Walnut Grove Land Exchange Act

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Gianforte) and the gentlewoman from Massachusetts for her support of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, the Walnut Grove Land Exchange Act should not need to exist. It is a simple bill which swaps 4 acres of public property, which currently houses a community, cemetery, and church with 6 acres of private timberland. And as was mentioned, this church and cemetery was established decades before the Forest Service.

To those who hear this and think, 10 acres? Why on Earth would it take an act of Congress to exchange a total of 10 acres? Rest assured that I had the same initial reaction. Not that this bill or the church itself are unimportant. On the contrary, the Walnut County Community Church is vital to the rural residents of Garland County.

The church is not only a place of worship. It has held countless community meetings and more. Its cemetery is the final resting place for many of Garland County's servicemen and -women, and the church itself has served as a search-and-rescue command post in the past.

However, under the current law, the church does not own the land on which it worships or buries its dead. As such, the Forest Service has the authority to raise the church's use fee each year and has done so over the past decade. Worse yet, any improvement or restoration to the church must be done with the explicit permission of the Federal Government. As a result, the Walnut Grove congregation has not been able to modify or upgrade their 80-year-old building, despite the need to expand to match the growing demands of the community.

Members of the congregation have tried for decades to resolve this issue with the Forest Service. They have called, written, and petitioned both the local and regional offices to purchase or exchange the land. They have willingly taken on maintenance of the property and have graciously accepted higher and higher usage fees under the guise that an exchange was coming. An exchange never came.

Mr. Speaker, it is time we stop this 20-year merry-go-round. This bill is vitally important to this congregation, and it is past time that we help them resolve their issue.

My bill has wide bipartisan and bicameral support, having passed the committee unanimously and having a companion measure in the Senate. I urge swift passage of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5923) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange certain public lands in Ouachita National Forest, 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 materials on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, for over 20 years, the Walnut Grove Community Church in Jessieville, Arkansas, has sought to gain title to the 4 acres of land on which their church and historic cemetery are located. They have offered 6 acres of land within the Ouachita National Forest to the U.S. Forest Service in exchange. The cemetery and congregation both predate the Forest Service.

Since 1938, the church has operated under special-use permits and has had to renew its permit annually since 2002. This situation has left the congregation uncertain about their future on the land they have worshipped on for decades.

Furthermore, like any structure built 80 years ago, the church requires maintenance. Unfortunately, its operation under a permit limits the congregation's ability to maintain and improve their church building.

Congressman Westerman has introduced a commonsense land exchange that will greatly benefit the community of Jessieville at no cost to the American taxpayer. He should be commended for his work.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman).

Mr. Speaker, 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, this bill authorizes a long overdue land exchange between the Forest Service and the Walnut Grove Church in Garland County, Arkansas. The church was built on Forest Service land, and the exchange will simplify ownership claims and facilitate access and improvements to the property.

The land exchange authorized by this bill includes commonsense safeguards that ensure fair compensation for the value of public lands, and I am happy to support its adoption and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

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

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 5923 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 394.