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Revolving Boundary Conflicts in Barry and Stone Counties, Missouri

By: Max Burns
By: Max Burns
Date: July 12, 2004
Location: Washington, DC


RESOLVING BOUNDARY CONFLICTS IN BARRY AND STONE COUNTIES, MISSOURI -- (House of Representatives - July 12, 2004)

Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 1167) to resolve boundary conflicts in Barry and Stone Counties in the State of Missouri.

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Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of Representatives to pass S. 1167, the Senate companion to H.R. 2304. This legislation provides a mechanism for the Forest Service and the Army Corps of Engineers to resolve boundary conflicts between the Mark Twain National Forest and adjacent private landowners. The dispute over boundaries stems from recent surveys conducted by contractors to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which have frequently been found to be severely flawed by the State.

The measure sets a process for dealing with the disputed boundaries. A landowner would notify the Secretary of Agriculture of a disputed boundary, prompting a new land survey. If the Secretary determines the boundary conflict is the result of a reliance on a previous land survey, the land in dispute can be returned to the private property owner.

It is important to note that the bill does not require the conveyance of any particular lands. Where a new survey shows that the lands in question were surveyed improperly, the Forest Service can either execute a quit claim to the land, assert Federal ownership if the Federal Government has improved the land, or compensate the landowner for the land.

This is a case where the Federal Government has not exercised adequate due diligence in maintaining their land surveys to the detriment of their neighbors. Rather than redrawing map boundaries from Washington, we are creating a process where these folks can address their claims closer to home. The Committee on Agriculture regards this as an equitable solution to a local problem created by the Federal Government. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the distinguished majority whip.

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Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 1167.

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