[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10136 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10136

    To require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the Crossett 
 Experimental Forest to the State of Arkansas, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 20, 2026

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the Crossett 
 Experimental Forest to the State of Arkansas, 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 ``Crossett Experimental Forest Act of 
2026''.

SEC. 2. CONVEYANCE OF THE CROSSETT EXPERIMENTAL FOREST.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.
            (2) State.--The terms ``State'' means the State of 
        Arkansas.
            (3) Forest.--The term ``Forest'' means the Crossett 
        Experimental Forest, the R.R. Reynolds Research Natural Area, 
        and associated facilities, generally depicted as ``USDA Forest 
        Service'' on the map entitled ``Crossett Experimental Forest'', 
        version 1, and dated May 1, 2026.
    (b) Conveyance Required.--Subject to this section, if the State 
submits to the Secretary a written request for conveyance of the Forest 
not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall convey to the State all right, title, and interest 
of the United States in and to the Forest.
    (c) Terms and Conditions.--The conveyance under subsection (b) 
shall be--
            (1) subject to valid existing rights;
            (2) made without consideration;
            (3) made by quitclaim deed;
            (4) subject to the requirements under subsection (f); and
            (5) subject to such other terms and conditions as the 
        Secretary considers to be appropriate to protect the interests 
        of the United States.
    (d) Costs of Conveyance.--Any costs relating to the conveyance 
under subsection (b), including costs for surveys and other 
administrative costs, shall be paid by the State.
    (e) Map Corrections.--The Secretary and the State may, by mutual 
agreement--
            (1) make minor boundary adjustments to the Forest to be 
        conveyed under subsection (b); and
            (2) correct any minor errors in the map, an acreage 
        estimate, or the description of the Forest.
    (f) Use of Conveyed Land.--
            (1) State forest designation.--As a condition of 
        conveyance, the State, upon conveyance, shall designate the 
        Forest as the ``Crossett State Forest'' and manage and maintain 
        the Forest under such designation and in accordance with all 
        laws and regulations applicable to Arkansas State forests, to 
        the extent that such laws and regulations do not conflict with 
        the requirements of this section.
            (2) Use.--The State shall use the conveyed Forest--
                    (A) for forest research, education, and 
                demonstration purposes in a manner consistent with the 
                historic research mission of the Forest; and
                    (B) in coordination with the University of Arkansas 
                at Monticello and the University of Arkansas Division 
                of Agriculture, including by providing such entities 
                with reasonable research and education access to the 
                Forest for research and educational purposes.
            (3) Reversionary interest.--If the Secretary determines 
        that the State has failed to manage and maintain the Forest in 
        accordance with paragraph (1) or use the Forest in accordance 
        with paragraph (2)--
                    (A) the Secretary shall issue to the State written 
                notice of the failure; and
                    (B) if the State does not correct the failure 
                within 180 days after receiving such written notice, 
                all right, title, and interest in and to the Forest, or 
                the portion of the Forest affected by the failure, may, 
                at the discretion of the Secretary, revert to the 
                United States.
    (g) Applicability of Federal Law.--
            (1) Major federal action.--A conveyance under subsection 
        (b) shall not be considered a major Federal action for purposes 
        of section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act 
        of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)).
            (2) Effect of undertaking on historic property.--Section 
        306108 of title 54, United States Code, shall not apply with 
        respect to a conveyance under subsection (b).
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