[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4559 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4559

To provide for the conveyance of certain National Forest System land to 
the towns of Laona and Wabeno, Wisconsin, to authorize the Secretary of 
   Agriculture to convey certain isolated parcels of National Forest 
System land in Florence and Langlade Counties, Wisconsin, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 15, 2005

    Mr. Green of Wisconsin introduced the following bill; which was 
                referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for the conveyance of certain National Forest System land to 
the towns of Laona and Wabeno, Wisconsin, to authorize the Secretary of 
   Agriculture to convey certain isolated parcels of National Forest 
System land in Florence and Langlade Counties, Wisconsin, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE OF CHEQUAMEGON-NICOLET NATIONAL FOREST LAND TO 
              TOWNS OF LAONA AND WABENO, WISCONSIN.

    (a) Conveyance to Town of Laona.--
            (1) Conveyance.--At the request of the town of Laona, 
        Wisconsin (referred to in this subsection as the ``town''), the 
        Secretary of Agriculture shall convey to the town all right, 
        title, and interest of the United States in and to the parcel 
        of National Forest System land in Forest County, Wisconsin, 
        consisting of approximately 176 acres, as further described in 
        paragraph (2), for the purpose of permitting the town to use 
        the parcel as a site for an industrial park and for other 
        purposes.
            (2) Legal description.--The parcel of land referred to in 
        paragraph (1) consists of the N\1/2\SW\1/4\, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, 
        S\1/2\SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, and that part of the W\1/2\NE\1/4\ lying 
        south of the Rat River, excluding Lot #1 of Forest County 
        Certified Survey Map #157861 and a 100-foot wide former rail 
        road right-of-way running through the W\1/2\NE\1/4\, all in 
        section 6, township 35 north, range 15 east, Laona Township, 
        Forest County, Wisconsin.
            (3) Consideration.--As consideration for the conveyance 
        under this subsection, the town shall pay to the Secretary an 
        amount equal to $300,000, which is the appraised fair market 
        value of the parcel of National Forest System land to be 
        conveyed.
    (b) Conveyance to Town of Wabeno.--
            (1) Conveyance.--At the request of the town of Wabeno, 
        Wisconsin (referred to in this subsection as the ``town''), the 
        Secretary of Agriculture shall convey to the town all right, 
        title, and interest of the United States in and to the parcel 
        of National Forest System land in Forest County, Wisconsin, 
        consisting of approximately 173 acres, as further described in 
        paragraph (2), for the purpose of permitting the town to use 
        the parcel as a site for an industrial park and for other 
        purposes.
            (2) Legal description.--The parcel of land referred to in 
        paragraph (1) consists of the S\1/2\NW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, and 
        east 17.30 acres of the NW\1/4\SW\1/4\, excluding a 100-foot 
        wide former rail road right-of-way running through the NE\1/
        4\SW\1/4\ and SE\1/4\NW\1/4\ and a 0.02 acre parcel in the 
        SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, a 0.93 acre parcel in the SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, and a 
        2.36 acre parcel in the E\1/2\SW\1/4\ reserved for highway 
        purposes, as described in volume 7, 276-277, Forest County 
        Records, and all in section 7, township 34 north, range 15 
        east, Wabeno Township, Forest County, Wisconsin.
            (3) Consideration.--As consideration for the conveyance 
        under this subsection, the town shall pay to the Secretary an 
        amount equal to $320,000, which is the appraised fair market 
        value of the parcel of National Forest System land to be 
        conveyed.
    (c) Survey.--If necessary, the exact acreage and legal description 
of the lands to be conveyed under subsections (a) and (b) shall be 
determined by surveys satisfactory to the Secretary. The cost of a 
survey shall be borne by the recipient of the land.
    (d) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may require 
such additional terms and conditions in connection with the conveyances 
under this section as the Secretary considers appropriate to protect 
the interests of the United States.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO SELL CERTAIN CHEQUAMEGON-NICOLET NATIONAL FOREST 
              LANDS IN FLORENCE AND LANGLADE COUNTIES, WISCONSIN.

    (a) Authority to Convey.--The Secretary of Agriculture may sell all 
right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the parcels 
of National Forest System land described in subsection (b), which are 
located outside of the contiguous boundary of the Chequamegon-Nicolet 
National Forest in Florence County and Langlade County, Wisconsin.
    (b) Covered Parcels.--
            (1) Legal description.--The parcels of land referred to in 
        subsection (a) consist of the following:
                    (A) Approximately 480 acres in the NE\1/4\NE\1/4\ 
                and the S\1/2\NE\1/4\ of section 9, the S\1/2\NE\1/4\ 
                of section 25, and the NE\1/4\, the SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, and 
                the E\1/2\NW\1/4\ of section 36, township 39 north, 
                range 16 east, Florence County, Wisconsin.
                    (B) Approximately 80 acres in the E\1/2\NW\1/4\ of 
                section 22, township 33 north, range 9 east, Langlade 
                County, Wisconsin.
            (2) Modification.--For the purpose of soliciting offers for 
        the purchase of the land authorized to be sold under this 
        section, the Secretary may modify the legal descriptions 
        specified in paragraph (1) based on a survey of the land or a 
        determination by the Secretary that the modification would be 
        in the best interest of the public.
    (c) Methods of Sale.--The Secretary may sell the land authorized to 
be sold under this section at public or private sale, including at 
auction, in accordance with such terms, conditions, and procedures as 
the Secretary determines to be appropriate. The Secretary may reject 
any offer received under this section if the Secretary determines that 
the offer is not adequate or is not in the public interest. To 
facilitate the sale of the land, the Secretary may use a real estate 
broker and pay the real estate broker a commission in an amount that is 
comparable to the amounts of commission generally paid for real estate 
transactions in the area in which the sale occurs.
    (d) Consideration.--As consideration for the purchase of land under 
this section, the purchaser shall pay to the United States an amount 
equal to the fair market value of the land, as determined by an 
appraisal satisfactory to the Secretary and conforming to the Uniform 
Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions.
    (e) Deposit and Use of Proceeds.--
            (1) Deposit.--The Secretary shall deposit the proceeds from 
        the sale of land under this section in the fund established 
        under Public Law 90-171 (commonly known as the Sisk Act; 16 
        U.S.C. 484a).
            (2) Use.--Funds deposited pursuant to paragraph (1) shall 
        be available to the Secretary, without further appropriation 
        and until expended--
                    (A) to acquire land and interests in land for 
                inclusion in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in 
                Wisconsin; and
                    (B) to reimburse costs incurred by the Secretary in 
                carrying out land sales under this section, including 
                the payment of real estate broker commissions under 
                subsection (c).
            (3) Administration.--The lands acquired under this section 
        shall be included in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest 
        and administered in accordance with the laws applicable to that 
        National Forest.
    (f) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, the land 
authorized to be sold under subsection (a) is withdrawn from location, 
entry, and patent under the public land laws, mining laws, and mineral 
leasing laws, including geothermal leasing laws.
    (g) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may require 
such additional terms and conditions in connection with a sale of land 
under this section as the Secretary considers appropriate to protect 
the interests of the United States.
                                 <all>