[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 18]
[House]
[Pages 24348-24349]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    CONVEYANCE OF CERTAIN NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS IN MENDOCINO 
                      NATIONAL FOREST, CALIFORNIA

  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 708) to require the conveyance of certain National Forest 
Systems lands in Mendocino National Forest, California, to provide for 
the use of the proceeds from such conveyance for National Forest 
purposes, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 708

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

     SECTION 1. LAND CONVEYANCE, FARAWAY RANCH, MENDOCINO NATIONAL 
                   FOREST, CALIFORNIA.

       (a) Conveyance Required.--Subject to subsection (b), the 
     Secretary of Agriculture shall convey to the owner of the 
     property known as the Faraway Ranch in Lake County, 
     California (in this section referred to as the 
     ``recipient''), by quitclaim deed, all right, title, and 
     interest of the United States in and to the following 
     National Forest System lands in Mendocino National Forest in 
     Lake County, California:
       (1) ``Faraway Ranch, Tract 39'' (approximately 15.8 acres), 
     consisting of a portion of lot 6 of section 4, township 18 
     north, range 10 west, Mount Diablo base and meridian, as 
     generally depicted on the map entitled ``Faraway Ranch, 
     Tracts 39 and 40'' and dated June 30, 2002.
       (2) ``Faraway Ranch, Tract 40'' (approximately 105.1 acres) 
     consisting of a portion of the N\1/2\SW\1/4\ and lot 7 of 
     section 4, and a portion of lots 15 and 16 of section 5, 
     township 18 north, range 10 west, Mount Diablo base and 
     meridian, as generally depicted on the map referred to in 
     paragraph (1).
       (b) Time for Conveyance.--The Secretary shall make the 
     conveyance under subsection (a) not later than 120 days after 
     the date on which the recipient deposits sufficient funds 
     with the Bureau of Land Management, California State Office, 
     Branch of Geographic Services, to cover survey work costs and 
     with the Forest Service, Mendocino National Forest, to cover 
     Forest Service direct transaction costs described in 
     subsection (e).
       (c) Corrections.--With the agreement of the recipient, the 
     Secretary may make minor corrections to the legal 
     descriptions and map of the lands to be conveyed pursuant to 
     this section.
       (d) Consideration.--As consideration for the conveyance 
     under subsection (a), the recipient shall pay to the 
     Secretary an amount equal to the fair market value of the 
     National Forest System lands conveyed under such subsection. 
     The fair market value of such lands shall be determined by an 
     appraisal that is acceptable to the Secretary and conforms 
     with the Federal appraisal standards, as defined in the 
     Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions 
     developed by the Interagency Land Acquisition Conference.
       (e) Payment of Costs.--All direct transaction costs 
     associated with the conveyance under section (a), including 
     the costs of appraisal, title, and survey work, shall be paid 
     by the recipient.
       (f) Use of Proceeds.--
       (1) Deposit.--The Secretary shall deposit the amounts 
     received by the Secretary as consideration under subsection 
     (d) in the fund established by Public Law 90-171 (commonly 
     known as the Sisk Act; 16 U.S.C. 484a).
       (2) Use.--Funds deposited under paragraph (1) shall be 
     available to the Secretary until expended, without further 
     appropriation--
       (A) for the acquisition of land and interests in land for 
     National Forest System purposes in the State of California; 
     and

[[Page 24349]]

       (B) for reimbursement of costs incurred by the Forest 
     Service in making the conveyance under subsection (a).
       (3) Status of acquired land.--Notwithstanding Public Law 
     85-862 (16 U.S.C. 521a), any lands acquired under paragraph 
     (2)(A) shall be managed as lands acquired under the Act of 
     March 1, 1911 (commonly known as the Weeks Act; 16 U.S.C. 
     480, 500, 515 et seq.), regardless of whether any of the 
     lands conveyed under subsection (a) were reserved from the 
     public domain.
       (g) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, the 
     lands to be conveyed under subsection (a) are hereby 
     withdrawn from all forms of location, entry, and patent under 
     the public land laws and the mining and mineral leasing laws 
     of the United States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Cannon) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Inslee) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon).
  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 708, sponsored by the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Thompson), would require the conveyance of certain National Forest 
System lands in the Mendocino National Forest, California, to provide 
for the use of the proceeds from such conveyance for National Forest 
purposes, and for other purposes.
  This legislation would resolve a long-standing problem regarding the 
property boundary between the Mendocino National Forest and the Faraway 
Ranch in rural northern California. I urge support of the legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 708 would correct a survey error by directing the 
Secretary of Agriculture to convey 120 acres of Forest Service land to 
the owner of the Faraway Ranch in California. In exchange, the rancher 
would pay fair market value for the lands.
  We support this legislation sponsored by the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Thompson), who has been a tremendous advocate to get 
this long-standing issue resolved and has done a great job in his 
district. We urge the bill's adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Thompson).
  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Washington for yielding me this time, and I also thank the gentleman 
from Utah (Mr. Cannon) and the gentleman from Washington for the 
opportunity to speak on this bill. I would also like to thank the 
chairman of the committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), 
and the ranking member, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), 
for their help in finally resolving this long-standing problem.
  I want to mention to all of the Members that this bill was passed by 
this House unanimously last year. Unfortunately, it was part of the 
omnibus bill that never made it out of the other body.
  But as everyone has mentioned, this takes care of a problem that has 
been festering for quite some time over a disputed boundary line. This 
bill would convey 120 acres of National Forest Service property to a 
landowner, the owner of the Faraway Ranch, for fair market value. He 
would not only pay the fair market value for the land, but he would 
also pay all of the costs associated with the transfer and any 
surveying that needs to be done. Then the Forest Service will be able 
to take that money and purchase from willing sellers other property 
within the confines of this forest to allow them to better manage our 
incredibly valuable national resource.
  This is a good bill. It has no opposition and would take care of a 
long-standing problem. I would appreciate the support of all of my 
colleagues in making sure this is passed and signed into law.
  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 708.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________