[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4889 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4889

  To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to release the reversionary 
interest of the United States in certain land located in Sumter County, 
 South Carolina, to facilitate a land exchange involving that land and 
 to provide for the conveyance of the mineral interests of the United 
                          States in that land.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 19, 2000

  Mr. Spratt introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
     Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to release the reversionary 
interest of the United States in certain land located in Sumter County, 
 South Carolina, to facilitate a land exchange involving that land and 
 to provide for the conveyance of the mineral interests of the United 
                          States in that land.

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

SECTION 1. RELEASE OF REVERSIONARY INTEREST AND SALE OF MINERAL RIGHTS 
              IN FORMER FEDERAL LAND IN SUMTER COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The hiking trail known as the Palmetto Trail traverses 
        the Manchester State Forest in Sumter County, South Carolina, 
        which is owned by the South Carolina State Commission of 
        Forestry for the State of South Carolina.
            (2) The Commission seeks to widen the Palmetto Trail by 
        acquiring a corridor of land along the northeastern border of 
        the trail from the Anne Marie Carton Boardman Trust in exchange 
        for a tract of former Federal land now owned by the Commission.
            (3) At the time of the conveyance of the former Federal 
        land to the Commission in 1955, the United States retained a 
        reversionary interest in the land, which now prevents the land 
        exchange from being completed.
    (b) Release of Reversionary Interest.--
            (1) Release required.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall 
        release the reversionary interest of the United States in the 
        tract of land identified as Tract 3 on the map referred to in 
        paragraph (3) (in this section referred to as ``Tract 3'') 
        that--
                    (A) requires that the land be used for public 
                purposes; and
                    (B) is contained in the deed conveying the land 
                from the United States to the South Carolina State 
                Commission of Forestry, dated June 28, 1955, and 
                recorded in Deed Drawer No. 6 of the Clerk of Court for 
                Sumter County, South Carolina.
            (2) Map of tract 3.--Tract 3 is generally depicted on the 
        map numbered 225-HI, entitled ``Boundary Survey for South 
        Carolina Forestry Commission'', dated August 1998, and filed, 
        together with a legal description of the tract, with the South 
        Carolina State Commission of Forestry.
            (3) Consideration.--As consideration for the release of the 
        revisionary interest under paragraph (1), the State of South 
        Carolina shall transfer to the United States a vested future 
        interest, similar to the restriction described in paragraph 
        (1)(A), in the tract of land identified as Parcel G on the map 
        numbered 161-DI, entitled ``South Carolina Forestry Commission 
        Boardman Land Exchange'', dated February 10, 1997, and filed, 
        together with a legal description of the tract, with the South 
        Carolina State Commission of Forestry.
    (c) Sale of Mineral Rights.--
            (1) Sale required.--Subject to any valid existing rights of 
        third parties, the Secretary of the Interior shall convey to 
        the State of South Carolina all of the undivided mineral 
        interests of the United States in Tract 3 as soon as 
        practicable after the State of South Carolina agrees to comply 
        with paragraph (3).
            (2) Determination of mineral character and fair market 
        value.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
        of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall determine--
                    (A) the mineral character of Tract 3; and
                    (B) the fair market value of the mineral interests.
            (3) Consideration.--As consideration for the sale of 
        mineral interests under paragraph (1), the State of South 
        Carolina shall pay to the United States an amount equal to--
                    (A) the administrative costs incurred by the United 
                States in conveying the mineral interests to the State 
                of South Carolina, including the costs incurred to make 
                the determinations required by paragraph (2); and
                    (B) subject to paragraph (4), the fair market value 
                of the mineral interests.
            (4) Waiver.--If the Secretary of the Interior determines 
        under paragraph (2) that the mineral interests in Tract 3 have 
        no value and are under no active mineral development or lease, 
        the Secretary may waive the consideration that would otherwise 
        be required by paragraph (2)(B).
                                 <all>