[Pages H6854-H6855]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

LAKE HILL ADMINISTRATIVE SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACT

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 2337) to provide for the conveyance of the Forest
Service Lake Hill Administrative Site in Summit County, Colorado.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 2337

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 ``Lake Hill Administrative
Site Affordable Housing Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) County.--The term ``County'' means Summit County,
Colorado.
(2) Lake hill administrative site.--The term ``Lake Hill
Administrative Site'' means the parcel of approximately 40
acres of National Forest System land in the County, as
depicted on the map entitled ``Lake Hill Administrative
Site'' and dated June 2012.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Agriculture.

SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF FOREST SERVICE LAKE HILL ADMINISTRATIVE
SITE, SUMMIT COUNTY, COLORADO.

(a) Conveyance Authority.--Upon receipt of an offer from
the County in which the County agrees to the condition
imposed by subsection (c), the Secretary shall use the
authority provided by the Forest Service Facility Realignment
and Enhancement Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-54; 16 U.S.C.
580d note) to convey to the County all right, title, and
interest of the United States in and to the Forest Service
Lake Hill Administrative Site.
(b) Application of Law.--
(1) Treatment as administrative site.--The Lake Hill
Administrative Site is considered to be an administrative
site under section 502(1)(A) of the Forest Service Facility
Realignment and Enhancement Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-54;
16 U.S.C. 580d note).
(2) Exception.--Section 502(1)(C) of that Act does not
apply to the conveyance of the Lake Hill Administrative Site.
(c) Costs.--The County shall be responsible for processing
and transaction costs related to the direct sale under
subsection (a).
(d) Proceeds.--Proceeds received from the conveyance
pursuant to subsection (a) shall be available, without
further appropriation and until expended, for capital
improvement and maintenance of Forest Service facilities in
Region 2 of the United States Forest Service.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Alaska (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alaska.

General Leave

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Alaska?
There was no objection.

[[Page H6855]]

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
H.R. 2337 authorizes the Forest Service to convey approximately 40
acres of the White River National Forest to Summit County, Colorado.
The parcel, sandwiched between Interstate 70 and a local highway and
largely isolated from the rest of the White River National Forest,
would be utilized by Summit County to construct affordable workforce
housing. This conveyance would benefit both the county and the Forest
Service by eliminating the agency's management over this isolated
parcel.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. GRIJALVA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2337 conveys the approximately 40-
acre Forest Service Lake Hill administrative site in the White River
National Forest to Summit County, Colorado. The Forest Service has
established that the site has lost its national forest character and is
severed from the rest of the White River National Forest.
Summit County will use the site to construct workforce housing, a
need identified by the county. Summit County will cover all costs
associated with the conveyance, and the Forest Service will be able to
use any proceeds to address regional forest management issues.
H.R. 2337 is a great example of the Federal government working with
local governments to identify and solve common problems.

{time} 1445

Congressman Polis is to be commended for his leadership in addressing
the needs of his constituents using a commonsense, practical solution.
We support the legislation and urge its passage.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis), the sponsor of this
legislation.
Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chair and the ranking
member for their hearing, as well as the support of this bill.
For those of us who represent areas of the country where the Federal
Government is a major landowner, it is absolutely critical to be able
to work with this body to have the flexibility we need to meet the
needs of our community.
This legislation is the product of a community-driven effort in
Summit County where they were able to take a look at the 40-acre
parcel, saw that it no longer had the characteristics of wildlife
habitat or recreation, but it was ideally situated for housing for a
community, which is a real need in Summit County.
People who work in our thriving mountain communities need to be able
to live near where they work, to be able to get their cars and vehicles
off the road. For families to be able to afford to live in the area, it
is an absolutely critical need that the Summit County Commissioners, as
well as our municipalities, as well as others, have come to the table
around finding a real-life solution.
This bill is the first step. H.R. 2337 conveys a 40-acre parcel in
the White River National Forest, known as the Lake Hill site, to Summit
County for fair market value. Summit County will pay for all of the
administrative costs associated with the conveyance.
As a result, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that this bill
has no cost. In fact, proceeds from the sale will support much-needed
U.S. Forest Service facility improvements and maintenance, which is
absolutely critical to be able to do their job as stewards of our
Federal lands, which is one of our main economic drivers for jobs, as
well as a quality lifestyle in Summit County.
This bill had input from a variety of local stakeholders, received
broad community support from the towns of Dillon and Frisco, from
Summit County, from local environmental organizations and businesses.
In July, the House Natural Resources Committee approved the bill by
unanimous consent; and our Senators, Mark Udall and Michael Bennet,
have introduced a companion bill, S. 1305, which, hopefully, will be
considered in committee in the weeks ahead.
This Lake Hill site was selected for sale because the property no
longer has national forest character. The parcel is isolated from other
U.S. Forest Service land. It sits between an interstate to the north, a
highway to the south, and condominiums to the west.
The parcel was heavily logged and has unsightly infrastructure. As a
result, it is no longer suitable for wildlife habitat or recreation
purposes, but it is ideally suitable for additional housing to reflect
the needs of our growing community.
Fortunately, Lake Hill can provide a great community purpose.
Affordable housing availability is a critical problem in Summit County.
Increasingly, families that work in Summit County are having a harder
and harder time living in Summit County.
During the winter, approximately one-third of the Summit County
workforce has to commute into the county, sometimes 45-minute, hour-
long commutes, because local housing prices are too high for many
people who work in the community to be able to afford to live there. In
fact, nearly 40 percent of Summit County residents are paying more for
housing than they can afford.
There is also a substantial housing gap in the face of a growing
population. Over the last decade, the number of seniors increased
faster in Summit County than any other county in Colorado. Latino
households have doubled during the last decade, now comprising 15
percent of the county's population.
There is a real need for affordable housing options to meet the
demands of our growing workforce and the needs of our economy, a need
that will only become more urgent over time.
A lot of work remains to be done to put together the community
partnership to look at the design elements and how this will work for
the community, but this critical step can only occur here in the United
States Congress, which is the transference of the Lake Hill site.
It will be a perfect setting for affordable housing. The property is
located in the heart of Summit County, between the towns of Frisco and
Dillon, and near free public transit that is already available.
This bill is a win-win. It adds affordable housing options, while
providing funding for the U.S. Forest Service to improve Forest Service
administrative facilities.
I urge my colleagues to support this essential legislation that
contributes to the well-being of Summit County and our greater
community.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 2337.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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