Eni Faleomavaega: “Mr. Speaker, Senate bill 1374 authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to convey up to 90 acres of land in the…”

“Mr. Speaker, Senate bill 1374 authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to convey up to 90 acres of land in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Teton County, Wyoming, to the town of Jackson. In exchange for the land, the town will construct an administrative facility for the Forest Service and other Federal, State and local agencies and organizations within 5 years of the exchange. The value of the facility is estimated to be around $7 million. The bill also provides for the Game and Fish Commission of Wyoming to convey nearly 1.5 acres of land for the future site of the facility in exchange for 3.2 acres of a parcel of Federal land. The bill contains several other contingencies. While this bill represents a creative public-private partnership, I have some concerns about the precedential and public interest value of relinquishing Federal land in exchange for the construction of an administrative facility. The need for such a facility has not been thoroughly examined in the context of existing maintenance costs.”