I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 470 

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

of Georgia. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 22, 2015 

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia 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 of 2015’’. 

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. 

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1 tricts–8, 9, 10 & 14’’ and dated September 24, 

2 2013. 

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

4 (1) shall be on file and available for public inspec5 tion in the Office of the Forest Supervisor, Chat6 tahoochee-Oconee National Forest, until such time 

7 as the land is sold or exchanged. 

8 (3) MODIFICATION OF BOUNDARIES.—The Sec9 retary may modify the boundaries of the land de10 scribed in paragraph (1) based on land management 

11 considerations. 

12 (c) FORM OF CONVEYANCE.— 

13 (1) QUITCLAIM DEED.—The Secretary shall 

14 convey land sold under this Act by quitclaim deed. 

15 (2) RESERVATIONS.—The Secretary may re16 serve any rights-of-way or other rights or interests 

17 in land sold or exchanged under this Act that the 

18 Secretary considers necessary for management pur19 poses or to protect the public interest. 

20 (d) VALUATION.— 

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

22 sell or exchange land under this Act for less than 

23 market value, as determined by appraisal or through 

24 competitive bid. 


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1 (2) APPRAISAL REQUIREMENTS.—Any appraisal 

2 shall be— 

3 (A) consistent with the Uniform Appraisal 

4 Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions or the 

5 Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal 

6 Practice; and 

7 (B) subject to the approval of the Sec8 retary. 

9 (e) CONSIDERATION.— 

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

11 equalization of an exchange shall be paid in cash. 

12 (2) EXCHANGE.—Notwithstanding section 

13 206(b) of the Federal Land Policy and Management 

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

15 accept a cash equalization payment in excess of 25 

16 percent of the value of any land exchanged. 

17 (f) METHOD OF SALE.— 

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

19 under subsection (a) at public or private sale, includ20 ing competitive sale by auction, bid, or otherwise, in 

21 accordance with such terms, conditions, and proce22 dures as the Secretary determines are in the best in23 terest of the United States. 

24 (2) SOLICITATIONS.—The Secretary may— 


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1 (A) make public or private solicitations for 

2 the sale or exchange of land authorized by this 

3 Act; and 

4 (B) reject any offer that the Secretary de5 termines is not adequate or not in the public in6 terest. 

7 (g) BROKERS.—The Secretary may— 

8 (1) use brokers or other third parties in the dis9 position of the land authorized by this Act; and 

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

11 commissions or fees. 

12 SEC. 4. TREATMENT OF PROCEEDS. 

13 (a) DEPOSIT.—The Secretary shall deposit the pro14 ceeds of a sale authorized by this Act in the fund estab15 lished under Public Law 90–171 (commonly known as the 

16 ‘‘Sisk Act’’) (16 U.S.C. 484a). 

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

18 amounts deposited under subsection (a) shall be available 

19 to the Secretary until expended, without further appro20 priation, for the acquisition of land for National Forest 

21 purposes in the State of Georgia. 

22 (c) PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTION.—Nothing in 

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1 section (a) to be used to acquire land without the written 

2 consent of the owner of the land. 

Æ 


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