I

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4889

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to release the reversionary interest

of the United States in certain land located in Sumter County, South

Carolina, to facilitate a land exchange involving that land and to provide

for the conveyance of the mineral interests of the United States in

that land.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 19, 2000

Mr. SPRATT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Resources,

for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case

for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the

committee concerned

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to release the reversionary interest of the United States in certain land

located in Sumter County, South Carolina, to facilitate

a land exchange involving that land and to provide for

the conveyance of the mineral interests of the United

States in that land.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. RELEASE OF REVERSIONARY INTEREST AND

2 SALE OF MINERAL RIGHTS IN FORMER FED3 ERAL LAND IN SUMTER COUNTY, SOUTH

4 CAROLINA.

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:

6 (1) The hiking trail known as the Palmetto

7 Trail traverses the Manchester State Forest in Sum8 ter County, South Carolina, which is owned by the

9 South Carolina State Commission of Forestry for

10 the State of South Carolina.

11 (2) The Commission seeks to widen the Pal12 metto Trail by acquiring a corridor of land along the

13 northeastern border of the trail from the Anne

14 Marie Carton Boardman Trust in exchange for a

15 tract of former Federal land now owned by the Com16 mission.

17 (3) At the time of the conveyance of the former

18 Federal land to the Commission in 1955, the United

19 States retained a reversionary interest in the land,

20 which now prevents the land exchange from being

21 completed.

22 (b) RELEASE OF REVERSIONARY INTEREST.—

23 (1) RELEASE REQUIRED.—The Secretary of

24 Agriculture shall release the reversionary interest of

25 the United States in the tract of land identified as
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1 Tract 3 on the map referred to in paragraph (3) (in

2 this section referred to as ‘‘Tract 3’’) that—

3 (A) requires that the land be used for pub4 lic purposes; and

5 (B) is contained in the deed conveying the

6 land from the United States to the South Caro7 lina State Commission of Forestry, dated June

8 28, 1955, and recorded in Deed Drawer No. 6

9 of the Clerk of Court for Sumter County, South

10 Carolina.

11 (2) MAP OF TRACT 3.—Tract 3 is generally de12 picted on the map numbered 225–HI, entitled

13 ‘‘Boundary Survey for South Carolina Forestry

14 Commission’’, dated August 1998, and filed, to15 gether with a legal description of the tract, with the

16 South Carolina State Commission of Forestry.

17 (3) CONSIDERATION.—As consideration for the

18 release of the revisionary interest under paragraph

19 (1), the State of South Carolina shall transfer to the

20 United States a vested future interest, similar to the

21 restriction described in paragraph (1)(A), in the

22 tract of land identified as Parcel G on the map num23 bered 161–DI, entitled ‘‘South Carolina Forestry

24 Commission Boardman Land Exchange’’, dated Feb25 ruary 10, 1997, and filed, together with a legal de-
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1 scription of the tract, with the South Carolina State

2 Commission of Forestry.

3 (c) SALE OF MINERAL RIGHTS.—

4 (1) SALE REQUIRED.—Subject to any valid ex5 isting rights of third parties, the Secretary of the In6 terior shall convey to the State of South Carolina all

7 of the undivided mineral interests of the United

8 States in Tract 3 as soon as practicable after the

9 State of South Carolina agrees to comply with para10 graph (3).

11 (2) DETERMINATION OF MINERAL CHARACTER

12 AND FAIR MARKET VALUE.—Not later than 90 days

13 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec14 retary of the Interior shall determine—

15 (A) the mineral character of Tract 3; and

16 (B) the fair market value of the mineral

17 interests.

18 (3) CONSIDERATION.—As consideration for the

19 sale of mineral interests under paragraph (1), the

20 State of South Carolina shall pay to the United

21 States an amount equal to—

22 (A) the administrative costs incurred by

23 the United States in conveying the mineral in24 terests to the State of South Carolina, including
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1 the costs incurred to make the determinations

2 required by paragraph (2); and

3 (B) subject to paragraph (4), the fair mar4 ket value of the mineral interests.

5 (4) WAIVER.—If the Secretary of the Interior

6 determines under paragraph (2) that the mineral in7 terests in Tract 3 have no value and are under no

8 active mineral development or lease, the Secretary

9 may waive the consideration that would otherwise be

10 required by paragraph (2)(B).

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