[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 434 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 434
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to sell or exchange all or
part of certain parcels of National Forest System land in the State of
Idaho and use the proceeds derived from the sale or exchange for
National Forest System purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 25, 2003
Mr. Craig (for himself and Mr. Crapo) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to sell or exchange all or
part of certain parcels of National Forest System land in the State of
Idaho and use the proceeds derived from the sale or exchange for
National Forest System purposes.
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 ``Idaho Panhandle National Forest
Improvement Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF SECRETARY.
In this Act, the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of
Agriculture.
SEC. 3. SALE OR EXCHANGE OF ADMINISTRATIVE SITES.
(a) In General.--The Secretary may, under such terms and conditions
as the Secretary may prescribe, sell or exchange any or all right,
title and interest of the United States in and to the following
National Forest System land and improvements:
(1) Granite/Reeder Bay, Priest Lake Parcel, T. 61 N., R. 4
E., B.M., sec. 17, S\1/2\NE\1/4\ (80 acres, more or less).
(2) North South Ski area, T. 43 N., R. 3 W., B.M., sec. 13,
SE\1/4\SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, S\1/2\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\, NE\1/4\SW\1/
4\SE\1/4\, and SW\1/4\SE\1/4\SE\1/4\ (50 acres more or less).
(3) Shoshone work camp (including easements for utilities),
T. 50 N., R. 4 E., B.M., sec. 5, a portion of the S\1/2\SE\1/
4\.
(b) Descriptions.--The Secretary may modify the descriptions in
subsection (a) to correct errors or to reconfigure the properties in
order to facilitate a conveyance.
(c) Consideration.--Consideration for a sale or exchange of land
under subsection (a)--
(1) shall be equal to the market value of the land; and
(2) may include cash, improved or unimproved land, or land
with improvements constitutes in accordance with specifications
of the Secretary.
(d) Applicable Law.--Except as otherwise provided in this Act, any
sale or exchange of National Forest System land under subsection (a)
shall be subject to the laws applicable to the conveyance and
acquisition of land for the National Forest System.
(e) Valuation.--The market value of the land and the improvements
to be sold, exchanged, or constructed under this Act shall be
determined by an appraisal that is acceptable to the Secretary and
conforms to the ``Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land
Acquisitions''.
(f) Cash Equalization.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
the Secretary may accept a cash equalization payment in excess of 25
percent of the value of land exchanged under subsection (a).
(g) Solicitations of Offers.--The Secretary may solicit offers for
the sale or exchange of land under this section on such terms and
conditions as the Secretary may prescribe. The Secretary may reject any
offer made under this section if the Secretary determines that the
offer is not adequate or not in the public interest.
(h) Methods of Sale.--The Secretary may sell land under subsection
(a) at public or private sale, including at auction, in accordance with
such terms, conditions, and procedures as the Secretary determines to
be in the best interests of the United States.
SEC. 4. DISPOSITION OF FUNDS.
(a) Deposit of Proceeds.--The Secretary shall deposit the proceeds
of a sale or exchange under section 3(a) in the fund established under
Public Law 90-171 (16 U.S.C. 484a, commonly known as the ``Sisk Act'').
(b) Use of Proceeds.--Funds deposited under subsection (a) shall be
available to the Secretary, without further appropriation--
(1) for the acquisition of, construction of, or
rehabilitation of existing facilities for, a new ranger station
in the Silver Valley portion of the Panhandle National Forest;
or,
(2) to the extent that the amount of funds deposited
exceeds the amount needed for the purpose described in
paragraph (1), for the acquisition, construction, or
rehabilitation of other facilities in the Panhandle National
Forest.
(c) Limitations.--Proceeds from the sale or exchange of land under
this Act shall not be paid or distributed to states or counties under
any provision of law, or otherwise considered to be moneys from units
of the National Forest System for the purposes of--
(1) the Act of May 23, 1908 (16 U.S.C. 500);
(2) the Act of March 1, 1911 (16 U.S.C. 500, commonly known
as the ``Weeks Law''); or
(3) the Act of March 4, 1913 (16 U.S.C. 501).
(d) Departmental Regulations.--The Agriculture Property Management
Regulations shall not apply to any disposition of National Forest
System land under this Act or any other action taken under this Act.
(e) Management of Lands Acquired by the United States.--Land
transferred to or otherwise acquired by the Secretary under this Act
shall be managed in accordance with the Act of March 1, 1911 (16 U.S.C.
480 et seq., commonly known as the ``Weeks Law'') and other laws
relating to the National Forest System.
(f) Withdrawal and Revocations.--
(1) Public land orders.--As of the date of this Act, any
public land order withdrawing land described in section 3(a)
from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws is
revoked with respect to any portion of the land conveyed by the
Secretary under this section.
(2) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, all land
described in section 3(a) is withdrawn from location, entry,
and patent under the mining laws of the United States.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary
to carry out this Act.
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