II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1260 

To authorize the exchange of certain Federal land located in Gulf Islands 

National Seashore for certain non-Federal land in Jackson County, Mississippi, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 25, 2017 

Mr. COCHRAN (for himself and Mr. WICKER) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the exchange of certain Federal land located 

in Gulf Islands National Seashore for certain non-Federal land in Jackson County, Mississippi, 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 ‘‘Gulf Islands National 

5 Seashore Land Exchange Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 


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

2 means the parcel of approximately 1.542 acres of 

3 land that is located within the Gulf Islands National 

4 Seashore in Jackson County, Mississippi, and identi5 fied as ‘‘NPS Exchange Area’’ on the Map. 

6 (2) MAP.—The term ‘‘Map’’ means the map en7 titled ‘‘Gulf Islands National Seashore, Proposed 

8 Land Exchange with VFW, Davis Bayou Area— 

9 Jackson County, MS’’, numbered 635/133309, and 

10 dated June 2016. 

11 (3) NON-FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘non-Fed12 eral land’’ means the parcel of approximately 2.161 

13 acres of land that is located in Jackson County, Mis14 sissippi, and identified as ‘‘VFW Exchange Area’’ on 

15 the Map. 

16 (4) POST.—The term ‘‘Post’’ means the Vet17 erans of Foreign Wars Post 5699. 

18 (5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

19 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di20 rector of the National Park Service. 

21 SEC. 3. GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE LAND EX22 CHANGE. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may convey to the 

24 Post all right, title, and interest of the United States in 

25 and to the Federal land in exchange for the conveyance 


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1 by the Post to the Secretary of all right, title, and interest 

2 of the Post in and to the non-Federal land. 

3 (b) EQUAL VALUE EXCHANGE.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The values of the Federal 

5 land and non-Federal land to be exchanged under 

6 this section shall be equal, as determined by an ap7 praisal conducted— 

8 (A) by a qualified and independent ap9 praiser; and 

10 (B) in accordance with nationally recog11 nized appraisal standards. 

12 (2) EQUALIZATION.—If the values of the Fed13 eral land and non-Federal land to be exchanged 

14 under this section are not equal, the values shall be 

15 equalized through— 

16 (A) a cash payment; or 

17 (B) adjustments to the acreage of the Fed18 eral land or non-Federal land to be exchanged, 

19 as applicable. 

20 (c) PAYMENT OF COSTS OF CONVEYANCE.— 

21 (1) PAYMENT REQUIRED.—As a condition of 

22 the exchange authorized under this section, the Sec23 retary shall require the Post to pay the costs to be 

24 incurred by the Secretary, or to reimburse the SecVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:17 Jun 02, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1260.IS S1260

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1 retary for the costs incurred by the Secretary, to 

2 carry out the exchange, including— 

3 (A) survey costs; 

4 (B) any costs relating to environmental 

5 documentation; and 

6 (C) any other administrative costs relating 

7 to the land exchange. 

8 (2) REFUND.—If the Secretary collects 

9 amounts from the Post under paragraph (1) before 

10 the Secretary incurs the actual costs and the amount 

11 collected by the Secretary exceeds the costs actually 

12 incurred by the Secretary to carry out the land ex13 change under this section, the Secretary shall pro14 vide to the Post a refund of the excess amount paid 

15 by the Post. 

16 (3) TREATMENT OF CERTAIN AMOUNTS RE17 CEIVED.—Amounts received by the Secretary from 

18 the Post as reimbursement for costs incurred under 

19 paragraph (1) shall be— 

20 (A) credited to the fund or account from 

21 which amounts were used to pay the costs in22 curred by the Secretary in carrying out the land 

23 exchange; 


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1 (B) merged with amounts in the fund or 

2 account to which the amounts were credited 

3 under subparagraph (A); and 

4 (C) available for the same purposes as, and 

5 subject to the same conditions and limitations 

6 applicable to, amounts in the fund or account 

7 to which the amounts were credited under sub8 paragraph (A). 

9 (d) DESCRIPTION OF FEDERAL LAND AND NON10 FEDERAL LAND.—The exact acreage and legal description 

11 of the Federal land and non-Federal land to be exchanged 

12 under this section shall be determined by surveys that are 

13 determined to be satisfactory by the Secretary and the 

14 Post. 

15 (e) CONVEYANCE AGREEMENT.—The exchange of 

16 Federal land and non-Federal land under this section shall 

17 be— 

18 (1) carried out through a quitclaim deed or 

19 other legal instrument; and 

20 (2) subject to such terms and conditions as are 

21 mutually satisfactory to the Secretary and the Post, 

22 including such additional terms and conditions as 

23 the Secretary considers to be appropriate to protect 

24 the interests of the United States. 


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1 (f) VALID EXISTING RIGHTS.—The exchange of Fed2 eral land and non-Federal land authorized under this sec3 tion shall be subject to valid existing rights. 

4 (g) TITLE APPROVAL.—Title to the Federal land and 

5 non-Federal land to be exchanged under this section shall 

6 be in a form acceptable to the Secretary. 

7 (h) TREATMENT OF ACQUIRED LAND.—Any non8 Federal land and interests in non-Federal land acquired 

9 by the United States under this section shall be adminis10 tered by the Secretary as part of the Gulf Islands National 

11 Seashore. 

12 (i) MODIFICATION OF BOUNDARY.—On completion of 

13 the exchange of Federal land and non-Federal land under 

14 this section, the Secretary shall modify the boundary of 

15 the Gulf Islands National Seashore to reflect the exchange 

16 of Federal land and non-Federal land. 

Æ 


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