I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1434 

To authorize the sale of certain National Forest System land in the State 

of Georgia. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 8, 2017 

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia (for himself, Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Mr. ALLEN, 

Mr. LOUDERMILK, and Mr. FERGUSON) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To authorize the sale of certain National Forest System 

land in the State of Georgia. 

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 ‘‘Chattahoochee-Oconee 

5 National Forest Land Adjustment Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND DEFINITION. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

8 (1) certain National Forest System land in the 

9 State of Georgia consists of isolated tracts that are 


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1 inefficient to manage or have lost their principal 

2 value for National Forest purposes; 

3 (2) the disposal of that land would be in the 

4 public interest; and 

5 (3) proceeds from the sale of land authorized by 

6 this Act would be used best by the Forest Service 

7 to purchase land for National Forest purposes in the 

8 State of Georgia. 

9 (b) DEFINITION OF SECRETARY.—In this Act, the 

10 term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of Agriculture. 

11 SEC. 3. LAND CONVEYANCE AUTHORITY. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized, 

13 under such terms and conditions as the Secretary may 

14 prescribe, to sell or exchange any or all rights, title, and 

15 interest of the United States in the National Forest Sys16 tem land described in subsection (b). 

17 (b) LAND AUTHORIZED FOR DISPOSAL.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The National Forest System 

19 land subject to sale or exchange under this Act are 

20 30 tracts of land totaling approximately 3,841 acres, 

21 which are generally depicted on 2 maps entitled 

22 ‘‘Priority Land Adjustments, State of Georgia, U.S. 

23 Forest Service–Southern Region, Oconee and Chat24 tahoochee National Forests, U.S. Congressional Dis25 tricts 8, 9, 10 & 14’’ and dated September 24, 2013. 


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1 (2) MAPS.—The maps described in paragraph 

2 (1) shall be on file and available for public inspec3 tion in the Office of the Forest Supervisor, Chat4 tahoochee-Oconee National Forest, until such time 

5 as the land is sold or exchanged. 

6 (3) MODIFICATION OF BOUNDARIES.—The Sec7 retary may modify the boundaries of the land de8 scribed in paragraph (1) based on land management 

9 considerations. 

10 (c) FORM OF CONVEYANCE.— 

11 (1) QUITCLAIM DEED.—The Secretary shall 

12 convey land sold under this Act by quitclaim deed. 

13 (2) RESERVATIONS.—The Secretary may re14 serve any rights-of-way or other rights or interests 

15 in land sold or exchanged under this Act that the 

16 Secretary considers necessary for management pur17 poses or to protect the public interest. 

18 (d) VALUATION.— 

19 (1) MARKET VALUE.—The Secretary may not 

20 sell or exchange land under this Act for less than 

21 market value, as determined by appraisal or through 

22 competitive bid. 

23 (2) APPRAISAL REQUIREMENTS.—Any appraisal 

24 shall be— 


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1 (A) consistent with the Uniform Appraisal 

2 Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions or the 

3 Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal 

4 Practice; and 

5 (B) subject to the approval of the Sec6 retary. 

7 (e) CONSIDERATION.— 

8 (1) CASH.—Consideration for a sale of land or 

9 equalization of an exchange shall be paid in cash. 

10 (2) EXCHANGE.—Notwithstanding section 

11 206(b) of the Federal Land Policy and Management 

12 Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716(b)), the Secretary may 

13 accept a cash equalization payment in excess of 25 

14 percent of the value of any land exchanged. 

15 (f) METHOD OF SALE.— 

16 (1) OPTIONS.—The Secretary may sell land 

17 under subsection (a) at public or private sale, includ18 ing competitive sale by auction, bid, or otherwise, in 

19 accordance with such terms, conditions, and proce20 dures as the Secretary determines are in the best in21 terest of the United States. 

22 (2) SOLICITATIONS.—The Secretary may— 

23 (A) make public or private solicitations for 

24 the sale or exchange of land authorized by this 

25 Act; and 


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1 (B) reject any offer that the Secretary de2 termines is not adequate or not in the public in3 terest. 

4 (g) BROKERS.—The Secretary may— 

5 (1) use brokers or other third parties in the dis6 position of the land authorized by this Act; and 

7 (2) from the proceeds of a sale, pay reasonable 

8 commissions or fees. 

9 SEC. 4. TREATMENT OF PROCEEDS. 

10 (a) DEPOSIT.—Subject to section 3(g)(2), the Sec11 retary shall deposit the proceeds of a sale or cash equali12 zations payments authorized by this Act in the fund estab13 lished under Public Law 90–171 (commonly known as the 

14 ‘‘Sisk Act’’) (16 U.S.C. 484a). 

15 (b) AVAILABILITY.—Subject to subsection (c), 

16 amounts deposited under subsection (a) shall be available 

17 to the Secretary until expended, without further appro18 priation, for the acquisition of land for National Forest 

19 purposes in the State of Georgia. 

20 (c) PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTION.—Nothing in 

21 this Act authorizes the use of funds deposited under sub22 section (a) to be used to acquire land without the written 

23 consent of the owner of the land. 

Æ 


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