Trinity County Land Exchange Act of 2014

Floor Speech

Mr. HUFFMAN. Thank you, Mr. Grijalva and Mr. Young.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, the Trinity County Land Exchange Act of 2014.

This bill is a very straightforward, bipartisan bill. It simply facilitates a land exchange between the Trinity Public Utility District, the United States Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. I am grateful that my bill is cosponsored by my friend and district neighbor, Congressman Doug LaMalfa, who represented Trinity County when he was in the State legislature.

Trinity County, located in northern California, is one of the poorest counties in the entire State; and although it is very large, much of it is rugged and remote, and more than 75 percent of the total land base is held by the Federal Government, which leaves very little land suitable for economic development.

This legislation before us today will help stimulate Trinity County's economy. The bill grants Trinity County a much-needed 100-acre parcel from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. It is accessible by the highway, uniquely suited for economic development; and in exchange, the county's public utility district will convey a 47-acre parcel west of Weaverville that will improve public access to the Trinity River, which is a Wild and Scenic River.

The bill guarantees a fair return for Federal taxpayers as the United States Forest Service will receive a cash equalization payment for the improvement, maintenance, reconstruction, or construction of a facility or an improvement for the National Forest System.

This is a win-win bill all the way around. Partnerships with land management agencies are really critical to Trinity County's economic development, and I am so glad that the county has been able to develop this win-win partnership with the Federal agencies that meets everybody's needs. This land swap is a great example of bipartisan legislation that furthers our shared priorities of economic development and environmental protection in our Nation's rural communities.

Again, I especially want to thank Chairman Hastings, Ranking Member DeFazio, Chairman Bishop, Ranking Member Grijalva, and my neighbor, Doug LaMalfa, for all of their assistance and collaboration and the many staff who have worked hard on this bill, especially my Sea Grant fellow, Zach Penney.

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