C. L. (Butch) Otter

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1131 the Idaho Land Enhancement Act. This legislation directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to exchange land with the State of Idaho, including key parcels in the Boise Foothills and North Idaho.

Protecting the Boise Foothills from unchecked development has long been a priority for residents of Boise, Idaho. In May 2001 the citizens of Boise, in one of the highest voter turnouts in city history, elected to tax themselves in order to provide funding to secure permanent public open space in the Boise Foothills. The land exchange before you today is a key component of that effort.

The exchange concept was developed between the Idaho Department of Lands, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service with the assistance of the City of Boise. It uses both Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service acreage to balance an exchange with Idaho State Endowment lands on an equal-value basis. Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service and Idaho Department of Lands staff have identified parcels

that help reduce threats to federal forests and grasslands identified by the Chief of the Forest Service while conveying land to the State of Idaho that help the State's endowment fund beneficiaries.

I introduced identical legislation H.R. 2718, and I appreciate all of the assistance we got from the House Resources Committee in moving this bill through the process. This land exchange is an agreement on which everyone wins. The state of Idaho gets more timberland; the schools get more timber revenue; the people of the Boise area get more open space; and the state and federal agencies involved get a higher level of management efficiency.

I would appreciate your support of this small but important piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4377) to extend the time required for construction of a hydroelectric project, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4377, the Arrowrock Project Hydroelectric License Extension Bill, which extends the time in the hydroelectric license to begin construction of a 15-megawatt project by 3 years from the date of passage of this bill. The facility will be built at the existing Arrowrock Dam on the Boise River in Idaho and has been designated to minimize impacts there.

Over the past decade, this project has been delayed by a number of factors not necessarily within the control of the project developer, including delays related to the bull trout being declared threatened under the Endangered Species Act. We have now solved that problem and we have been assured that the project is ready to go once the license is extended.

This project has bipartisan support. It will further develop the hydroelectric facilities at existing dams, something we promoted in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, so I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

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

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I urge the immediate passage of 4377.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4417) to provide for the reinstatement of a license for a certain Federal Energy Regulatory project.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 4417, the Tygart Dam Project Hydroelectric License Extension Bill, extends the time in the hydroelectric license to start construction on the project until December 31, 2007. This is another project that has experienced delays. In this case, unfavorable market conditions delayed the start of the project. Today, those conditions have been resolved and the project is ready to begin. The project will be built at an existing dam, thus minimizing impacts. It is anticipated that the project will provide a substantial economic boost to the city of Grafton, West Virginia, as well as valuable hydroelectric power, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I also yield back the balance of my time, and I urge the immediate passage of H.R. 4417.