I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1651

To provide for the exchange of land within the Sierra National Forest, 

California, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 7, 2003

Mr. RADANOVICH (for himself, Mr. NUNES, and Mr. DOOLEY of California) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources 

A BILL

To provide for the exchange of land within the Sierra 

National Forest, California, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sierra National Forest 

5 Land Exchange Act of 2003’’. 

6 SEC. 2. LAND EXCHANGE, SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST, CALI7 FORNIA. 

8 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 (1) FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ 

10 means the parcels of land and improvements thereon 
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1 comprising approximately 160 acres and located in 

2 township 9 south, range 25 east, section 30, 

E1⁄2SW1⁄4 and W1⁄2 SE1 3 ⁄4, Mt. Diablo Meridian, 

4 California. 

5 (2) NON-FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘non-Fed6 eral land’’ means a parcel of land comprising ap7 proximately 80 acres and located in township 8 

south, range 26 east, section 29, N1⁄2NW1 8 ⁄4, Mt. 

9 Diablo Meridian, California. 

10 (b) EXCHANGE AUTHORIZED.—

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—If, during the one-year pe12 riod beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, 

13 the owner of the non-Federal land offers the United 

14 States the exchange of the non-Federal land, to15 gether with a cash equalization payment in accord16 ance with this section, the Secretary shall convey by 

17 quit claim deed all right, title, and interest of the 

18 United States in and to the Federal land. The con19 veyance of the Federal land shall be subject to valid 

20 existing rights and under such terms and conditions 

21 as the Secretary may prescribe. 

22 (2) ACCEPTABLE TITLE.—Title to the non-Fed23 eral land shall conform with the title approval stand24 ards of the Attorney General applicable to Federal 
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1 land acquisitions and shall be acceptable to the Sec2 retary. 

3 (3) CORRECTION AND MODIFICATION OF LEGAL

4 DESCRIPTIONS.—The Secretary, in consultation with 

5 the owner of the non-Federal land, may make cor6 rections to the legal descriptions of the Federal land 

7 and non-Federal land. The Secretary and the owner 

8 of the non-Federal land may make minor modifica9 tions to such descriptions insofar as such modifica10 tions do not affect the overall value of the exchange 

11 by more than 5 percent. 

12 (c) VALUATION OF LAND TO BE CONVEYED.—For 

13 purposes of this section, during the period referred to in 

14 subsection (b)(1), the value of the non-Federal land shall 

15 be deemed to be $200,000 and the value of the Federal 

16 land shall be deemed to be $250,000. 

17 (d) EQUALIZATION OF VALUES.—Notwithstanding 

18 section 206(b) of the Federal Land Policy and Manage19 ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716(b)), the Secretary may 

20 accept a cash equalization payment in excess of 25 percent 

21 of the value of the Federal land. 

22 (e) ADMINISTRATION OF LAND ACQUIRED BY

23 UNITED STATES.—Once acquired, the Secretary shall 

24 manage the non-Federal land in accordance with the Act 

25 of March 1, 1911 (commonly known as the Weeks Act; 
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1 16 U.S.C. 480 et seq.), and in accordance with the other 

2 laws and regulations pertaining to National Forest System 

3 lands. 

4 (f) RECONVEYANCE.—The conveyance under sub5 section (b) shall be subject to the condition that the recipi6 ent of the Federal land agree to convey the land, within 

7 a time period agreed to by the Secretary and the recipient, 

8 to the Sequoia Council of the Boy Scouts of America. 

9 (g) DISPOSITION AND USE OF CASH EQUALIZATION

10 FUNDS.—The Secretary shall deposit any cash equali11 zation payment received under this section in the fund es12 tablished by Public Law 90–171 (commonly known as the 

13 Sisk Act; 16 U.S.C. 484a). Funds so deposited shall be 

14 available to the Secretary until expended, without further 

15 appropriation, for the acquisition of lands and interests 

16 in lands for the National Forest System in the State of 

17 California. 

18 (h) COST COLLECTION FUNDS.—The owner of the 

19 non-Federal land shall be responsible for all direct costs 

20 associated with processing the land exchange under this 

21 section and shall pay the Secretary the necessary funds, 

22 which shall be deposited in a cost collection account. 

23 Funds so deposited shall be available to the Secretary 

24 until expended, without further appropriation, for the cost 

25 associated with the land exchange. Any funds remaining 
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1 after completion of the land exchange, which are not need2 ed to cover expenses, shall be refunded to the owner of 

3 the non-Federal land.

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