[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2478 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2478

 To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain land to FERC 
                            permit holders.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 16, 1998

  Mr. Gorton introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain land to FERC 
                            permit holders.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding anything in the record of decision 
adopting the Northwest Forest Plan dated April 13, 1994 (59 Fed. Reg. 
18788), the Secretary of Agriculture shall convey to the permit holders 
described in subsection (b), at fair market value, by quitclaim deed, 
the parcels of land (including roads) necessary for development of the 
small hydroelectric power project sites, located in whole or part 
within the Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington, described 
as follows:
            (1) Anderson Creek, approximately 26.3 acres, Sections 21, 
        28, 29, and 32, T37N, R9E, Willamette meridian.
            (2) Irene Creek, approximately 10.3 acres, T35N, R12E, 
        Sections 18 and 19, Willamette meridian.
            (3) Martin Creek, approximately 14.13 acres, T26N, R12E, 
        Sections 12, 13, 24, and 25, and R13E, Section 8, Willamette 
        meridian.
            (4) Big/Grade Creeks, approximately 19.96 acres, T33N, 
        R11E, Sections 7, 8, 9, 17, and 18, Willamette meridian.
            (5) Cumberland Creek, approximately 8.46 acres, T35N, R6E, 
        Sections 23, 24, and 25, Willamette meridian.
            (6) O'Toole Creek, approximately 10.0 acres, T35N, R7E, 
        Sections 28, 29, and 33, Willamette meridian.
    (b) Permit Holders.--The permit holders described in this 
subsection are the persons holding preliminary permits issued by, or 
having filed license applications with, the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission covering the sites described in subsection (a) during the 
period of January 1, 1990, through December 31, 1996.
    (c) Timing.--A conveyance shall be made as soon as practicable 
after receipt of a written request made by a permit holder that--
            (1) describes the Federal land or other real property 
        interest needed for project development; and
            (2) sets forth a fair market price, which shall not include 
        the value of timber on the land.
    (d)  Additional Land.--The Secretary of Agriculture--
            (1) shall convey any additional land or property interests 
        that may be required under a license issued by the Federal 
        Energy Regulatory Commission for a project described in 
        subsection (b); but
            (2) may retain in any quitclaim deed an easement for public 
        access to Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest land.
    (e) Consideration.--Upon removal and sale of timber required for 
project development under a license issued by the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission for a site, the licensee shall pay the net 
proceeds, if any, of the sale to the Secretary of Agriculture.
    (f) Use of Proceeds.--Proceeds received by the Secretary of 
Agriculture under subsection (e) shall be deposited in a separate 
account in the Treasury of the United States and shall be available to 
the Secretary of Agriculture, without further Act of appropriation, for 
use in watershed and species management activities to ensure that the 
Northwest Forest Plan is being properly implemented on the Mt. Baker/
Snoqualmie National Forest.
                                 <all>