[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 20 (Monday, February 5, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H397-H398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CLIFTON OPPORTUNITIES NOW FOR VIBRANT ECONOMIC YIELDS ACT
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2997) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey to
Mesa County, Colorado, certain Federal land in Colorado, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2997
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Clifton Opportunities Now
for Vibrant Economic Yields Act'' or as the ``CONVEY Act''.
SEC. 2. CONVEYANCE OF FEDERAL LAND TO MESA COUNTY, COLORADO.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Clifton parcel.--The term ``Clifton parcel'' means the
approximately 31.1 acres of Federal land depicted as ``31.1
Acres to be Conveyed to Mesa County'' on the map titled
``Clifton Opportunities Now for Vibrant Economic Yields
(CONVEY) Act'' and dated April 19, 2023.
(2) County.--The term ``County'' means Mesa County,
Colorado.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of
Land Management.
(b) In General.--Notwithstanding the Secretarial Order
dated August 26, 1902, and the Secretarial Order dated July
25, 1908, the Secretary shall convey to the County, as soon
as practicable, all rights, title, and interest of the United
States in and to the Clifton parcel.
(c) Requirements.--The conveyance under this section shall
be--
(1) subject to valid existing rights; and
(2) for not less than fair market value, as determined in
accordance with subsection (d).
(d) Appraisal.--
(1) In general.--The fair market value of the Clifton
parcel shall be determined by an independent appraisal
obtained by the Secretary.
(2) Appraisal standards.--The appraisal required by
paragraph (1) shall be conducted in accordance with the--
(A) Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land
Acquisitions; and
(B) Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.
(e) Costs of Conveyance.--The County shall pay all costs
associated with the conveyance required under subsection (b),
including all costs associated with any survey conducted for
the purpose of accomplishing such conveyance.
(f) Proceeds From Conveyance.--The proceeds from the
conveyance required under subsection (b) shall be--
(1) deposited into the Federal Land Disposal Account
established by the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act
(43 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.); and
(2) available for expenditure under that Act.
(g) Map and Legal Description.--
(1) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall finalize a map
and a legal description of all land to be conveyed under this
Act.
(2) Controlling document.--In the case of a discrepancy
between the map and the legal description created under
paragraph (1), the map shall control.
(3) Corrections.--The Secretary and the County, by mutual
agreement, may correct any minor errors in the map or the
legal description created under paragraph (1).
(4) Map on file.--The map and the legal description created
under paragraph (1) shall be kept on file and available for
public inspection in each appropriate office of the Bureau of
Land Management.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs.
Dingell) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
General Leave
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in
[[Page H398]]
which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous
material on H.R. 2997, the bill now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support Representative Boebert's bill, the
Clifton Opportunities Now for Vibrant Economic Yields Act, or the
CONVEY Act.
H.R. 2997 conveys land from the Federal Government to Mesa County in
Colorado. As the House Committee on Natural Resources considered and
ultimately passed this bill through our committee last year, it was
clear Representative Boebert had done good work to build consensus and
solve an important issue in a local Colorado community.
The bill is good policy. Representative Boebert worked with her
constituents, county leaders, and the Bureau of Land Management to
draft legislation they all support.
Many of our Western States are largely owned by the Federal
Government. In Colorado, over 36 percent of the land is federally
owned. In Mesa County, an astonishing 72 percent of the land is owned
by the Federal Government, and this presents many local challenges.
As communities grow in proximity to Federal lands, there simply is
not enough space for new homes, schools, hospitals, or other
necessities to sustain a growing population. Large swaths of Federal
land limit the tax base to support the local community. While creative
solutions have been enacted by Congress to address this issue, there
are still setbacks to communities lacking a strong tax base.
The growing population in this Colorado community has encouraged
county leaders to seek out new land for development. The land in
question is on the Bureau's disposal list, meaning the agency has
determined it no longer wants to manage the land and the land does not
serve the taxpayers' interest.
While both the Bureau of Land Management and Mesa County are
supportive of this land exchange, the process has continued to run into
bureaucratic delays. Mesa County has been working for 5 years to
acquire a mere 31 acres--let me repeat that: 5 years to acquire 31
acres--all because of bureaucratic delays. We now need an act of
Congress to speed up this process.
This is evidence of a much larger problem. There should not be
excessive delays preventing the conveyance of land when all parties
agree this land would be put to more productive use outside of Federal
management and there is a willing buyer.
The House Committee on Natural Resources will continue to conduct
oversight on how we can expedite the process of disposing of unwanted
Federal land, especially land that could be better utilized to support
small, rural communities and their economies.
While the committee continues its work to address the larger issue of
Federal land management, I applaud Representative Boebert for her
leadership in addressing this important issue for her constituents.
Mr. Speaker, I support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2997 would authorize the Bureau of Land Management,
or BLM, to convey 31 acres of Federal land to Mesa County in Colorado.
This parcel of land was once used by the Bureau of Reclamation for
irrigation under the Grand Valley Reclamation Project. It has since
been designated suitable for disposal by BLM, with agencies having
started the withdrawal revocation process.
Following the completion of this process, BLM will engage in a direct
sale with Mesa County.
The CONVEY Act is designed to facilitate and expedite the ongoing
parcel conveyance process. Following the conveyance, Mesa County will
use the land for economic development and growth opportunities in and
around Clifton, Colorado.
I thank the majority for working with us to ensure that, under this
bill, Mesa County is responsible for paying for all the costs
associated with the conveyance, as is typical in these types of
transactions.
Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Colorado (Ms. Boebert), the author of the legislation.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2997, my Clifton
Opportunities Now for Vibrant Economic Yields Act, the CONVEY Act.
This commonsense bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey
31.1 acres of land that the Federal Government no longer wishes to
manage to Mesa County for economic development in Clifton, Colorado.
Mesa County will purchase the land for fair market value.
For over 5 years, Mesa County has been stuck in red tape as they have
been diligently pursuing the acquisition of this parcel of land that is
on the BLM disposal list. This land holds immense value for Mesa County
as it presents a critical opportunity for economic development in
Clifton, an area of the county that has struggled economically.
I have worked closely with BLM, the committee, and the Mesa County
commissioners to cut through the bureaucracy and expedite this process.
The Principal Deputy Director at the Bureau of Land Management, Nada
Wolff Culver, said: ``The BLM supports H.R. 2997,'' the CONVEY Act,
``and the direct sale of the parcel to Mesa County.''
The economic potential of this land will allow Mesa County to attract
job creators and foster an environment that encourages economic
prosperity for Clifton.
Once Mesa County is able to secure the land, they will establish an
economic development board to solicit input from local stakeholders.
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, this bill
would reduce Federal spending. It also ensures the funds from the sale
of this land will be deposited into the Federal Land Disposal Account,
established by the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act, and
retained by the Bureau of Land Management Colorado office, so the funds
from the sale will actually be used in Colorado.
More than 55 percent of Colorado's Third District and 73 percent of
Mesa County's land area is Federal land. As Mesa County continues to
grow, the county is significantly limited in the land it has available
to develop.
These large Federal footprints often stifle local communities that
lack power in decisionmaking over the land in their own backyards from
moving forward on important development opportunities.
I am proud to empower local communities and jump-start rural
economies through innovative solutions that reduce our Federal
footprint and cut bureaucratic red tape that is stifling economic
growth with the CONVEY Act.
It has been a pleasure to work on this piece of legislation and to
offer this to Mesa County to see what they come up with for their
economic development.
I urge my colleagues to support this simple, straightforward bill,
Mr. Speaker.
Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank Representative
Boebert for her hard work and leadership and the effort she put into
crafting this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2997, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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