Doc Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. 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.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 2362 is authored by our colleague from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole). We continue to be reminded that it takes months and years for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to approve simple lease agreements. For years, many tribes have pleaded with Congress to let them manage their lands with less Federal supervision. The bureaucratic redtape is often cited as the main culprit for the lack of economic development on reservations. Last week, the Senate passed H.R. 205, the HEARTH Act. The HEARTH Act promotes greater tribal self-determination by allowing tribes to govern their own regulations governing certain leasing of their lands. H.R. 2362, as amended, would give tribes additional options in attracting economic development. The Indian Tribal Trade and Investment Demonstration Project Act would allow any Federally recognized tribe to engage in business with companies of any World Trade Organization member country. It's a good start. It is something that we should be addressing more aggressively. With that, I urge adoption of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 5 minutes to the author of this legislation, the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, this is a good piece of legislation; I urge its passage. And I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1237) to provide for a land exchange with the Trinity Public Utilities District of Trinity County, California, involving the transfer of land to the Bureau of Land Management and the Six Rivers National Forest in exchange for National Forest System land in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I have no more requests for time. If the gentleman is prepared to close, I'll close.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1237, authored by our friend from California (Mr. Herger), authorizes a land exchange between the Trinity County Public Utilities District, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management in northern California. The utilities district currently owns a parcel of land within the city of Weaverville that is cut off by the surrounding Federal land. The utilities district would like to acquire approximately 100 acres of the national forest to consolidate its holdings and guarantee access for future use of the property near the Weaverville Airport. In exchange for this parcel, the utilities district will convey about 150 acres it currently owns to the Six Rivers National Forest and approximately 50 acres to the Bureau of Land Management. Passage of this legislation will allow additional opportunity for economic development in remote Trinity County, California, while allowing the Forest Service to consolidate its land base and the Bureau of Land Management to acquire a prime recreational site. The suspension text makes a minor amendment to the bill to conform to House rules by specifying that any cash equalization payments for the parcels that may be paid to the Secretary must be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury. It also requires that no cash equalization payment may be paid to the utilities district. With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 5 minutes to the author of this legislation and somebody that this body will miss, as he is retiring at the end of this session, the gentleman from California (Mr. Herger).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4484) to provide for the conveyance of a small parcel of National Forest System land in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Utah to Brigham Young University, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill is authored by our colleague from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz). H.R. 4484 authorizes the Forest Service to convey 80 acres, known as Y Mountain, to Brigham Young University. Y Mountain is the location of the renowned white block ``Y'' in Provo, overlooking the Utah Valley and the BYU campus. The Y was constructed in 1906 and has been a celebrated part of the Utah landscape ever since. Currently, BYU owns and maintains the trailhead and much of the trail leading up to the 380-foot tall by 130-foot wide landmark. The remaining property is owned by the Forest Service but it is used by the university under a permit which has typically been renewed every 10 years. With this legislation, the university will guarantee its ability to maintain the Y and surrounding grounds without the risk of losing the right through the permitting process. Finally, the legislation requires that BYU pay fair market value and continue to allow public access to the Y as it has done for decades. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz), the author of this legislation.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I'd advise my friend from the Northern Mariana Islands that I have no more requests for time, and I'm prepared to close if he is.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, this is again, a good piece of legislation. I urge its adoption. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5958) to name the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Contact Station of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge unit of Gateway National Recreation Area in honor of James L. Buckley.

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 add extraneous material to the bill under consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5958 was introduced by our colleague from New York (Mr. Turner) to honor Senator James L. Buckley for his many contributions to America and to the State of New York. The bill recognizes, in particular, his role in establishing the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and the Gateway National Recreation Area. Senator Buckley was the sponsor of the legislation that created the park and, obviously, participated in the floor debate in the Senate. Even before his historic election to the Senate as the candidate of the New York Conservative Party, Senator Buckley spoke out in favor of protecting this natural area in the shadow of New York City and from its use as an airport extension. Senator Buckley is one of the few Americans to have served in the top levels of all three branches of the U.S. Government. In addition to his election to the Senate seat once held by Robert Kennedy, Buckley served as Under Secretary of State, President of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, and judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, generally held to be the second-highest court in our judicial system. Naming the visitors' center and the wildlife refuge after Senator Buckley is a particularly fitting tribute, and he is a lifelong naturalist and birder. This is good legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3388) to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of the Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers in the States of Connecticut and Rhode Island for study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3388, authored by our colleague from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), would authorize the study of 86 miles of rivers in the States of Connecticut and Rhode Island for a potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The Natural Resources Committee amended the legislation to specifically require that the study consider any potential limitations on existing uses and any impacts to private property that could occur with an eventual designation. These are important protections and are necessary for this study bill to move forward. With that, it is a good piece of legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I am very pleased to yield 4 minutes to the author of this legislation, the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin). (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I advise my friend from the Northern Marianas that I have no more requests for time, and I'm prepared to close if he is.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, this is good legislation, and I urge its adoption. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.