyance under subsection (a), the City shall use the 
     National Forest System land only for public purposes.
       (e) Reversionary Interest.--In the quitclaim deed to the 
     City for the National Forest System land, the Secretary shall 
     provide that the National Forest System land shall revert to 
     the Secretary, at the election of the Secretary, if the 
     National Forest System land is used for other than a public 
     purpose.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Hastings) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) 
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 in which 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.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 993, introduced by our distinguished subcommittee 
chairman, Mr. Bishop of Utah, would authorize the Secretary of 
Agriculture to convey approximately 100 acres of National Forest System 
land to the city of Fruit Heights in Utah. Fruit Heights is completely 
surrounded by Federal land and is in desperate need of a place to 
develop a cemetery. This legislation would convey a small parcel of 
Federal land for that important public service.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 993 would transfer 100 acres of Forest Service land 
to Fruit Heights, Utah, at no cost to the city, for use as a cemetery. 
The parcel of land in question was purchased by the Federal Government 
in 2002 for over $3 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
  It is obviously not ideal for Federal taxpayers to give away land 
that was purchased with Federal money just 11 years ago. However, the 
bill makes clear that should the land ever be used for anything other 
than a public purpose, the parcel will come back to Federal ownership.
  We do not object to H.R. 993, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to yield 4 
minutes to the author of this legislation, the gentleman from Utah (Mr. 
Bishop).
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Fruit Heights, Utah, is a city of around 5,000 
people. In the center of Davis County to the east are the mountains 
which are owned by the Forest Service. Surrounding it to the south is 
the city of Farmington, which has a landlocked

[[Page 8310]]

cemetery and only allows Farmington residents to be buried there. On 
the west and the north is Kaysville and Layton, which has a cemetery 
which faces the same situation and is restricting who can be buried 
there, as well.
  Fruit Heights really has a significant problem. The only way they can 
go is east, up the mountain, on land that is currently owned by the 
Forest Service but is within the boundaries of Fruit Heights itself. So 
on this map, the brown, barren area without trees is what's owned by 
the Forest Service. Totally surrounding the Forest Service land are 
houses, and only residential roads can get up to this particular area. 
Running through the middle, blasted in there, is a canal which will be 
preserved for canal use and be dedicated to that. Above it, the area 
that is above that, still within the city of Fruit Heights, is too 
steep for any development.
  So, by city ordinance, they have already said, when they receive this 
land, that will be permanent open space. The area below the canal here 
is the land in question that would be transferred to the city for the 
purpose of a cemetery, which they drastically need. They have been 
through every area they have as potential in Fruit Heights City. This 
is truly the only area.
  It is true that a nature conservancy group purchased this land from a 
citizen in Fruit Heights and then sold it at a profit to the Federal 
Government to be used as habitat for mule deer. The Mule Deer 
Association is neutral on this bill, neither opposing it nor in favor 
of it, and they basically privately say that if it's a cemetery, 
they'll probably have more forage potential for the mule deer than they 
have right now.
  This is what is necessary. I appreciate the minority's working with 
me on this particular issue to find the realization that there is a 
need for a cemetery. I thank them for their support. I thank the 
chairman for putting this crucial issue forward, which to us may be not 
crucial, but to those dying to get into this place, it is indeed 
crucial.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I advise my friend from 
Arizona I have no further speakers, and I'm prepared to yield back if 
he is.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I yield back the balance of my time and 
urge adoption of the resolution.
  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, H.R. 993.
  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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