Nathan Deal: “Mr. Chairman, the administration included a land acquisition request for several tracts of land along the Chattahoochee…”

“Mr. Chairman, the administration included a land acquisition request for several tracts of land along the Chattahoochee River within the Chattahoochee National Forest in my Ninth Congressional District of Georgia. This particular acquisition ranked third on the Forest Service's fiscal year 2002 national land acquisition priority list. Recently, I was informed that the owners of these tracts have delayed their decision to sell their properties. Fortunately, there are other landowners in the area with similarly important tracts of land who wish to convey them to the Forest Service. The land now available will provide habitat and watershed protection, as well as recreation opportunities. The committee report provides $1 million for the Forest Service to acquire lands along the Chattahoochee River within the Chattahoochee National Forest. Given the recent changes with land availability, I ask that the gentleman work with me in conference to remove the report language in the Forest Service land acquisition table referring to the Chattahoochee River and simply appropriate the $1 million to the Chattahoochee National Forest so they may purchase the key tracts now available.”