[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 34 (Tuesday, March 4, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3103-S3104]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 AUTHORIZATION TO SELL OR EXCHANGE CERTAIN LAND IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA

  The bill (S. 117) to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to sell 
or exchange certain land in the State of Florida, and for other 
purposes, was considered, ordered to a third reading, read the third 
time, and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 117

       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 ``Florida National Forest Land 
     Management Act of 2003''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Agriculture.
       (2) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Florida.

     SEC. 3. SALE OR EXCHANGE OF LAND.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary may, under such terms and 
     conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, sell or exchange 
     any right, title, and interest of the United States in and to 
     the parcels of Federal land in the State described in 
     subsection (b).
       (b) Description of Land.--The parcels of Federal land in 
     the State referred to in subsection (a) consist of--
       (1) tract A-942a, East Bay, Santa Rosa County, consisting 
     of approximately 61 acres, and more particularly described as 
     T. 1 S., R. 27 W., sec. 31, W\1/2\ of SW\1/4\;
       (2) tract A-942b, East Bay, Santa Rosa County, consisting 
     of approximately 40 acres, and more particularly described as 
     T. 1 S., R. 27 W., sec. 38;
       (3) tract A-942c, Ft. Walton, Okaloosa County, located 
     southeast of the intersection of and adjacent to State Road 
     86 and Mooney Road, consisting of approximately 0.59 acres, 
     and more particularly described as T. 1 S., R. 24 W., sec. 
     26;
       (4) tract A-942d, located southeast of Crestview, Okaloosa 
     County, consisting of approximately 79.90 acres, and more 
     particularly described as T. 2 N., R. 23 W., sec. 2, NW\1/4\ 
     NE\1/4\ and NE\1/4\ NW\1/4\;
       (5) tract A-943, Okaloosa County Fairgrounds, Ft. Walton, 
     Okaloosa County, consisting of approximately 30.14 acres, and 
     more particularly described as T. 1 S., R. 24 W., sec. 26, 
     S\1/2\;
       (6) tract A-944, City Ball Park--Ft. Walton, Okaloosa 
     County, consisting of approximately 12.43 acres, and more 
     particularly described as T. 1 S., R. 24 W., sec. 26, S\1/2\;
       (7) tract A-945, Landfill-Golf Course Driving Range, 
     located southeast of Crestview, Okaloosa County, consisting 
     of approximately 40.85 acres, and more particularly described 
     as T. 2 N., R. 23 W., sec. 4, NW\1/4\ NE\1/4\;
       (8) tract A-959, 2 vacant lots on the north side of 
     Micheaux Road in Bristol, Liberty County, consisting of 
     approximately 0.5 acres, and more particularly described as 
     T. 1 S., R. 7 W., sec. 6;
       (9) tract C-3m-d, located southwest of Astor in Lake 
     County, consisting of approximately 15.0 acres, and more 
     particularly described as T. 15 S., R. 28 E., sec. 37;
       (10) tract C-691, Lake County, consisting of the subsurface 
     rights to approximately 40.76 acres of land, and more 
     particularly described as T. 17 S., R. 29 E., sec. 25, SE\1/
     4\ NW\1/4\;
       (11) tract C-2208b, Lake County, consisting of 
     approximately 39.99 acres, and more particularly described as 
     T. 17 S., R. 28 E., sec. 28, NW\1/4\ SE\1/4\;
       (12) tract C-2209, Lake County, consisting of approximately 
     127.2 acres, as depicted on the map, and more particularly 
     described as T. 17 S., R. 28 E., sec. 21, NE\1/4\ SW\1/4\, 
     SE\1/4\ NW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\ NE\1/4\;
       (13) tract C-2209b, Lake County, consisting of 
     approximately 39.41 acres, and more particularly described as 
     T. 17 S., R. 29 E., sec. 32, NE\1/4\ SE\1/4\;
       (14) tract C-2209c, Lake County, consisting of 
     approximately 40.09 acres, and more particularly described as 
     T. 18 S., R. 28 E., sec. 14, SE\1/4\ SW\1/4\;
       (15) tract C-2209d, Lake County, consisting of 
     approximately 79.58 acres, and more particularly described as 
     T. 18 S., R. 29 E., sec. 5, SE\1/4\ NW\1/4\, NE\1/4\ SW\1/4\;
       (16) tract C-2210, government lot 1, 20 recreational 
     residential lots, and adjacent land on Lake Kerr, Marion 
     County, consisting of approximately 30 acres, and more 
     particularly described as T. 13 S., R. 25 E., sec. 22;
       (17) tract C-2213, located in the F.M. Arrendondo grant, 
     East of Ocala, Marion County, and including a portion of the 
     land located east of the western right-of-way of State 
     Highway 19, consisting of approximately 15.0 acres, and more 
     particularly described as T. 14 and 15 S., R. 26 E., sec. 36, 
     38, and 40; and
       (18) all improvements on the parcels described in 
     paragraphs (1) through (17).
       (c) Legal Description Modification.--The Secretary may, for 
     the purposes of soliciting offers for the sale or exchange of 
     land under subsection (d), modify the descriptions of land 
     specified in subsection (b) based on--
       (1) a survey; or
       (2) a determination by the Secretary that the modification 
     would be in the best interest of the public.
       (d) Solicitations of Offers.--
       (1) In general.--Subject to such terms and conditions as 
     the Secretary may prescribe, the Secretary may solicit offers 
     for the sale or exchange of land described in subsection (b).
       (2) Rejection of offers.--The Secretary may reject any 
     offer received under this section if the Secretary determines 
     that the offer--
       (A) is not adequate; or
       (B) is not in the public interest.
       (e) Methods of Sale.--The Secretary may sell the land 
     described in subsection (b) at public or private sale 
     (including at auction), in accordance with any terms, 
     conditions, and procedures that the Secretary determines to 
     be appropriate.
       (f) Brokers.--In any sale or exchange of land described in 
     subsection (b), the Secretary may--
       (1) use a real estate broker; and
       (2) 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.
       (g) Concurrence of the Secretary of the Air Force.--A 
     parcel of land described in paragraphs (1) through (7) of 
     subsection (b) shall not be sold or exchanged by the 
     Secretary without the concurrence of the Secretary of the Air 
     Force.
       (h) Cash Equalization.--Notwithstanding section 206(b) of 
     the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
     1716(b)), if the value of non-Federal land for which Federal 
     land is exchanged under this section is less than the value 
     of the Federal land exchanged, the Secretary may accept a 
     cash equalization payment in excess of 25 percent of the 
     value of the Federal land.
       (i) Disposition of Proceeds.--
       (1) In general.--The net proceeds derived from any sale or 
     exchange under this Act shall be deposited in the fund 
     established by 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 for expenditure, without further 
     appropriation, for--
       (A) acquisition of land and interests in land for inclusion 
     as units of the National Forest System in the State; and
       (B) reimbursement of costs incurred by the Secretary in 
     carrying out land sales and exchanges under this Act, 
     including the payment of real estate broker commissions under 
     subsection (f).

[[Page S3104]]

     SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION.

       (a) In General.--Land acquired by the United States under 
     this Act shall be--
       (1) subject to the Act of March 1, 1911 (commonly known as 
     the ``Weeks Act'') (16 U.S.C. 480 et seq.); and
       (2) administered in accordance with laws (including 
     regulations) applicable to the National Forest System.
       (b) Applicable Law.--The land described in section 3(b) 
     shall not be subject to the Federal Property and 
     Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 471 et seq.).
       (c) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, the land 
     described in section 3(b) is withdrawn from location, entry, 
     and patent under the public land laws, mining laws, and 
     mineral leasing laws (including geothermal leasing laws).

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