The 327 acres were purchased by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1989 for construction of a training center, but have sat vacant since the service selected a different Jefferson County location for its facility. Last year, Byrd added $24.9 million to the Military Construction Appropriations Bill for the Customs Service facility. He then worked with local residents and various federal officials to ensure that the historically significant land within the 327 acres was protected.

" I am proud that I was able to provide the funds to construct this training center, which will be an important resource for law enforcement personnel from throughout the nation," Byrd stated at the land transfer ceremony..

The transfer included a provision allocating a 60-acre tract of non-historic land in Jefferson County, just outside of Harpers Ferry, W. Va. Customs plans to build state of the art firearms ranges, facilities for administration and academic pursuits, and practical training areas for scenario-based exercises.

"The agreement is a win-win situation. It preserves a large parcel of land near the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park for the long-term, while also creating new economic and crime-prevention opportunities for the area," Byrd said.

U.S. Department of the Treasury Assistant Secretary Elisabeth Bresee and U.S. Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary Ken Smith formally signed the land transfer agreement in Senator Byrd's Capitol office, which was witnessed by Byrd and Dr. Marjorie Budd, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Training and Development.

"The new facility in West Virginia will be designed around the most progressive law-enforcement concepts. Customs is committed to creating a learning environment that will be state of the art, environmentally sound, and sensitive to the great historic significance of the nearby lands. We pledge to be good neighbors to the citizens of Jefferson County," said Budd.

"With more than 13,000 law enforcement officers, Customs has a great need for this training facility. These men and women stand at the frontline of our nation's borders and their job requires continuous training. Thanks to Senator Byrd's vision, Customs will now have a facility to meet this urgent need."

Design of the new training facility referred to as the West Virginia project is underway, and should be completed within a year. Construction should begin shortly thereafter.