{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/walden-and-blumenauer-speak-support-mount-hood-cooper-spur-land-exchange", "Walden and Blumenauer Speak in Support of Mount Hood Cooper Spur Land Exchange Clarification Act", "2016-02-26", "2016", "2016-02", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Greg Walden", "W000791", "walden.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Walden and BlumenauerSpeak in Support of Mount Hood Cooper Spur Land Exchange Clarification Act \nWashington, DC Today, in a legislative hearing of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands, Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Greg Walden (R-OR) spoke in support of their legislation, the Mount Hood Cooper Spur Land Exchange Clarification Act (H.R. 3826).\nThis legislation would expedite the Forest Service's completion of the long-overdue Government Camp/Cooper Spur land exchange on Mount Hood, which Congress mandated in 2009 with broad community support. It clarifies Congressional intent that the Forest Service move forward expeditiously, addresses disagreements over a conservation easement, allows for a more transparent appraisal process, and clarifies certain other provisions. U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley introduced companion legislation in the Senate, which the Senate Environment & Natural Resources Committee passed on November 19, 2015, and is awaiting full Senate consideration.\nThis exchange was approved nearly seven years ago and with tremendous bipartisan and regional support. It's embarrassing that the Forest Service has yet to do what it should have already done, said Representative Blumenauer. I hope we approve this legislation  and soon  to clarify any lingering questions and add an exclamation point to the fact that Congress wants the Forest Service to quickly finish the job we directed them to complete years ago.\nOur bipartisan Mt. Hood legislation clearly specified the intent of Congress to get the land exchange completed within 16 months.Some 85 months later the Forest Service still has not complied with the law we enacted, said Representative Walden. As unbelievable as it may seem, here we are having to pass another law telling the Forest Service to complete its work. And now, the agency says they might need another year or two even under this new bill to complete the land transfer specified in the law enacted in 2009.That's simply unacceptable. For video of Walden's full remarks, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/walden-and-blumenauer-speak-support-mount-hood-cooper-spur-land-exchange"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 4.260300192981958, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}