HALE Scouts Act

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this measure, H.R. 310, the HALE Scouts Act, granting the U.S. Forest Service authority to sell roughly 140 acres of land to the Indian Nations Council of Boy Scouts, which is adjacent to the Scout's summer camp, Camp Tom Hale located in Talihina, OK. The Indian Nations Council of Boy Scouts is a non-profit organization providing educational programs for boys and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of citizenship, and to develop personal fitness.

Camp Tom Hale first opened in June 1930 to serve Boy Scouts in the McAlester, Oklahoma area. It was originally located at what is now Robbers Cave State Park near Wilburton, Oklahoma. In 1963, the Boy Scout Council in McAlester worked with the State of Oklahoma and the U.S. Forest Service to exchange the camp at Robbers Cave for 480 acres of wilderness area in the Ouachita National Forest.

This ``new'' Camp Hale has continued as a summer adventure camp serving thousands of scouts during the intervening 41 years.

In 1997, the Council board developed a strategic plan for a $3.5 million expansion and renovation of the camp. Since then, the Council has spent in excess of $1 million continually updating and expanding facilities to meet the needs of scouts. As a result, a renewed emphasis on wilderness and the outdoors has flourished, with over 6000 scouts and leaders from a five state area attending weekly sessions offered in June and July and enjoying the beautiful Ouachita Forest.

Attendance has now exceeded the maximum number of available campsites and program areas, which is causing Camp Hale to begin turning away hundreds of scouts each summer. It is now critical for camp growth that the boundaries be extended to include more area for camping and additional program & training services. Successful completion of this objective will allow the Boy Scouts to continue the expansion of outdoor & leadership training for thousands of youth living in the Central Southwest and bring additional usage and enjoyment of the Ouachita Forest to more families.

It is for the benefit of these thousands of young Oklahomans that I proudly sponsored this measure. I greatly appreciate this House's consideration of this bill, and would like to urge my colleagues to support the measure.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 310) to provide for the conveyance of approximately 140 acres of land in the Ouachita National Forest in Oklahoma to the Indian Nations Council, Inc., of the Boy Scouts of America, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 310 would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey 140 acres of public land in Oklahoma administered by the United States Forest Service to the Indian Nations Council of Boy Scouts of America. The Boy Scouts will use the land to expand their existing camping area and will pay fair market value for the land.

H.R. 310 is identical to legislation that passed the House last year by a vote of 370-2.

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend our colleague, Representative Boren, for his work on this legislation, and I urge our colleagues to support passage of H.R. 310.

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.

The majority has explained this bill well. We are pleased to support this legislation also, which will help the young men of Oklahoma by allowing the Boy Scouts to expand their summer camp within the national forest to accommodate the fast-growing number of campers. This speaks volumes about the excellent organization that is the Boy Scouts of America.

I strongly support this legislation, and urge all of my colleagues to do so as well.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I am continuing to recover from back surgery. Yesterday, I missed 3 votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows.

Rollcall No. 687, on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 324, I would have voted ``yea.''

Rollcall No. 688, on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 310, I would have voted ``yea.''

Rollcall No. 689, on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, H.R. 3123, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, unfortunately I missed recorded votes on the House floor on Tuesday, September 8, 2009.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 687 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 324); ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 688 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 310); ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 689 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 3123).