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Union Calendar No. 602 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 470 

[Report No. 114–769] 

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 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 

Additional sponsors: Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia, 

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. GRAVES of Georgia, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. JODY

B. HICE of Georgia, and Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 


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A BILL 

To authorize the sale of certain National Forest System 

land in the State of Georgia. 


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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 

10 inefficient to manage or have lost their principal 

11 value for National Forest purposes; 

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

13 public interest; and 

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

15 this Act would be used best by the Forest Service 

16 to purchase land for National Forest purposes in the 

17 State of Georgia. 

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

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

20 SEC. 3. LAND CONVEYANCE AUTHORITY. 

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

22 under such terms and conditions as the Secretary may 

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

24 interest of the United States in the National Forest Sys25 tem land described in subsection (b). 


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1 (b) LAND AUTHORIZED FOR DISPOSAL.— 

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

3 land subject to sale or exchange under this Act are 

4 30 tracts of land totaling approximately 3,841 acres, 

5 which are generally depicted on 2 maps entitled 

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

7 Forest Service–Southern Region, Oconee and Chat8 tahoochee National Forests, U.S. Congressional Dis9 tricts–8, 9, 10 & 14’’ and dated September 24, 

10 2013. 

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

12 (1) shall be on file and available for public inspec13 tion in the Office of the Forest Supervisor, Chat14 tahoochee-Oconee National Forest, until such time 

15 as the land is sold or exchanged. 

16 (3) MODIFICATION OF BOUNDARIES.—The Sec17 retary may modify the boundaries of the land de18 scribed in paragraph (1) based on land management 

19 considerations. 

20 (c) FORM OF CONVEYANCE.— 

21 (1) QUITCLAIM DEED.—The Secretary shall 

22 convey land sold under this Act by quitclaim deed. 

23 (2) RESERVATIONS.—The Secretary may re24 serve any rights-of-way or other rights or interests 

25 in land sold or exchanged under this Act that the 


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1 Secretary considers necessary for management pur2 poses or to protect the public interest. 

3 (d) VALUATION.— 

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

5 sell or exchange land under this Act for less than 

6 market value, as determined by appraisal or through 

7 competitive bid. 

8 (2) APPRAISAL REQUIREMENTS.—Any appraisal 

9 shall be— 

10 (A) consistent with the Uniform Appraisal 

11 Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions or the 

12 Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal 

13 Practice; and 

14 (B) subject to the approval of the Sec15 retary. 

16 (e) CONSIDERATION.— 

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

18 equalization of an exchange shall be paid in cash. 

19 (2) EXCHANGE.—Notwithstanding section 

20 206(b) of the Federal Land Policy and Management 

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

22 accept a cash equalization payment in excess of 25 

23 percent of the value of any land exchanged. 

24 (f) METHOD OF SALE.— 


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

2 under subsection (a) at public or private sale, includ3 ing competitive sale by auction, bid, or otherwise, in 

4 accordance with such terms, conditions, and proce5 dures as the Secretary determines are in the best in6 terest of the United States. 

7 (2) SOLICITATIONS.—The Secretary may— 

8 (A) make public or private solicitations for 

9 the sale or exchange of land authorized by this 

10 Act; and 

11 (B) reject any offer that the Secretary de12 termines is not adequate or not in the public in13 terest. 

14 (g) BROKERS.—The Secretary may— 

15 (1) use brokers or other third parties in the dis16 position of the land authorized by this Act; and 

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

18 commissions or fees. 

19 SEC. 4. TREATMENT OF PROCEEDS. 

20 (a) DEPOSIT.—The Secretary shall deposit the pro21 ceeds of a sale authorized by this Act in the fund estab22 lished under Public Law 90–171 (commonly known as the 

23 ‘‘Sisk Act’’) (16 U.S.C. 484a). 

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

25 amounts deposited under subsection (a) shall be available 


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1 to the Secretary until expended, without further appro2 priation, for the acquisition of land for National Forest 

3 purposes in the State of Georgia. 

4 (c) PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTION.—Nothing in 

5 this Act authorizes the use of funds deposited under sub6 section (a) to be used to acquire land without the written 

7 consent of the owner of the land. 


emcdonald on DSK9F6TC42PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 602 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 470 

[Report No. 114–769] 

A BILL 

To authorize the sale of certain National Forest 

System land in the State of Georgia. 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


emcdonald on DSK9F6TC42PROD with BILLS