Union Calendar No. 185
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 826
[Report No. 104–371]
A BILL
To extend the deadline for the completion of certain
land exchanges involving the Big Thicket Na-
tional Preserve in Texas.
NOVEMBER 30, 1995
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee
of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and or-
dered to be printed
IB
Union Calendar No. 185
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 826
[Report No. 104–371]
To extend the deadline for the completion of certain land exchanges involving
the Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 3, 1995
Mr. WILSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
NOVEMBER 30, 1995
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
A BILL
To extend the deadline for the completion of certain land
exchanges involving the Big Thicket National Preserve
in Texas.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF TIME FOR LAND EXCHANGE.
The last sentence of subsection (d) of the first section
of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to authorize the establishment
of the Big Thicket National Preserve in the State of
Texas, and for other purposes’’, approved October 11,
1974 (16 U.S.C. 698), is amended by striking out ‘‘two
years after the date of enactment’’ and inserting ‘‘4 years
after the date of enactment’’.
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) under the Big Thicket National Preserve Ad-
dition Act of 1993 (Public Law 103–46), Congress in-
creased the size of the Big Thicket National Preserve
through authorized land exchanges;
(2) such land exchanges were not consummated
by July 1, 1995, as required by Public Law 103–46;
and
(3) failure to consummate such land exchanges
by the end of the three-year extension provided by this
Act will necessitate further intervention and direction
from Congress concerning such land exchanges.
SEC. 2. TIME PERIOD FOR LAND EXCHANGE.
(a) EXTENSION.—The last sentence of subsection (d)
of the first section of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to authorize
the establishment of the Big Thicket National Preserve in
the State of Texas, and for other purposes’’, approved Octo-
ber 11, 1974 (16 U.S.C. 698(d)), is amended by striking
out ‘‘two years after date of enactment’’ and inserting ‘‘five
years after the date of enactment’’.
(b) INDEPENDENT APPRAISAL.—Subsection (d) of the
first section of such Act (16 U.S.C. 698(d)) is further
amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘The Sec-
retary, in considering the values of the private lands to be
exchanged under this subsection, shall consider independent
appraisals submitted by the owners of the private lands.’’.
(c) LIMITATION.—Subsection (d) of the first section of
such Act (16 U.S.C. 698(d)), as amended by subsection (b),
is further amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘The
authority to exchange lands under this subsection shall ex-
pire on July 1, 1998.’’.
SEC. 3. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.
Not later than six months after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act and every six months thereafter until the
earlier of the consummation of the exchange or July 1,
1998, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Ag-
riculture shall each submit a report to the Committee on
Resources of the House of Representatives and the Commit-
tee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate concern-
ing the progress in consummating the land exchange au-
thorized by the amendments made by Big Thicket National
Preserve Addition Act of 1993 (Public Law 103–46).