I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 343 

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer certain National Forest 

System land in the State of Texas. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 8, 2019 

Mr. RATCLIFFE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer certain 

National Forest System land in the State of Texas. 

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 ‘‘Lake Fannin Convey5 ance Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) COUNTY.—The term ‘‘County’’ means 

9 Fannin County, Texas. 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 343 IH

1 (2) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map en2 titled ‘‘Lake Fannin Conveyance’’ and dated Novem3 ber 21, 2013. 

4 (3) NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LAND.—The 

5 term ‘‘National Forest System land’’ means the ap6 proximately 2,025 acres of National Forest System 

7 land generally depicted on the map. 

8 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

9 the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 

10 Chief of the Forest Service. 

11 SEC. 3. LAND CONVEYANCE. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the terms and condi13 tions described in subsection (b), if the County submits 

14 to the Secretary an offer to acquire the National Forest 

15 System land for the fair market value, as determined by 

16 the appraisal under subsection (c), the Secretary shall con17 vey the National Forest System land to the County. 

18 (b) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—The conveyance 

19 under subsection (a) shall be— 

20 (1) subject to valid existing rights; 

21 (2) made by quitclaim deed; and 

22 (3) subject to any other terms and conditions 

23 as the Secretary considers appropriate to protect the 

24 interests of the United States. 

25 (c) APPRAISAL.— 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 343 IH

1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

2 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec3 retary shall complete an appraisal to determine the 

4 fair market value of the National Forest System 

5 land. 

6 (2) STANDARDS.—The appraisal under para7 graph (1) shall be conducted in accordance with— 

8 (A) the Uniform Appraisal Standards for 

9 Federal Land Acquisitions; and 

10 (B) the Uniform Standards of Professional 

11 Appraisal Practice. 

12 (d) MAP.— 

13 (1) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be 

14 kept on file and available for public inspection in the 

15 appropriate office of the Forest Service. 

16 (2) CORRECTION OF ERRORS.—The Secretary 

17 may correct minor errors in the map. 

18 (e) CONSIDERATION.—As consideration for the con19 veyance under subsection (a), the County shall pay to the 

20 Secretary an amount equal to the fair market value of the 

21 National Forest System land, as determined by the ap22 praisal under subsection (c). 

23 (f) SURVEY.—The exact acreage and legal description 

24 of the National Forest System land to be conveyed under 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 343 IH

1 subsection (a) shall be determined by a survey satisfactory 

2 to the Secretary and the County. 

3 (g) USE.—As a condition of the conveyance under 

4 subsection (a), the County shall agree to manage the land 

5 conveyed under that subsection for public recreational 

6 purposes. 

7 (h) COSTS OF CONVEYANCE.—As a condition of the 

8 conveyance under subsection (a), the County shall pay to 

9 the Secretary all costs associated with the conveyance, in10 cluding the cost of— 

11 (1) the appraisal under subsection (c); and 

12 (2) the survey under subsection (f). 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS