To amend the Florida National Forest Land Management Act of 2003 to authorize the conveyance of an additional tract of National Forest System land under that Act, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, today the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee considered S. 934, a companion bill to H.R. 1374, which passed the House of Representatives on December 17, 2007. This legislation provides the Forestry Service the flexibility they need to properly manage their assets. This legislation modifies the Florida National Forest Land Management Act in two simple ways which will provide the Forest Service essential authority to manage the national forests in Florida effectively.

The first provision simply adds an unmanageable tract of land located in Tallahassee, FL to the list of lands the Secretary of Agriculture is currently authorized to sell. This specific property, tract W-1979, is approximately 114 acres of land that has evolved into an unmanageable, problem area for the Apalachicola National Forest. Due to the configuration and surrounding development, the vegetation cannot be managed through prescribed fire. Although a very valuable tract from a real estate/commercial aspect, this tract has lost its national forest character. The sale of this land will allow the Forest Service to purchase other lands located within the Forest that are more manageable and will enhance national forests in Florida.

Secondly, this legislation would allow the Forest Service to use proceeds from the sale of other ``non-green land'' to be used for construction and improvements to administrative facilities essential to the proper management of the Forest. These ``non-green land'' tracts of land are owned by the Forest Service, but have urban improvements like fairgrounds or sporting complexes and are not conducive to the overall purpose of protecting our national forests.

This legislation would allow the Service to use the proceeds from the sale of improved lands to build critical infrastructure they need to manage the forests in Florida, while allowing the forest service to continue its practice of using receipts from all non-developed ``green land'' tracts for the acquisition of other ``green land'' tracts to enhance the national forests in Florida. I am pleased that this legislation is moving forward and the Forest Service will have the ability to efficiently and effectively manage our Nation's precious resources.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend, the distinguished chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Mr. Peterson, for granting me time to speak on behalf of this legislation and also thank him and the ranking member, Mr. Goodlatte,

and his representative for supporting this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, the Apalachicola National Forest is the largest of Florida's three national forests. It contains 564,000 acres, and its rivers and streams provide a steady freshwater flow to some of the most productive coastal bays and estuaries known for shellfish and other commercial seafood. Portions of the forest are in wet lowlands and they abound with cypress, oak and magnolias. Watching wildlife, hunting and fishing are popular recreation activities in this beautiful national forest. Visitors to the forest also enjoy swimming, picnicking, boating, and camping.

The Apalachicola National Forest is truly a national treasure, and I am very proud that this legislation will help strengthen and sustain one of our Nation's most valuable natural assets.

As the chairman and the ranking member have said, this enables the national forest to sell a piece of property that really lies right on the south side of Tallahassee, Florida, in Leon County. It actually comes up to the beltway, or what we call the Capital Circle and is surrounded on three sides by commercial development. It is detached from the rest of the national forest, and so it is really, as you have heard earlier, an unmanageable piece of land. And with those proceeds, we are going to use the proceeds to go and purchase some privately held holdings within the confines of the 564,000 acres, what we commonly know as ``inholdings,'' and that is the only purpose that those funds can be used for. There are about 2,000 acres of inholdings, privately held lands within the Apalachicola National Forest, and that is what those funds, Mr. Speaker, would be used for.

I want to thank Mr. Joe Baca, the Forestry Subcommittee chairman, and his staff director, Lisa Shelton, for helping guide this legislation through the subcommittee process. And also I want to thank my friend, the majority leader, Mr. Hoyer, for scheduling. I encourage our colleagues to pass this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1374) to amend the Florida National Forest Land Management Act of 2003 to authorize the conveyance of an additional tract of National Forest System land under that Act, and for other purposes.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1374. H.R. 1374, introduced by Representatives Allen Boyd of Florida and Ander Crenshaw of Florida, would amend the Florida National Forest Land Management Act of 2003 and permit a land conveyance in Leon County. This bill would allow the United States Forest Service to sell a 114-acre parcel in the Apalachicola National Forest known as the ``Flea Market Tract.'' The parcel is surrounded by commercial development, including a major highway to the north, a power line easement to the south, and private land primarily developed to the east and west.

The configuration and development makes adequate land management difficult and the tract unsuitable as managed forest land. H.R. 1374 specifies that the proceeds of the sale of the tract be used for the purpose of acquiring private lands within the Apalachicola National Forest.

H.R. 1374 is supported by the United States Forest Service, the City of Tallahassee, and Leon County, as well as by local businesses, church and civic groups. It is a project that is worthy of congressional support.

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

Mr. Speaker, I now would yield such time as he may consume to the author of the bill, Mr. Boyd from Florida.

(Mr. BOYD of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on Water and Power. The hearing will be held on Thursday, April 24, 2007, at 2:15 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 2680, Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel Environmental Improvement Act of 2008; S. 2805, Rio Grande Pueblos Irrigation Infrastructure Improvement Act; S. 2814, Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System Authorization Act; H.R. 29, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct facilities to provide water for irrigation, municipal, domestic, military, and other uses from the Santa Margarita River, California, and for other purposes; H.R. 1803, San Diego Water Storage and Efficiency Act of 2007; H.R. 123, to authorize appropriations for the San Gabriel Basin Restoration Fund.

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 it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by email to [email protected].

For further information, please contact Michael Connor or Gina Weinstock.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to echo the sentiments of my colleague and express support for H.R. 1374, which authorizes the sale of 114 acres in the Apalachicola National Forest in Florida, the proceeds of which can be used only to purchase private inholdings from willing sellers. H.R. 1374 passed the Agriculture Committee last week by a voice vote.

The land proposed for sale is a small tract that is extremely difficult for the U.S. Forest Service to manage, given its proximity to the City of Tallahassee and the surrounding development. Properties such as this, which contribute little to meeting the Forest Service mission, unfortunately diverts scarce resources from other lands that need management.

In addition to relieving the Forest Service of the management problems this tract creates, the bill will also help the agency reduce the number of private inholdings within the forest if the private owners are interested in selling. Inholdings are a common problem throughout many national forests in the East and create significant access and management issues for the landowners and the agency.

I urge adoption of this bipartisan legislation, and reserve the balance of my time.

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