Escambia County Land Conveyance Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the

bill (H.R. 2370) to authorize Escambia County, Florida, to convey certain property that was formerly part of Santa Rosa Island National Monument and that was conveyed to Escambia County subject to restrictions on use and reconveyance.

Mr. Speaker, 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.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gaetz), the author of this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by assuaging the concerns raised by my friend from Missouri. A provision in the bill--and I will simply read it--I think, answers his concerns rather clearly. It says:

``. . . the county shall preserve in perpetuity the areas of the non- Federal land that, as of the date of enactment of this act, are dedicated for conservation, preservation, public recreation access, and public parking, in accordance with any resolutions of the Board of Commissioners of the county.''

As my friend has pointed out, Congress established the Santa Rosa National Monument and directed the Secretary of the Interior to convey the Federal land in the monument to Escambia County, Florida, back in 1946. Just 6 months later, the land was deeded to the county. Under the terms of the conveyance, Escambia County was given the authority to lease the property on Santa Rosa Island; however, they were not allowed to issue title on the property or otherwise dispose of it or reconvey it.

In the intervening years since then, Santa Rosa Island has experienced tremendous economic growth. This growth prompted county leaders to assess property taxes on the leased lands. The imposition of taxes led to several lawsuits centered on the question of whether island residents and businessowners paying lease fees for their land could be taxed, despite not having outright ownership of the property.

Courts have reached different conclusions based on differences in the language of particular leases, which has created fairness issues for the county governments of Escambia and Santa Rosa. One property may be subject to property taxes, while a virtually identical property next door may not. This uneven treatment has prompted interest in removing the deed restriction prohibiting reconveyance, which then allows the county governments to convey ownership and create a uniform tax treatment for all properties on the beach.

Recently, both Escambia County and neighboring Santa Rosa County passed resolutions asking for a Federal solution to allow current Santa Rosa Island leaseholders the option of attaining fee simple title while protecting public access to the beaches and conservation areas on the island.

I commend my colleague, Congressman Gaetz, for listening to his constituents and working to find a solution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments.

I would simply add that one of the overarching objectives of the Federal Lands Subcommittee is to restore the Federal Government as a good neighbor to those communities impacted by the public lands. This bill is an example of that principle at work, and I would urge adoption of the measure.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2370, introduced by Representative Gaetz, settles a longstanding land management issue in his Florida district. Specifically, the bill transfers land associated with the former Santa Rosa Island National Monument to Escambia County. Once it is transferred to Escambia County, the bill authorizes a second transfer to Santa Rosa County, without any conditions or further restrictions.

The land in question was provided to the county by the Federal Government in 1947 under the condition it remain in use for a public purpose. In 1956, the county decided a 100-year lease to neighboring Santa Rosa County was in the public interest. In the 61 years since, the counties have grown and prospered, but due to the terms of the original conveyance and subsequent lease, there is some confusion about Santa Rosa County's power to tax.

This bill will clear up some administrative challenges that have arisen out of this unusual arrangement, a goal that we support. However, it will also allow for developments that conflict with the terms of the original conveyance.

As drafted, this bill authorizes activities that will do significant environmental damage to a fragile coastal barrier island and potentially lead to the privatization of land on Santa Rosa Island. Neither of these results is in the public interest or consistent with congressional intent.

Congress granted Escambia County this land with one condition, which this bill completely ignores. We understand how important this bill is for Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties, but honoring the original intent of this land grant is as important as well.

It is our hope that we can work with our colleagues in the Senate to make improvements to this legislation that will continue to protect the interests of the American taxpayers in this land deal.

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I appreciate my friend from California for that explanation. Hopefully, my colleague, Representative Gaetz, will try to strike a balance between protecting our environment, protecting the pristine nature of that island, as well as looking out for the best interests of his constituents when this bill gets to the Senate. So, therefore, we will not oppose it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McClintock as well as the great leadership of the House Natural Resources Committee.

This legislation impacts residents on Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach in Florida's First Congressional District. Some of those residents are now being double taxed because they have been forced to pay ad valorem property tax payments to the government in addition to lease payments. This legislation will grant fee simple title to these affected residents so that they are not double taxed and simply make an ad valorem payment like all other Floridians.