I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5923 

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange certain public lands in 

Ouachita National Forest, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 22, 2018 

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

Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange certain 

public lands in Ouachita National Forest, 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 ‘‘Walnut Grove Land 

5 Exchange Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) CHURCH.—The term ‘‘Church’’ means the 

9 Walnut Grove Church. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 5923 IH

1 (2) OFFERED TRACT.—The term ‘‘Offered 

2 Tract’’ means all right, title, and interest of the 

3 Church in and to approximately 6.3 acres of non4 Federal land identified as ‘‘Offered Tract 5742’’on 

5 the Detail Map of the Walnut Grove Exchange, 

6 Ouachita National Forest Map. 

7 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

8 the Secretary of Agriculture. 

9 (4) SELECTED TRACT.—The term ‘‘Selected 

10 Tract’’ means all right, title, and interest of the 

11 United States in and to approximately 4 acres iden12 tified as ‘‘Selected Tract 5743’’ on the Detail Map 

13 of the Walnut Grove Exchange, Ouachita National 

14 Forest Map. 

15 (5) SERVICE.—The term ‘‘Service’’ means the 

16 United States Forest Service. 

17 SEC. 3. EXCHANGE OF LAND; EQUALIZATION OF VALUE. 

18 (a) EXCHANGE AUTHORIZED.—Subject to the provi19 sions of this Act, not later than 2 years after the date 

20 of the enactment of this Act, if the Church offers to convey 

21 the Offered Tract to the United States, the Secretary 

22 shall— 

23 (1) convey to the Church all right, title, and in24 terest of the United States in and to the Selected 

25 Tract; and 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 5923 IH

1 (2) accept from the Church a conveyance of all 

2 right, title, and interest of the Church in and to the 

3 Offered Tract. 

4 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—The exchange under sub5 section (a) shall be— 

6 (1) subject to valid existing rights; 

7 (2) conditioned on an equalization payment 

8 made by the Church in accordance with subsection 

9 (c); and 

10 (3) conditioned on the payment of the costs de11 scribed in subsection (g). 

12 (c) EQUAL VALUE AND CASH EQUALIZATION.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para14 graph (2), the exchange under subsection (a) shall 

15 be for equal value or the values shall be equalized 

16 by a cash payment. 

17 (2) EXCEPTION.—If the value of the Offered 

18 Tract exceeds the Selected Tract, an equalization 

19 payment shall not be required. 

20 (d) APPRAISALS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—The value of the land to be 

22 exchanged under this Act shall be determined by ap23 praisals conducted by one or more independent and 

24 qualified appraisers. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 5923 IH

1 (2) APPRAISAL STANDARDS.—The appraisals 

2 required under paragraph (1) shall be conducted in 

3 accordance with nationally recognized appraisal 

4 standards, including, as determined appropriate by 

5 the Church and Secretary, the Uniform Appraisal 

6 Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions and the 

7 Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Prac8 tice. 

9 (e) FORMAT.—Title and valuation to the land to be 

10 exchanged under this Act shall be in a format acceptable 

11 to the Secretary and the Church. 

12 (f) MAP AND LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS.—— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—As soon as practicable after 

14 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

15 shall finalize a map and legal descriptions of all land 

16 to be conveyed under this Act. 

17 (2) CORRECTIONS.—The Secretary may correct 

18 any minor errors in the map or in the legal descrip19 tions. 

20 (3) MAP ON FILE.—The map and legal descrip21 tions shall be on file and available for public inspec22 tion in appropriate offices of the United States For23 est Service. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 5923 IH

1 (g) COSTS OF CONVEYANCE.—As a condition of con2 veyance, any costs related to the conveyance under this 

3 section shall be paid by the Church. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS