To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out certain land exchanges involving small parcels of National Forest System land in the Tahoe National Forest in the State of California, and for other purposes.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry be authorized to conduct a full committee hearing during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 10 a.m. in SH-216, Hart Senate Office Building. The purpose of this hearing will be to review the implementation of the Sugar Provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 10, 2006, at 5:45 p.m., in closed session for a discussion on the situation in Afghanistan.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 10 at 11:30 a.m. The purpose of this meeting is to consider the nomination of Dirk Kempthorne to be Secretary of the Interior.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Wednesday, May 10, 2006, at 10 a.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to hear testimony on ``Fostering Permanence: Progress Achieved and Challenges Ahead for America's Child Welfare System''.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 10, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on nominations.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, May 10, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct an oversight hearing on Economic Development in Indian Country.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 10, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed Business Meeting.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on ``Modern Enforcement of the Voting Rights Act'' on Wednesday, May 10, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The hearing will be held on Wednesday, May 10, at 2:30 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills:

S. 906, to promote wildland firefighter safety; S. 2003, to make permanent the authorization for watershed restoration and enhancement agreements; H.R. 585, to require Federal land managers to support, and to communicate, coordinate, and cooperate with, designated gateway communities, to improve the ability of gateway communities to participate in Federal land management planning conducted by the Forest Service and agencies of the Department of the Interior, and to respond to the impacts of the public use of the Federal lands administered by these agencies, and for other purposes; and H.R. 3981, to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out certain land exchnges involving small parcels of National Forest System land in the Tahoe National Forest in the State of California, and for other purposes.

Because of the limited time available for the hearing; witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150.

For further information, please contact Frank Gladics at 202-224-2878 or Sara Zecher 202-224-8276.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3981) to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out certain land exchanges involving small parcels of National Forest System land in the Tahoe National Forest in the State of California, and for other purposes.

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. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 3981, authored by the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle), would facilitate the exchange of two small tracts of land under the Small Tracts Act in the Tahoe National Forest in California.

The first would exchange 3 acres of mineral rights from the Forest Service to the owner of the surface in exchange for 7 acres of land adjacent to a Forest Service campground. The second would provide for the exchange of less than 1 acre owned by the Forest Service and located in the backyard of the property owner with a parcel of less than 1 acre near a Forest Service trailhead. The Forest Service has indicated its interest and support for these exchanges in correspondence to the landowners.

I urge you to support this important measure.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3981 directs the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange two small parcels of National Forest System land in the Tahoe National Forest in California. We do not object to the two land exchanges included in H.R. 3981.

We had concerns with an earlier version of this legislation, H.R. 1905, that included generic amendments to the Small Tracts Act, but those are not included in this bill, and we have no objection to H.R. 3981.

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