**STATEMENT\
JOEL HOLTROP\
DEPUTY CHIEF, NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM\
UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE\
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**BEFORE THE\
SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS AND FORESTS\
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES\
UNITED STATES SENATE**

**April 15, 2008**

**CONCERNING:**

**S. 570 and H.R. 1011 -- Virginia Ridge and Valley Act of 2007,**

**S. 2581 - Wild Monongahela Act: A National Legacy for West Virginia's
Special Places,**

**S. 2109, California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act,**

**S. 2124, Montana Cemetery Act of 2007**

Thank you for the opportunity today to provide the Department's view on
S. 570 and H.R. 1011, the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act of 2007; S.
2581, Wild Monongahela Act: A National Legacy for West Virginia's
Special Places; S. 2109, California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act;
and S. 2124, Montana Cemetery Act of 2007. I am Joel Holtrop, Deputy
Chief, National Forest System of the Forest Service. I will address each
of these bills separately.

**S. 570 and H.R. 1011 -- Virginia Ridge and Valley Act of 2007**

S. 570 would designate 27,817 acres in the Jefferson National Forest as
new components of the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS).
Specifically, the bill would designate the following areas: Brush
Mountain East Wilderness, Brush Mountain Wilderness, Raccoon Branch
Wilderness, Stone Mountain Wilderness, Hunting Camp Creek Wilderness,
and Garden Mountain Wilderness. S. 570 would also designate 11,344 acres
as additions to existing wilderness areas namely, Mountain Lake
Wilderness, Lewis Fork Wilderness, Little Wilson Creek Wilderness,
Shawvers Run Wilderness, Peters Mountain Wilderness, and Kimberling
Creek Wilderness.

S. 570 would designate 3,226 acres in the Jefferson National Forest as
the \"Lynn Camp Creek Wilderness Study Area.\" The bill also would
designate 349 acres depicted on the map as the \"Kimberling Creek
Additions and Potential Wilderness Area\" as a potential wilderness area
for eventual incorporation in the Kimberling Creek Wilderness. The bill
would set forth requirements regarding ecological restoration within
this area and would provide for the designation of the area as a
wilderness within five years.

In addition, the bill would designate 11,583 acres of the Seng Mountain
and Bear Creek areas as national scenic areas for purposes of ensuring
the protection and preservation of scenic quality, water quality,
natural characteristics, and water resources; protecting wildlife and
fish habitat; protecting areas that may develop characteristics of
old-growth forests; and providing a variety of recreation opportunities.

Finally the bill would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a
management plan for the designated national scenic areas. The Secretary
also would be required to develop a trail plan for hiking and equestrian
trails on lands designated as wilderness by this Act and to develop a
plan for non-motorized recreation trails within the Seng Mountain and
Bear Creek National Scenic Areas. The bill also would direct the
Secretary to develop a sustainable non-motorized trail in Smyth County,
Virginia.

We recognize and commend the delegation and the Committee for its
collaborative approach and local involvement that has contributed to the
development of this bill. The Department supports several of the
designations included in the bill but we object to other designations
and to mandatory planning and construction requirements. The Department
would like to work with the Committee to offer suggestions which we
think will improve S. 570.

**Wilderness Proposals**

During the development or revision of a forest land and resource
management plan (LRMP), a national forest conducts an evaluation of
potential wilderness or wilderness study areas that satisfies the
definition of wilderness found in section 2(c) of the Wilderness Act of
1964. On National Forest System (NFS) lands in the Eastern United States
(east of the 100^th^ meridian) the criteria for evaluating potential
wilderness recognizes that much, if not all of the land, shows signs of
human activity and modification. The Record of Decision for the revised
Jefferson National Forest LRMP, signed on January 15, 2004, was
developed over an 11-year period with extensive public involvement. It
contains recommendations for 25,200 acres of wilderness study areas,
including new wilderness study areas and additions to existing areas
designated as wilderness.

The Department supports the provisions in S. 570 that would designate
new components of the NWPS that are consistent with the Jefferson
National Forest LRMP recommendations for wilderness study. These areas
are the proposed Garden Mountain, Hunting Creek Camp, and Stone Mountain
Wilderness areas.

The Department supports the designation of additions to existing
wilderness areas for the following areas: Kimberling Creek A and B
Additions, Lewis Fork Addition, Little Wilson Creek Addition, Mountain
Lake A and C Additions, Peters Mountain Addition, and Shawvers Run A
Addition.

The Department does not oppose the designation of the \"Lynn Camp Creek
Wilderness Study Area," the Mountain Lake B Addition, and Shawvers Run
Additions B and C areas. However, we have concerns about the suitability
of the Lynn Camp Creek Wilderness Study Area as a component of the NWPS
due to its small size, configuration, and manageability (due to
outstanding mineral rights). The Department is willing to work with the
committee to look at other options for protection of this area. We also
have concerns about the suitability of the Mountain Lake B Addition and
the Shawvers Run Additions B and C as components of the NWPS due to
their size and configuration. An additional concern with the Mountain
Lake Addition B is that it contains a 59-acre private inholding which
could require associated road access in the future if the parcel is
developed.

The Department does not support the designation as "potential
wilderness" for the 349-acre portion of the Kimberling Creek area. The
designation "Potential Wilderness" is not a designation referenced in
the Wilderness Act of 1964. A subsequent designation of wilderness
following a fixed time period and associated compulsory changes in
conditions can serve to limit the Secretary's discretion in the
allocation of scarce resources and other management actions associated
with the administration of the NFS and the NWPS. We use the term,
potential wilderness, in our wilderness evaluation process under our
LRMP efforts to evaluate areas as potential additions to the NWPS. The
Kimberling Creek addition was recently acquired as NFS land and in its
current condition does not contain the basic natural characteristics
that make it suitable for wilderness due to an extensive road network.
We would recommend that the Committee consider allowing the Secretary to
continue the current management prescription for this area which is
Dispersed Recreation-Unsuitable. This management emphasis provides for a
variety of dispersed recreation uses with minimal vegetation management
and would allow use of motorized and mechanized equipment for needed
road and trail rehabilitation work. We plan to develop rehabilitation
plans and implement these plans within the next 5 to 10 years. While
this area was not recommended as a potential wilderness area in the
LRMP, future wilderness designation of this area could be reevaluated
after restoration activities occur.

The Department does not support wilderness designation for the Brush
Mountain and Brush Mountain East areas. These areas lie on the north
side of Brush Mountain and are separated by a 345 kilovolt powerline
corridor. They were not recommended for wilderness study in LRMP. They
contain fire-dependent forest habitat which make up approximately 50
percent of these two areas. Additionally, the areas are largely
surrounded by private lands. Wildland urban interface (subdivisions and
housing developments) exists on the north and south boundaries. If
designated as wilderness, our ability to utilize prescribed fire for the
maintenance of southern yellow pine forest communities and to conduct
hazardous fuels reduction projects would be hampered in these interface
areas. Our ability to use prescribed fire is compromised when we cannot
mechanically construct firelines to better control fire management
activities. Additionally, the narrow width of these areas and the
bisecting powerline corridor within these areas detract from their
naturalness and offer few opportunities for solitude. We have also
recently identified a need for a small boundary change in the proposed
wilderness area along the northwest side of Brush Mountain East. An
electric distribution line is located along Craig Creek and the current
boundary includes some of the line within the proposed wilderness. If
the Committee proceeds with wilderness designation, we would like to
work with the Committee to adjust the boundary to exclude this existing
line.

The Department could support the designation of the Raccoon Branch area
as a wilderness area if agreements are reached in resolving trail
maintenance issues in the area and if the requirement contained in
section 5(d) of the bill for a sustainable trail is amended to provide
more flexibility for any future alternative trail locations. Nearly six
miles of the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail (VHHT) and the Dickey Knob
Trail traverse this area. These trails are heavily used by both
equestrians and mountain bikers. Currently only four of the six miles of
the VHHT in the Raccoon Branch area are open to mountain bike use due to
the steep nature of the trail where it enters the west end of Raccoon
Branch. Wilderness designation would eliminate mountain bike use within
the area. While equestrian use is compatible with wilderness
designation, heavy use and ground conditions along the VHHT necessitate
extensive maintenance to sustain the integrity of the trail and protect
watershed and other resources values. To maintain the trail to the
standards that are needed without mechanized or motorized equipment will
require cooperative agreements and commitments from user groups to help
in maintenance to protect the resources and to provide for continued
equestrian use of the trail. We would like to work with the Committee to
adjust the boundary as now proposed in the bill. The adjustment would
exclude the section of VHHT from the western boundary to its
intersection with Hickory Ridge Trail #4516 which we believe would
alleviate much of the concern with maintaining the trail for equestrian
use.

**National Scenic Area Proposals**

Section 4 of S. 570 would establish Seng Mountain and Bear Creek
National Scenic Areas **(**NSAs**)**. In August 2007, the President
signed Executive Order (E.O.) No. 13443, "Facilitation of Hunting
Heritage and Wildlife Conservation." This E.O. requires Federal land
management agencies to "\...Manage wildlife and wildlife habitats on
public lands in a manner that expands and enhances hunting
opportunities\..." Forest Service direction on compliance with the E.O.
is being developed. Portions of both the Seng Mountain and Bear Creek
NSAs are managed under the LRMP to manage black bear habitat. We would
like to work with the Committee on language that would allow a low level
of habitat management for black bear that would be consistent with the
E.O. and compatible with the purposes for which the scenic areas are
being established.

The proposed Seng Mountain NSA is within the congressionally designated
Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (NRA). The Mount Rogers NRA is
managed to provide public outdoor recreation benefits and the continued
use by a diversity of recreation uses. The Seng Mountain area contains a
motorized trail, the Barton Gap Trail #4624. Motorized use of the trail
would be prohibited under S. 570. The Barton Gap Trail is one of only
five designated motorcycle trails on the George Washington and Jefferson
National Forests and is an important part of the diversity of recreation
opportunities that we provide the visitors that use the Forest and the
Mount Rogers NRA. The Department would like to work with the Committee
to resolve any confusion resulting from the overlapping designations for
the Seng Mountain area. The Department recommends that the overlapping
designation be clarified and continued motorized use on the Barton Gap
Trail be allowed.

**Trail Development Plans**

S.570 would require the Secretary to establish a trail plan to develop
hiking and equestrian trails on lands designated as wilderness by this
bill. The designated lands would be administered in accordance with the
Wilderness Act. The Forest Service already addresses trail management
and planning standards within the LRMP planning process. The Department
considers the requirement to develop additional trail plans to be
unnecessary.

S.570 also would require the Secretary to develop a sustainable trail to
provide a continuous connection for non-motorized travel between State
Route (SR) 650 and Forest Development Road 4018. This trail would be
along SR 16. We believe that it would be costly and difficult to provide
a trail in this general location that would be safe for both equestrians
and mountain bikers. The existing gravel road (SR 650) is winding and
narrow and contains several blind curves. It receives high local use and
is the main access road for campers and recreational vehicles to enter
Hurricane Campground. Further, a potential connector trail for horses
and bikes from SR 650 along the route of the old Marion-Rye Valley rail
bed would require crossing SR 16, a 55-mph State highway that receives
heavy commercial use, in a location with poor sight distance. Trail
construction along the stream would be unlikely to meet our Forest
standards for riparian protection. The bill language that specifies the
terminus of the connector route limits our ability to locate and
construct a trail that will meet Forest Service standards for safety and
in a manner that is environmentally appropriate. We would like to work
with the Committee on language that would allow us to construct trail
facilities with adequate consideration for alternatives, priorities, and
costs.

**House Amendment to H.R. 1011**

The Department had the opportunity to provide testimony on this bill to
the House Natural Resources Committee on two separate occasions, May and
September of 2007. H.R. 1011, as passed by the House, contains the
following amendments to the bill as introduced.

Section 2 was amended to adjust the acreage of the Brush Mountain East
Wilderness from 3,769 acres to 3,743 acres to provide for a setback of
100 feet along the 345 kilovolt powerline corridor. The Department
supports this acreage adjustment, but we remain concerned designating
this area as wilderness for the reasons stated earlier in this
testimony.

Section 4 was amended to adjust the acreage of the Seng Mountain
National Scenic Area from 6,455 to 5,192 acres to provide for continued
motorized use of the Barton Gap Trail and Black Bear habitat management.
The Department supports this acreage adjustment but would like to work
with the Committee to refine the boundaries of the designation further.

Section 4 was amended to authorize motorized travel on Forest
Development Road 6261 in the Bear Creek NSA during bear and deer hunting
seasons. In testimony before the House Committee on Natural Resources in
May 2007, the Department expressed concerns regarding the proposed Bear
Creek NSA. Specifically, we were concerned about the limitation on our
ability to improve black bear habitat and to provide opportunities for
hunting as a result of this designation and mandated closure of the
road. The Department indicated it could support the Bear Creek NSA
designation if allowances were made for seasonal motorized use of the
road during hunting season. The Department supports this amendment since
it provides these allowances.

Section 5 was amended to allow motorized access for emergency purposes
involving the heath and safety of persons, including search and rescue
efforts and responses to an Amber Alert. The Department considers this
addition to be unnecessary as these actions are currently allowed in
wilderness under section 4 (c) of the Wilderness Act of 1964 and Forest
Service policy, and recommends its deletion from the bill. Section 5
also was amended to provide more flexibility for the location of a
non-motorized trail located along the southern boundary of the Raccoon
Branch Wilderness. The Department supports this part of the amendment.

**S. 2581- Wild Monongahela Act: A National Legacy for West Virginia's
Special Places**

S. 2581 would designate about 47,128 acres of the Monongahela National
Forest as wilderness, adding to three existing wilderness areas and
designating four new ones. The Department supports designation of Cheat
Mountain, Cranberry Expansion, Dry Fork Expansion, and Roaring Plains
West as wilderness. For all four areas, wilderness designation would be
consistent with recommendations by the Monongahela National Forest in
its 2006 forest plan revision.

We do not object to wilderness designation for the other three areas
proposed by the bill. In the environmental impact statement that
accompanied the 2006 forest plan revision, the Monongahela National
Forest determined that Big Draft, the Dolly Sods Expansion, and Spice
Run are all available for wilderness designation. The Monongahela
National Forest designated all three areas as "semiprimitive
nonmotorized" in order to help maintain their roadless attributes over
time while still permitting other established uses.

The Monongahela National Forest has five existing wilderness areas, all
of which offer outstanding wilderness experiences. I have personally
visited some of the seven areas proposed in this bill, and I believe
that all seven areas have outstanding wilderness attributes. All are
rugged forested land minimally affected by outside forces, with natural
processes operating and vestiges of human impacts (such as old roads and
clearcuts) rapidly healing over. Ranging in elevation from just under
2,000 feet to over 4,000 feet, these landscapes harbor rare ecosystems
(such as high-elevation red spruce) and habitat for federally listed
species.

That is why the Monongahela National Forest recommended four of the
seven areas for wilderness study in its revised forest plan in 2006:
Cheat Mountain, Cranberry Expansion, Dry Fork Expansion, and Roaring
Plains West. These units represent nearly 27,700 acres recommended for
wilderness study. The Department supports their inclusion in this bill.

In its forest plan revision, after consulting with the public, the
Monongahela National Forest decided not to include Big Draft, the Dolly
Sods Expansion, and Spice Run among the areas recommended for
wilderness. Instead, we designated all three as semiprimitive
nonmotorized areas, one of the most restrictive allocations that the
Forest Service can give. This management prescription protects their
naturalness while permitting such popular and relatively low-impact uses
as mountain biking. It also allows the manipulation of vegetation to
create wildlife openings.

However, we recognize the wilderness eligibility of all three areas, and
their designation as wilderness would be consistent with values that the
Monongahela National Forest's revised forest plan is designed to
protect. In other locations, the Monongahela National Forest maintains
opportunities for mountain biking and for manipulating vegetation to
improve wildlife habitat. Therefore, the Department would not object to
including Big Draft, the Dolly Sods Expansion, and Spice Run in this
bill if boundary adjustments and other issues are addressed.

If all seven areas are designated as wilderness, we would suggest
adjusting some of the proposed boundaries to avoid conflicts and make
the wilderness areas more manageable. Some proposed boundaries appear to
be based on the boundaries of the roadless areas analyzed during the
2006 forest plan revision. Those roadless area boundaries were not
intended to define wilderness boundaries. Adjustments should be made to
account for mapping errors; to provide access to state and private land;
to exclude developed sites and managed wildlife openings; to add offsets
for powerlines and other features inconsistent with wilderness; and to
align the boundaries with existing wilderness boundaries.

The largest boundary question regards the southwestern corner of the
proposed Spice Run unit, an area of 974 acres. This area lies outside
the area that the Monongahela National Forest evaluated for wilderness
in its 2006 forest plan because it did not meet the criteria for
roadless areas. Should it become designated wilderness, motorized access
to three adjacent parcels of private land could become an issue.

We would like to work with the bill's sponsors and the subcommittee to
adjust the boundaries to accommodate these and other concerns. The
Forest Service has prepared a set of proposed boundary adjustments,
taking care to ensure that our proposed adjustments would not detract
from the overall wilderness legislation. We would welcome the
opportunity to provide this information to the subcommittee.

Removing most of the structures incompatible with wilderness would not
be necessary if our proposed boundary adjustments were made. Even with
the adjustments, however, a hiking shelter and about 9 miles of road
would remain within the wilderness boundaries. The shelter would likely
be allowed to deteriorate and then be removed. Unless converted to
trails, the roads (currently closed to vehicular traffic) would require
decommissioning to protect water quality and other natural resource
values. The Monongahela National Forest would conduct an analysis to
determine the appropriate management actions and then make the
investments needed, subject to available appropriations, to remove
culverts, construct trail, or contour the land to reduce erosion.

We strongly support the spirit of this legislation, and we confirm that
all seven areas proposed for wilderness designation meet the criteria
for wilderness. Working with the subcommittee, we are confident that we
can remedy boundary deficiencies and establish final wilderness
boundaries that are sound and manageable.

The House Committee on Natural Resources approved an Amendment in the
Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 5151. This amendment includes updated
acreage figures resulting from boundary adjustments to the Big Draft
Wilderness, the Cranberry Expansion, the Dolly Sods Expansion, the Otter
Creek Expansion Proposed Wilderness, the Roaring Plains West Wilderness,
and the Spice Run Wilderness. These adjustments address concerns raised
by the Department in our previous testimony, and we support them.

H.R. 5151, as amended, allows for the continuation of a competitive
running event in the vicinity of the Dolly Sods Wilderness and the
Roaring Plains West Wilderness. Forest Service policy does not permit
competitive events in wilderness. Our intent would be to work with the
sponsors to find a suitable alternative for the competitive event.

Section 3 was added to H.R. 5151 to adjust the boundary to the Laurel
Fork South Wilderness by 123 acres. Section 4 was added to confirm that
the Monongahela National Forest boundary includes recently acquired
tracts of land. The Department supports these changes to the bill.
Section 4 should be amended to include reference to the Land and Water
Conservation Fund Act (LWCFA) because expenditures of LWCFA funds are
restricted to forest boundaries as they existed on the original date of
the Act. []{.mark}

**S. 2109, California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act**

The Department of Agriculture supports S. 2109, if amended.

S. 2109 would create two new wildernesses on the San Bernardino National
Forest, and would add additional acreage to existing designated
wilderness on the Cleveland and San Bernardino National Forests. It
would also designate stretches of four rivers on the San Bernardino
National Forest as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers
System. This bill would also expand the boundaries of the Santa Rosa and
San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.

There are discrepancies between the proposed wilderness designations in
the bill and the revisions to the forest plans for the Southern
California forests (Forest Plan), for which the Record of Decision was
published in the Federal Register on April 21, 2006. Of the 30,630 acres
S. 2109 proposes for wilderness, only (approximately) 800 acres overlap
with the Forest Plan's recommendation for wilderness. Discrepancies also
exist between the proposed designations under the Wild and Scenic Rivers
Act and the Forest Plan.

The Forest Service has always been a champion of wilderness. We believe
that wilderness designation is special, and as a general principle, that
natural processes should be allowed to work in wilderness without
intervention. However, natural process may pose potential conflicts with
other priorities or land use objectives such as protection from wildland
fire. When situations arise, such as fuel buildup, climate change, and
an expanding urban interface, our preference is still for natural
processes to dominate.

During the revision process, most of these proposed wilderness
designations were determined not to meet criteria for wilderness
suitability. The areas were found unsuitable because of current or
potential uses that would conflict with wilderness designation such as
reduction of hazardous fuels (mechanical treatments and prescribed
burning), elements of fire management (including Burned Area Emergency
Response -- BAER treatments), current recreational uses (e.g., mountain
bikes), grazing improvement maintenance, existing protections (Research
Natural Area), habitat management for threatened and endangered species,
external influences and the availability of nearby wilderness.

For example, the portion of the Agua Tibia Wilderness addition in the
Cleveland National Forest that would be designated by the bill is not
the same as the area of National Forest recommended for wilderness
designation in the Forest Plan. The Department does not support the
addition of the area that was not recommended in the Forest Plan. We
defer to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for its part of this
proposal.

The Cahuilla Mountain Proposed Wilderness in the San Bernardino National
Forest also was found not to meet Forest Service wilderness criteria
during the Forest Plan revision process. We continue to support the
Forest Plan's final recommendation, developed with public involvement.
Therefore, the Department does not support this proposed addition.

Section 104(f)(2) of the bill contains provisions related to access and
use of the Cahuilla Mountain Wilderness by members of an Indian tribe
for traditional cultural and religious purposes, including temporarily
closing areas to the general public for use by members of an Indian
tribe. The Department supports and encourages providing access to tribes
consistent with PL 95-341 (also known as the American Indian Religious
Freedom Act) but we do not support the provision in the bill. To that
end, the Forest Service has directives that allow for voluntary
temporary closures to protect privacy for tribes in the conduct of
traditional cultural activities. We would like to work with the bill\'s
sponsor, the Subcommittee, and the Department of Justice to address
these concerns.

The proposed South Fork San Jacinto Wilderness on the San Bernardino
National Forest was found not to meet the wilderness criteria during the
revision process. The South Fork San Jacinto area is a combination of
two inventoried roadless areas with the same issues as the Cahuilla
proposal. The Department does not support this area to be designated as
wilderness. We remain in support of our Forest Plan recommendation to
manage this area as backcountry allowing greater flexibility to address
resource management needs.

Additionally, during the revision process thirteen acres of Cactus
Springs Inventoried Roadless Area were recommended as an addition to the
Santa Rosa Wilderness. The Department supports this 13-acre addition,
and defer to the Bureau of Land Management for its portion of the
addition.

Although a suitability study has not been conducted for the four rivers
that would be designated by the bill, the Department does not oppose
their addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System based on
general support by the communities of interest and consistency of the
designation with the management of the National Forest System lands
within the river corridors. We wish, however, to work with the Committee
to clarify river management and address differences between mileage and
classifications in this bill and those in the Forest Plan.

The Department fully supports that portion of the expansion of the Santa
Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument under National Forest
management.

We would like to work with the Subcommittee, to remedy the
inconsistencies this bill has with our California Forest Plan Revisions.

**S. 2124, Montana Cemetery Act of 2007**

This legislation directs the Secretary to convey for no consideration,
all right, title, and interest in 10 acres of land within the
Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forests to Jefferson County, Montana to be
used for cemetery purposes. The Department is supportive of S. 2124, but
would recommend that this bill provide consideration to the Federal
government for the conveyance.\
\
The parcel to be conveyed to Jefferson County is currently being used
for cemetery purposes but a special use authorization has never been
issued for this purpose. The 10-acre conveyance will provide a
sufficient amount of land to accommodate all known grave sites and any
additional sites that may be outside of the concentration of known
sites. In addition the conveyance is of adequate size to include the
cemetery parking lot so that it will be located on private property. The
parcel to be conveyed is a National Register eligible property that
contributes to the significance of the Elkhorn town site and the Elkhorn
historic mining district. The bill provides for the continued protection
of the historic and cultural values associated with the site but does
not exempt the Forest Service from its obligations to comply with the
National Historic Preservation Act, or any other law, at the time of
transfer.

We are concerned about conveying public land to other jurisdictions
without any form of consideration. The Department does not object to
making the Federal land available for use as a cemetery, but requests
that the conveyance of the public land estate include consideration for
the market value of the property and for the administrative costs
associated with the conveyance. The Department does not support the
reversion of the lands back to the Secretary should this bill be
enacted.

This concludes my statement, I would be happy to answer any questions
that you may have.