Ouachita National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act of 2006

Madam Speaker, I introduced the Ouachita National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act to provide a technical correction to section 305 of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996.

Section 305 provided for a land exchange between the Ouachita National Forest and Weyerhaeuser Timber Company but did not fully establish the new boundaries of the forest. My legislation would make this technical correction so that the boundaries of the forest would accurately reflect the land exchange.

This correction would allow the Forest Service to better manage the land, because the boundaries of the forest would be more uniform and would allow future land management adjustments without the need to continuously adjust the boundaries.

H.R. 5690 has the support of the administration, the local Forest Service office, Weyerhaeuser Timber Company, Plum Creek, and the members of the Arkansas delegation whose district would be affected.

The Forest Service is a valuable partner in preserving and managing the resource for Oklahoma and Arkansas, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation that will make managing the Ouachita easier for the Forest Service.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5690) to adjust the boundaries of the Ouachita National Forest in the States of Oklahoma and Arkansas.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 5690 simply makes a technical correction to section 305 of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996. The Act provided for a land exchange between the Ouachita National Forest and private lands but did not establish the new boundaries for the National Forest. This bill remedies the problem by adjusting the National Forest boundary and also allowing future land management adjustments to proceed without the continuing need for future boundary adjustments.

I urge support for this measure.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I also urge support for this and would thank the gentleman from Oklahoma. But I can't recognize my dear friend from Oklahoma without commenting that he has also got Texas ties that we are proud of.

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

Madam Speaker, I yield at this time such time as he may consume to the chief sponsor of this important legislation, my good friend from the great State of Oklahoma (Mr. Boren).

Madam Speaker, I urge passage of this legislation.

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

I ask unanimous consent the Senate now proceed to H.R. 5690 just received from the House and at the desk.

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