To amend the Mesquite Lands Act of 1986 to facilitate implementation of a multispecies habitat conservation plan for the Virgin River in Clark County, Nevada.

I rise in support of H.R. 2745, legislation amending the Mesquite Lands Act of 1986. The original Mesquite Lands Act provided the city of Mesquite, Nevada, the exclusive right to purchase, at fair market value, certain Federal land under the control of the Bureau of Land Management. As the city is landlocked by public lands and was the fastest growing city in the country for much of the 1990s, this legislation was amended in 1996 to allow the city to purchase additional Federal lands to ensure the city of Mesquite could continue to grow and prosper. In 1999, Congress passed the latest Mesquite Lands Act amendment with the specific purpose of providing land to construct a commercial airport and to provide more room for commercial and

industrial development to, again, meet future demands for a rapidly growing tourism industry.

In 2002, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a Mesquite Lands Act Biological Opinion, which promulgated certain terms and conditions associated with the land sale. A key term contained in the opinion is a mandate that the city participate in the development and implementation of a Habitat Conservation and Recovery Plan and a Hydrologic Monitoring and Mitigation Plan along the Virgin River.

In response to this opinion, Congress made a technical amendment to the act within the Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002 that set aside a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each parcel for the ``development'' of the Recovery Plan and the Hydrologic Monitoring and Mitigation Plan. It is apparent that during the process language allowing for the ``implementation'' of these plans was inadvertently omitted from this amendment. Other land acts, such as the Lincoln and White Pine County Lands Act, clearly state that funds shall be expended on development and implementation of multispecies habitat conservation plans. I believe the same process should be applied to the Mesquite Lands Act.

H.R. 2745 is a legislative clarification regarding the special funds allowing for both the development and implementation of the Habitat Conservation and Recovery Plan and the Hydrologic Monitoring and Mitigation Plan. This is consistent with other plans in Nevada, and the same process should be applied to the city of Mesquite.

In addition to the clarification for the Habitat Conservation and Recovery Plan, there's an issue regarding the timing of the land sales identified in the 1999 amendment that is also addressed in H.R. 2745. The legislation originally gave the city of Mesquite 12 years to purchase the land from the date of enactment. However, due to severe economic conditions that continue to plague southern Nevada, along with a delay of the environmental impact statement for the airport site, the city is not in a position to purchase the final sections of property at this time, and therefore was not able to make this deadline. H.R. 2745 provides for an extension of an additional 8 years to allow economic conditions to improve.

In closing, I would again like to thank Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva, as well as the Natural Resources Committee Staff, for working with me on moving this legislation forward. H.R. 2745 will allow the city of Mesquite to continue to control the path of its future expansion and economic development, as well as correct an oversight in prior legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2745) to amend the Mesquite Lands Act of 1986 to facilitate implementation of a multispecies habitat conservation plan for the Virgin River in Clark County, Nevada, as amended.

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

With that, Mr. Speaker, since this is a significant bill that makes a change that has been long overdue, I yield such time as he may consume to the sponsor of this bill, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Heck).

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

Authored by Congressman Heck, H.R. 2745 was amended by the Natural Resources Committee and is further amended today to ensure that there is no cost to the taxpayer. This will treat all proceeds from land sales uniformly and, again, at no cost to the taxpayer.

So I urge adoption of this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, this legislation allows the city of Mesquite, Nevada, to continue acquiring certain lands from the Federal Government for its commercial airport.

Under the original 1986 legislation, some receipts from the sale of Federal lands would be retained to fund habitat improvements along the Virgin River within Clark County. As amended, H.R. 2745 directs the proceeds from the land sales to the Treasury, thus leaving the habitat work unfunded.

While the conservation work is important and deserves funding, we do not object to this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.