To provide for the conveyance of a small parcel of National Forest System land in the Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5414) to provide for the conveyance of a small parcel of National Forest System land in the Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

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

H.R. 5414 provides for the conveyance of a small parcel of National Forest System land in the Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina, and for other purposes.

H.R. 5414 authorizes the sale of land in the Francis Marion National Forest. The proceeds of the sale will be placed in the general account for the purchase of other suitable land within the Francis Marion National Forest when it becomes available. This legislation is sponsored by Representative Brown of South Carolina, and supported by the Forest Service.

Since 1946, the Bonneau Baptist Church has operated 3 acres of the Francis Marion National Forest under a special use permit. The church has requested to expand the permit area and to purchase the land at fair market value to accommodate the growing needs of the cemetery they maintain on this property.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5414. This simple legislation allows the Forest Service to sell a 3-acre parcel of land in the Francis Marion National Forest to the Bonneau Baptist Church in Bonneau, South Carolina. The church needs this land to expand their cemetery, which is within

the boundary of the National Forest, and cannot expand without this sale.

The church has agreed to pay for the costs of the transaction. The Forest Service is going to use the funds generated by the sale of this tract to purchase other land for the forest in the future. The gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown) has worked with the Forest Service, the church, and the community to ensure that this transaction is acceptable to everyone concerned. And most importantly, Mr. Speaker, this bill will not result in any expense to the taxpayers.

I hope and urge that my colleagues will join me in support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on a noncontroversial piece of legislation that I introduced that would assist many of my constituents in South Carolina's First Congressional District.

My legislation would simply facilitate the conveyance of no more than three acres of land from the Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina.

The land would be acquired by constituents and families associated with the First Baptist Church in Bonneau, South Carolina. This land is needed in order to facilitate a one-time expansion of their cemetery which has currently reached its capacity.

This legislation would eventually allow these families to be buried together alongside other family members. It would also provide the forest service with desperately needed funds that they would be able to put to good use during these very tough budgetary times.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this noncontroversial piece of legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend several votes today, July 30, 2010. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on H. Res. 1574; ``aye'' on H. Res. 1558; ``aye'' on H.R. 5901; ``aye'' on H. Res. 1566; ``aye'' on H.R. 5414; ``nay'' on H.R. 5851, the motion to recommit; ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 5851; on the Rahall Manager's Amendment; ``aye'' on the Kind Amendment; ``aye'' on the Teague Amendment; ``aye'' on the Oberstar Amendment; ``aye'' on the Melancon Amendment; ``nay'' on the motion to recommit H.R. 3534; ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 3534; and ``aye'' on final passage of