To provide for the conveyance of the former Konnarock Lutheran Girls School in Smyth County, Virginia, which is currently owned by the United States and administered by the Forest Service, to facilitate the restoration and reuse of the property, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5103) to provide for the conveyance of the former Konnarock Lutheran Girls School in Smyth County, Virginia, which is currently owned by the United States and administered by the Forest Service, to facilitate the restoration and reuse of the property, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5103, a bill to provide for the conveyance of the former Konnarock Lutheran Girls School in Smyth County, Virginia. The Konnarock property is located in Representative Rick Boucher's congressional district, just south of my district in the southwestern part of Virginia. The land and buildings were acquired by the Forest Service in 1967. The facility, at that time, was not in use. It was last used as a school in 1959.

The Forest Service used the buildings to house fire crews and summer trail crews, as well as the job corps operations. By the early 1980s, continued deterioration rendered the facility unusable. There has been considerable continued deterioration since that time. The facility is now in severe disrepair.

Prior to Forest Service acquisition, the facility was owned by the local Lutheran Church. This legislation would convey the land to the Evangelical Lutheran Coalition for the mission in Appalachia, which plans to restore/preserve the historic structures; develop a retreat center; partner with area colleges to use the property as an environmental learning center; and develop, archive, and exhibit the history of the school and the community.

This bill was passed by the House Committee on Agriculture favorably last week with the recommendation

that it does pass. Today's bill takes the bare minimum necessary to convey this property to an owner who will have an opportunity to invest in the buildings and restore them to their historical significance.

Prior to the committee's consideration of the bill, we were advised by the Congressional Budget Office that the small area conveyed and the deterioration of the buildings ensures that the bill will not have a significant impact on spending.

I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Boucher), for introducing this good measure and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Peterson), the ranking member, for helping us get it to the floor. I urge my colleagues to adopt this bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I want to express my appreciation to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Peterson) for moving this measure through the committee and bringing the bill to the House floor today.

The Lutheran Girls School building in Konnarock, Virginia, is a historic structure; and it is presently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was constructed of wood and stone, hewed from the mountains where the building is located during the 1920s, and has graceful architecture that is typical of the rustic buildings constructed during that era.

It was constructed by the Women's Missionary Society of the Lutheran Church in America and was operated by the Lutheran Church as a girls school from the middle 1920s until 1959. At that time the school was closed and the building at that point entered a very long period of disuse.

In 1967 the Forest Service acquired that building as part of a much larger acquisition of 680 acres, all of which bordered the national forest. Today, the building has fallen into a severe state of disrepair and is in danger of collapse unless substantial remedial work is performed in the very near future.

The bill before us would convey the building and up to 6 acres of lands, the exact amount to be determined by conducting a survey, from the Federal Government and to the Evangelical Lutheran Coalition for Mission in Appalachia. That is an organization that is affiliated with the Lutheran Church.

The Lutheran Coalition intends to restore and renovate the property in a manner consistent with its historic status. Its future use will be as a retreat center for the Lutheran Coalition, and it will be available for use as a retreat center and by other nonprofit entities and faith-based organizations.

The coalition also plans to partner with area colleges to establish exhibits and a learning center for matters relating to the unique mountain environment in which this building is located.

Through this conveyance, we can assure that the restoration and future maintenance of this historic structure will occur. I thank Chairman Goodlatte and Mr. Peterson for their work in bringing this bill to the floor. I join with them in urging its approval by the House

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

I rise in support of H.R. 5103. Mr. Boucher's bill will convey about 6 acres of land within Jefferson National Forest back to the Lutheran Church to allow them to restore and preserve the historic Konnarock Lutheran Girls School in Smyth County, Virginia.

The Lutheran Evangelical Coalition for Missions in the Appalachias has developed a thoughtful plan for the site that includes the restoration and preservation of the building, a retreat center, and an environmental learning center that will work in conjunction with local schools.

This is a worthwhile use of Federal forest land and an excellent project which deserves congressional support.

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Boucher), the author of the bill.

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

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 5103, which was received from the House.

I ask unanimous consent the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements be printed in the Record.