Paint Bank and Wytheville National Fish Hatcheries Conveyance Act

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 13, 2006, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on ``The Housing Bubble and its Implications for the Economy.''

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, September 13 at 11:30 a.m.

The purpose of this meeting is to consider the nominations of John Ray Correll to be director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Mark Myers to be director of the United States Geological Survey, and David Longly Bernhardt to be solicitor of the Department of the Interior.

President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to hold a Business Meeting on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. to consider the following agenda:

Legislation: H.R. 5689, To amend the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users to make technical corrections, and for other purposes; S.1848, Cleanup of Inactive and Abandoned Mines Act; S. 3630, To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize a program relating to the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, and for other purposes; H.R. 3929, Dana Point Desalination Project Authorization Act; S. 3617, North American Wetlands Conservation Reauthoriiation Act of 2006; H.R. 5061, Paint Bank and Wytheville National Fish Hatcheries Conveyance Act; S. 3551, Tylersville Fish Hatchery Conveyance Act; S. 3867, To Designate the Federal Courthouse at 555 Independence Street, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, as the ``Rush H. Limbaugh Sr., Federal Courthouse''; H.R. 5187, To Amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize additional appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for fiscal year 2007; S. 3879 ``Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage Contingent Cost Allocation Act''; S. 2348, Nuclear Release Notice Act of 2006; and S. 3591, High-Performance Green Buildings Act of 2006.

Nominees: William B. Wark to be a Member of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board; William E.

Wright to be a Member of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board; Stephen M. Prescott to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation; Anne Jeannette Udall to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation; Brigadier General Bruce Arlan Berwick to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission; Colonel Gregg F. Martin to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission; Brigadier General Robert Crear to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission; and Rear Admiral Samuel P. DeBow, Jr. to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission.

Resolutions: Committee Resolution for the Republican River Basin-- Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas; Committee Resolution for Beverly Hills, New Haven, Connecticut; Committee Resolution for Hanover Pond; Holly Pond; and Eisenhower Park--Connecticut; Committee Resolution for Mystic Harbor Water Resources Development--Mystic, Connecticut; Committee Resolution for the Burns Waterway Harbor--Indiana; Committee Resolution for Jefferson Parish Flood Control, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; Committee Resolution for the Blackstone River Watershed--Massachusetts, Rhode Island; Committee Resolution for the St. Clair River, Lake Level Study--Michigan; Committee Resolution for the Crow Creek Watershed-- Cheyenne, Wyoming; Committee Resolution to direct GSA to prepare a Report of Building Project Survey; 12 resolutions to authorize the majority of the remainder of the General Services Administration's FY 2007 Capital Investment and Leasing Program; and 8 resolutions authorizing courthouse projects.

Mr. President: I ask unanimous consent that on Wednesday, September 13, immediately following the 9:30 a.m. Business Meeting the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to hold a hearing to consider the following pending nominations:

Roger Romulus Martella, Jr., to be Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;

Alex A. Beehler to be Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; and

William H. Graves to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, at 10 a.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to hear testimony on ``Taking the Pulse of Charitable Care and Community Benefits at Nonprofit Hospitals.''

THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

committee on foreign relations

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on Lebanon.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. to consider the nominations of Wayne C. Beyer to be Member, Federal Labor Relations Authority, and Stephen T. Conboy to be U.S. Marshal, Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. in the Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226.

Agenda

I. Bills: S. 2453, National Security Surveillance Act of 2006, Specter; S. 2455, Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006, DeWine, Graham; S. 2468, A bill to provide standing for civil actions for declaratory and injunctive relief to persons who refrain from electronic communications through fear of being subject to warrantless electronic surveillance for foreign intelligence purposes, and for other purposes, Schumer; S. 3001, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Improvement and Enhancement Act of 2006, Specter, Feinstein.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 13, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed briefing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committee on Aging be authorized to meet Wednesday, September 13, 2006 from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. in Dirksen 562 for the purpose of conducting meeting.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on ``Challenges Facing Today's Federal Prosecutors,'' on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. in SD226.

Witness list

Panel I: Mike Battle, Director, Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC; Susan Brooks, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Indiana, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC.

Panel II: William Shockley, Former President, National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Lake Ridge, VA.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5061, bi-partisan legislation which I introduced with my colleague from Virginia Mr. Goode.

H.R. 5061 would simply convey two federal fish hatcheries located in the towns of Wytheville and Paint Bank in my Congressional district to the State of Virginia for continued operation by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The legislation enjoys wide support and no opposition. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services as well as the State of Virginia both endorse the conveyance of these two properties.

The two facilities have been operated by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries since 1983 under a 25 year lease agreement. In the early 1980's the federal government was in the process of divesting some federal hatcheries which were not involved in fish stock mitigation activities. The Wytheville and Paint Bank hatcheries are not used for fish stock mitigation and breed fish for recreational fishing only--both facilities provide brook, brown and rainbow trout for the stocking of streams on federal lands. At that time, Virginia expressed interest in operating the facilities under a 25 year lease agreement, and the State has been operating the facilities since that time. The lease is set to expire in 2008, and all parties are in agreement that a title transfer before that expiration date is appropriate.

The two facilities have an estimated combined economic effect of $40 million annually and produced a combined total of approximately 290,729 pounds of trout during Fiscal Year 2005.

Since beginning operation of the facilities under the lease agreement, the State has made numerous investments in the two hatcheries. The State has invested approximately $159,350 for improvements to the Wytheville facility and approximately $230,000 at the Paint Bank facility.

In addition, during that time the facilities have been thoroughly tested for various contaminants, and there are now no contaminant issues associated with either hatchery. The State would like to continue operation and investment in the facilities for a variety of reasons. For example, in order for extensive capital expenditures or any federal funding to be used for additional improvements, the ownership must be transferred from the federal government. Given the fact that the State of Virginia would like to assume ownership and that the federal government has been making a broad effort to divest of non- mitigation related hatcheries, this conveyance is in the interest of all parties.

H.R. 5051 would simply transfer title of the Wytheville and Paint Bank Fish Hatcheries to the State of Virginia. I appreciate the work of Subcommittee Chairman Gilchrest and Ranking Member Pallone as well as that of Chairman Pombo and Ranking Member Rahall of the House Resources Committee in bringing this measure to the floor for consideration, and I urge its adoption.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5061) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey Paint Bank National Fish Hatchery and Wytheville National Fish Hatchery to the State of Virginia.

Madam 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.

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

I am pleased to support H.R. 5061, introduced by our colleagues, Congressmen Rick Boucher and Virgil Goode, to convey the Paint Bank and Wytheville National Fish Hatcheries to the State of Virginia.

This action is appropriate and timely since the State has been superbly operating these facilities for the past 23 years. During this time nearly 1 million brook, brown, and rainbow trout have been produced each year. In fact, this represents over 40 percent of the total amount of trout that have been stocked for public fishing in Virginia. These fish provide recreational opportunities for thousands of people.

This is not an example of the Federal Government's simply ridding itself of unwanted assets. These two hatcheries are not considered components of the National Fish Hatchery System, and the State of Virginia has demonstrated its commitment to manage these facilities effectively. In fact, the State has spent nearly $400,000 in State resources to improve these hatcheries. However, to undertake additional renovations that may cost as much as $4.5 million, it is necessary that ownership is transferred from the Federal Government. This is a position that is supported by all interested parties.

I urge an ``aye'' vote on this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5061, the Paint Bank and Wytheville National Fish Hatcheries Conveyance Act. I want to thank the Gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Boucher, for introducing this legislation, which grants the title to these two hatcheries to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Since 1983, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has successfully operated these two hatcheries on behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Thanks to the hard work and substantial investment by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the 13 full-time employees working at the fish hatcheries, these hatcheries consistently produce large stocks of brook, brown and rainbow trout for recreational fishing every year. In fact, the Paint Bank and Wytheville Hatcheries can produce up to 861,632 trout each year, which accounts for over 40 percent of the trout stocked for public fishing in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Commonwealth has also pledged to invest an additional $4.5 million to continue renovation of these hatcheries in an effort to further enhance the hatcheries capabilities and efficiency.

There are over 2,300 miles of trout streams in Virginia and the Paint Bank and Wytheville Fish Hatcheries are vital to ensuring that these streams are well stocked with large and healthy fish populations. For this reason, I am glad to support H.R. 5061, which will allow the Commonwealth of Virginia to continue to maintain the trout population for recreational fishing for people who live in and visit Virginia. I appreciate the work of Mr. Boucher in crafting this legislation and I urge its passage today.

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

(Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Madam Speaker, we support this legislation that would transfer the Paint Bank and Wytheville National Fish Hatcheries to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Both hatcheries have been operated by the Commonwealth for several years under a long-term management agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This conveyance will enable the State to finance improvements to upgrade these facilities which would otherwise be left unaddressed by the Fish and Wildlife Service.

I want to commend the bill's Democratic sponsor, Congressman Rick Boucher, for introducing this legislation which will enhance sports fishing opportunities in Virginia.

I urge Members to support this noncontroversial bill.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.