[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 23821-23822]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1645
        IDAHO PANHANDLE NATIONAL FOREST IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2003

  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 434) to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to sell 
or exchange all or part of certain parcels of National Forest System 
land in the State of Idaho and use the proceeds derived from the sale 
or exchange for National Forest System purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 434

       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 ``Idaho Panhandle National 
     Forest Improvement Act of 2003''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF SECRETARY.

       In this Act, the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
     Agriculture.

     SEC. 3. SALE OR EXCHANGE OF ADMINISTRATIVE SITES.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary may, under such terms and 
     conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, sell or exchange 
     any or all right, title, and interest of the United States in 
     and to the following National Forest System land and 
     improvements:
       (1) Granite/Reeder Bay, Priest Lake Parcel, T61N, R4E, 
     Boise Principal Meridian, section 17, S\1/2\NE\1/4\ (80 
     acres, more or less).
       (2) North South Ski area, T43N, R3W, Boise Principal 
     Meridian, section 13, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, S\1/2\SW\1/
     4\SE\1/4\, NE\1/4\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\, and SW\1/4\SE\1/4\SE\1/4\ 
     (50 acres, more or less).
       (3) Shoshone work camp (including easements for utilities), 
     T50N, R4E, Boise Principal Meridian, section 5, a portion of 
     the S\1/2\SE\1/4\ (19 acres, more or less).
       (b) Descriptions.--The Secretary may modify the 
     descriptions in subsection (a) to correct errors or to make 
     minor adjustments to the parcels in order to facilitate the 
     conveyance of the parcels.
       (c) Consideration.--Consideration for a sale or exchange of 
     land under subsection (a)--
       (1) shall be equal to the fair market value of the land; 
     and
       (2) may include cash or improved or unimproved land.
       (d) Applicable Law.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
     Act, any sale or exchange of National Forest System land 
     under subsection (a) shall be subject to the laws applicable 
     to the conveyance and acquisition of land for the National 
     Forest System.

[[Page 23822]]

       (e) Valuation.--The market value of the land and the 
     improvements to be sold or exchanged under this Act shall be 
     determined by an appraisal that is acceptable to the 
     Secretary and conforms with the Uniform Appraisal Standards 
     for Federal Land Acquisitions.
       (f) Cash Equalization.--Notwithstanding section 206(b) of 
     the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
     1716(b)), the Secretary may accept a cash equalization 
     payment in excess of 25 percent of the value of land 
     exchanged under subsection (a).
       (g) Solicitations of Offers.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary may solicit offers for the 
     sale or exchange of land under this section on such terms and 
     conditions as the Secretary may prescribe.
       (2) Rejection of offers.--The Secretary may reject any 
     offer made under this section if the Secretary determines 
     that the offer is not adequate or not in the public interest.
       (h) Methods of Sale.--The Secretary may sell land under 
     subsection (a) at public or private sale (including at 
     auction), in accordance with any terms, conditions, and 
     procedures that the Secretary determines to be in the best 
     interests of the United States.

     SEC. 4. DISPOSITION OF FUNDS.

       (a) Deposit of Proceeds.--The Secretary shall deposit the 
     proceeds of a sale or the cash equalization proceeds, if any, 
     from an exchange under section 3(a) in the fund established 
     under Public Law 90-171 (commonly known as the ``Sisk Act'') 
     (16 U.S.C. 484a).
       (b) Use of Proceeds.--Amounts deposited under subsection 
     (a) shall be available to the Secretary, without further 
     appropriation--
       (1) for the acquisition of, construction of, or 
     rehabilitation of existing facilities for, a new ranger 
     station in the Silver Valley portion of the Panhandle 
     National Forest; or
       (2) to the extent that the amount of funds deposited 
     exceeds the amount needed for the purpose described in 
     paragraph (1), for the acquisition, construction, or 
     rehabilitation of other facilities in the Panhandle National 
     Forest.
       (c) Nondistribution of Proceeds.--Proceeds from the sale or 
     exchange of land under this Act shall not be paid or 
     distributed to States or counties under any provision of law, 
     or otherwise treated as money received from a national 
     forest, for purposes of--
       (1) the Act of May 23, 1908 (16 U.S.C. 500);
       (2) section 13 of the Act of March 1, 1911 (commonly known 
     as the ``Weeks Law'') (16 U.S.C. 500); or
       (3) the Act of March 4, 1913 (16 U.S.C. 501).

     SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION.

       (a) In General.--Land transferred to or otherwise acquired 
     by the Secretary under this Act shall be managed in 
     accordance with--
       (1) the Act of March 1, 1911 (commonly known as the ``Weeks 
     Law'') (16 U.S.C. 480 et seq.); and
       (2) other laws relating to the National Forest System.
       (b) Exemption From Property Management Regulations.--Part 
     1955 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (or any 
     successor regulation), shall not apply to any actions taken 
     under this Act.
       (c) Withdrawals and Revocations.--
       (1) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, all land 
     described in section 3(a) is withdrawn from--
       (A) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
       (B) the operation of the mineral leasing, mineral 
     materials, and geothermal leasing laws.
       (2) Revocation of public land orders.--As of the date of 
     this Act, any public land order withdrawing land described in 
     section 3(a) from all forms of appropriation under the public 
     land laws is revoked with respect to any portion of the land 
     conveyed by the Secretary under this section.

     SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Terry). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin 
Islands (Mrs. Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons).


                             General Leave

  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the bill now under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nevada?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, Senate 434, introduced by Senator Larry Craig, would 
authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to sell or exchange all or part 
of certain parcels of National Forest System land in the State of Idaho 
and use the proceeds derived from the sale or exchange for national 
forest purposes.
  This legislation would sell or exchange roughly 150 acres, comprised 
of three separate parcels, and deposit the proceeds in the fund 
established under the Sisk Act. The bill promotes good stewardship by 
consolidating scattered parcels of public land while generating revenue 
for property improvements rather than using taxpayer dollars.
  Additionally, it will finally allow for the construction of a public 
sewer system in the area that has been contingent on the land 
acquisition authorized in Senate 434.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we have no objection to S. 434 and support the passage 
of this bill by the House today.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GIBBONS. 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 Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate bill, S. 434.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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