[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1680 Reported in House (RH)]






                                                 Union Calendar No. 285
106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 1680

                          [Report No. 106-510]

   To provide for the conveyance of Forest Service property in Kern 
County, California, in exchange for county lands suitable for inclusion 
                      in Sequoia National Forest.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 4, 1999

  Mr. Thomas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Resources

                             March 2, 2000

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 4, 
                                 1999]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide for the conveyance of Forest Service property in Kern 
County, California, in exchange for county lands suitable for inclusion 
                      in Sequoia National Forest.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Kern County California Land Exchange 
Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. LAND EXCHANGE, CAMP OWEN AND RELATED PARCELS, KERN COUNTY, 
              CALIFORNIA.

    (a) Exchange Required.--In exchange for the non-Federal lands and 
the additional consideration described in subsection (b), the Secretary 
of Agriculture shall convey to Kern County, California, all right, 
title, and interest of the United States in and to four parcels of land 
under the jurisdiction of the Forest Service in Kern County, as 
follows:
            (1) Approximately 70 acres known as Camp Owen.
            (2) Approximately 4 acres known as Wofford Heights Park.
            (3) Approximately 4 acres known as the French Gulch 
        maintenance yard.
            (4) Approximately 14 acres known as the Kernville Fish 
        Hatchery.
    (b) Consideration.--
            (1) Conveyance of non-federal lands.--As consideration for 
        the conveyance of the Federal lands referred to in subsection 
        (a), Kern County shall convey to the Secretary a parcel of land 
        consisting of approximately 52 acres of Greenhorn Mountain Park 
        in Kern County, California, which is owned by Kern County 
        within Sequoia National Forest.
            (2) Replacement facility.--As additional consideration for 
        the conveyance of the storage facility located at the 
        maintenance yard referred to in subsection (a)(3), Kern County 
        shall provide a replacement storage facility of comparable size 
        and condition, as acceptable to the Secretary, at the Greenhorn 
        Ranger District Lake Isabella Maintenance Yard property.
            (3) Cash equalization payment.--As additional consideration 
        for the conveyance of the Federal lands referred to in 
        subsection (a), Kern County shall tender a cash equalization 
        payment specified by the Secretary, but not to exceed $100,000. 
        Subject to such limitation, the cash equalization payment shall 
        be based upon an appraisal performed at the option of the 
        Forest Service pursuant to section 206(b) of the Federal Land 
        Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716(b)).
    (c) Conditions on Acceptance.--Title to the non-Federal lands to be 
conveyed under this section must be acceptable to the Secretary, and 
the conveyance shall be subject to valid existing rights of record. The 
non-Federal lands shall conform with the title approval standards 
applicable to Federal land acquisitions.
    (d) Time for Conveyance.--Subject to subsection (c), the Secretary 
shall complete the conveyance of the Federal lands under subsection (a) 
within three months after Kern County tenders to the Secretary the 
consideration required by subsection (b).
    (e) Status of Acquired Lands.--Upon approval and acceptance of 
title by the Secretary, the non-Federal lands conveyed to the United 
States under this section shall become part of Sequoia National Forest, 
and the boundaries of the national forest shall be adjusted to include 
the acquired lands. The Secretary shall manage the acquired lands for 
recreational purposes in accordance with the laws and regulations 
pertaining to the National Forest System. For purposes of section 7 of 
the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l-9), 
the boundaries of the national forest, as adjusted pursuant to this 
section, shall be considered to be the boundaries of the national 
forest as of January 1, 1965.
    (f) Relationship to Environmental Liability.--In connection with 
the conveyances under this section, the Secretary may require such 
additional terms and conditions related to environmental liability as 
the Secretary considers appropriate to protect the interests of the 
United States.
    (g) Legal Descriptions.--The exact acreage and legal description of 
the real property to be exchanged under this section shall be 
determined by a survey or surveys satisfactory to the Secretary. The 
costs of any such survey, as well as other administrative costs 
incurred to execute the land exchange (other than costs incurred by 
Kern County to comply with subsection (h)), shall be divided equally 
between the Secretary and Kern County.
    (h) Treatment of Existing Utility Lines at Camp Owen.--Upon receipt 
of the Federal lands described in subsection (a)(1), Kern County shall 
grant an easement, and record the easement in the appropriate office, 
for permitted or licensed uses of those lands that are unrecorded as of 
the date of the conveyance.
    (i) Applicable Law.--Except as otherwise provided in this section, 
any exchange of National Forest System land under this section shall be 
subject to the laws (including regulations) applicable to the 
conveyance and acquisition of land for the National Forest System.
                                     





                                                       Calendar No. 285

106th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 1680

                          [Report No. 106-510]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To provide for the conveyance of Forest Service property in Kern 
County, California, in exchange for county lands suitable for inclusion 
                      in Sequoia National Forest.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             March 2, 2000

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed