Walter Jones

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 126, introduced by me, would allow for the adjustment in the number of free-roaming horses permitted in the Cape Lookout National Seashore. Specifically, H.R. 126 would permit the number of free-roaming horses to increase to 110 from its current level of 100, with a targeted population between 120 and 130 horses, and would not permit the removal of the horses unless the removal is carried out as part of a plan to maintain the viability of the herd. H.R. 126 is identical to legislation that was supported by the majority and minority and passed the House of Representatives during the 108th Congress. I urge adoption of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 186) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation and in coordination with other Federal, State, and local government agencies, to participate in the funding and implementation of a balanced, long-term groundwater remediation program in California, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This legislation, authored by the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), distinguished chairman of the Committee on Resources, helps remediate the groundwater basin in Santa Clara, California. Chemicals, such as perchlorate, have been detected in over 500 wells around the communities of Morgan Hill and San Martin, California. As a result, more than 1,000 residents are now being supplied with bottled water. This bill provides a long-term solution to this growing problem. H.R. 186 would provide up to $25 million in Federal funding to clean up groundwater near these communities over a 10-year period. This funding mechanism is based on a practical working model currently under way in the San Gabriel Basin in southern California. Everyone agrees on the need for safe drinking water for our communities. This bill reflects this consensus and puts words into real action. I urge my colleagues to support this important bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 584) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to recruit volunteers to assist with, or facilitate, the activities of various agencies and offices of the Department of the Interior.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 584.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 584, introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish voluntary programs in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Office of the Secretary. With this authority, these four bureaus would be able to parallel the successful volunteer programs in the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to recruit volunteers to assist with or facilitate the activities within the agencies. Over 200,000 volunteers annually serve as campground hosts, clear trails, help with seasonal bird surveys, collect new information for maps and assist with many other day-to-day activities. Simply put, volunteers provide the Department of the Interior vital services to help it meet its mission responsibilities. Volunteer programs within the Department also provide outstanding opportunities for community service and public involvement in conservation programs. H.R. 584 is identical to legislation that was supported by the majority and minority and passed the House of Representatives with a voice vote during the 108th Congress. I urge adoption of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 680) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land held in trust for the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah to the City of Richfield, Utah, and for other purposes.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 680.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 680 is sponsored by the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon). The legislation authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to take a three-acre parcel of land owned by the Paiute Indian Tribe out of trust so that the tribe can sell it to the City of Richfield, Utah. The land would be sold only on a willing seller's basis for fair market value and would be used by the city to expand its municipal airport. The bill also authorizes the Secretary to transfer three parcels of trust land to two of the Tribe's constituent bands. The parcels, each of which is one acre or less, will remain in trust for the benefit of the individual bands. Finally, H.R. 680 changes the name of the Cedar City Band of Paiute Indians of Utah to the Cedar Band of Paiute Indians of Utah. The tribe and all local entities support the bill. An identical version of this bill was passed in the House on October 10, 2004, but no action occurred in the Senate before the Congress adjourned. I urge the adoption of this noncontroversial bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 816) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to sell certain parcels of National Forest System land in Carson City and Douglas County, Nevada.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 816.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons), the author of this bill.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 62) to create the Office of Chief Financial Officer of the Government of the Virgin Islands, and for other purposes.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 62.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, our colleague, the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen), has introduced legislation to address a potentially serious problem relating to her territory's financial future. Her legislation, H.R. 62, would create an Office of Chief Financial Officer for the United States Virgin Islands. For over a decade now, multiple factors have led to a worsening financial outlook in this territory. Natural disasters, a gradually declining tourism industry and resulting spending decisions by the local government have left the U.S. Virgin Islands with significant annual deficits. Further, this territory now faces a debt totaling $1 billion. This legislation uses local and Federal input to select a Chief Financial Officer. The CFO will tackle the difficult fiscal and related political decisions with regard to spending on these islands. This position will be temporary and will be empowered to stop wasteful spending and put this territory on the track to more sound economic footing. The financial practices of the United States Virgin Islands have taken a primary position in the minds of its citizens and thus remain of great importance to my colleague, the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen). Without this legislation, one must worry that the Federal Government may have to take even more direct action if this debt continues to increase. Finally, I would like to also point out that identical legislation, H.R. 3589, was passed by the Committee on Resources in the 108th Congress and by the whole House on September 22, 2004. We are hopeful that early action on this legislation during the Congressional session will translate into more momentum for the enactment of H.R. 62. I hope bipartisan support of this legislation will continue, and I urge adoption of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 412) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Western Reserve Heritage Area.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 412.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 412 introduced by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan), would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Western Reserve Heritage Area. The proposed study area under this bill would encompass 14 modern-day counties in Ohio which throughout history have made a unique contribution to the cultural, political, and industrial development of the United States. The Western Reserve is every bit as distinctive as the land settled by the people of Connecticut after the Revolutionary War and holds a unique mark as the original wilderness in the West that many settlers migrated to in order to begin life outside the original 13 colonies. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 412 mirrors legislation that was supported by the majority and minority of the committee and the administration and passed the House during the 108th Congress. I urge adoption of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.