135 



future they cease to use the land for rocket testing purposes, it 

 should revert back to the United States, if you go with an actual 

 deed of the land, rather than a lease, as we are proposing. 



Finally, there are some specific problems with the land exchange 

 agreement, which are addressed in greater detail in an appendix to 

 my comments. So I won't go into those at this time. 



In conclusion, though, I would like to say that we do not oppose 

 land exchanges when they benefit the environment and benefit Ne- 

 vada's environment, in this case particularly. However, we believe 

 that those land exchanges should include the benefits not just flow- 

 ing to a private corporation, but also back to Nevada by the use of 

 the moneys that this would generate for purchasing Nevada's envi- 

 ronmentally sensitive private lands for inclusion in our public 

 lands where it is appropriate, as is proposed to happen in Florida. 



If we are to give up public lands in Nevada, then I suggest that 

 we should receive some private lands back through purchase to add 

 to those sensitive areas where they are needed. 



Finally, I would point out that what is being asked here is for 

 Congress to abandon the deliberate and sound policy of public in- 

 volvement in this decision-making process that is embodied in the 

 National Environmental Policy Act. You are being asked to by-pass 

 the policy that Congress itself has established through that act. We 

 urge you not to do that but, rather, to put this back into a situation 

 where a full review, a full environmental analysis and assessment 

 can be done with adequate opportunity for public involvement and 

 alternative study, the study of alternatives. 



Thank you very much for this opportunity to testify. 



[The prepared statement of Mr. Hornbeck follows:] 



