[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1712 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1712

  To amend the Small Tract Act of 1983 to expand the authority of the 
Secretary of Agriculture to sell or exchange small parcels of National 
  Forest System land to enhance the management of the National Forest 
      System, resolve minor encroachments, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              July 7, 2015

  Mr. Bennet introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Small Tract Act of 1983 to expand the authority of the 
Secretary of Agriculture to sell or exchange small parcels of National 
  Forest System land to enhance the management of the National Forest 
      System, resolve minor encroachments, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Forest Small Tracts Act 
Amendments Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE OF SMALL PARCELS OF 
              NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LAND.

    (a) Increase in Maximum Value of Small Parcels.--Section 3 of 
Public Law 97-465 (commonly known as the ``Small Tract Act of 1983'') 
(16 U.S.C. 521e) is amended in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by 
striking ``$150,000'' and inserting ``$500,000''.
    (b) Additional Conveyance Purposes.--Section 3 of Public Law 97-465 
(16 U.S.C. 521e) (as amended by subsection (a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``; or'' and inserting a 
        semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) parcels of 40 acres or less that are determined by 
        the Secretary--
                    ``(A) to be physically isolated;
                    ``(B) to be inaccessible; or
                    ``(C) to have lost National Forest character;
            ``(5) parcels of 10 acres or less that are not eligible for 
        conveyance under paragraph (2) but are encroached on by a 
        permanent habitable improvement for which there is no evidence 
        that the encroachment was intentional or negligent; or
            ``(6) parcels used as a cemetery, a landfill, or a sewage 
        treatment plant under a special use authorization issued by the 
        Secretary.''.
    (c) Disposition of Proceeds.--Section 2 of Public Law 97-465 (16 
U.S.C. 521d) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
        ``The Secretary is authorized'' and inserting the following:
    ``(a) Conveyance Authority; Consideration.--The Secretary is 
authorized'';
            (2) in paragraph (2), in the second sentence, by striking 
        ``The Secretary shall insert'' and inserting the following:
    ``(b) Inclusion of Terms, Covenants, Conditions, and 
Reservations.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall insert'';
            (3) in subsection (b) (as so designated)--
                    (A) by striking ``convenants'' and inserting 
                ``covenants''; and
                    (B) in the second sentence by striking ``The 
                preceding sentence shall not'' and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(2) Limitation.--Paragraph (1) shall not''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Disposition of Proceeds.--
            ``(1) Deposit in sisk fund.--The net proceeds derived from 
        any sale or exchange conducted under paragraph (4), (5), or (6) 
        of section 3 shall be deposited in the fund established under 
        Public Law 90-171 (commonly known as the `Sisk Act') (16 U.S.C. 
        484a).
            ``(2) Use.--Amounts deposited under paragraph (1) shall be 
        available to the Secretary until expended for--
                    ``(A) the acquisition of land or interests in land 
                for administrative sites for the National Forest System 
                in the State from which the amounts were derived;
                    ``(B) the acquisition of land or interests in land 
                for inclusion in the National Forest System in that 
                State, including land or interests in land that enhance 
                opportunities for recreational access;
                    ``(C) the performance of deferred maintenance on 
                administrative sites for the National Forest System in 
                that State or other deferred maintenance activities in 
                that State that enhance opportunities for recreational 
                access; or
                    ``(D) the reimbursement of the Secretary for costs 
                incurred in preparing a sale conducted under the 
                authority of section 3 if the sale is a competitive 
                sale.''.
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