IB 

Union Calendar No. 715 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5923 

[Report No. 115–922] 

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 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 22, 2018] 


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•HR 5923 RH

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange certain 

public lands in Ouachita National Forest, and for other 

purposes. 


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•HR 5923 RH

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 Ex5 change Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

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

9 Walnut Grove Church in Garland County, Arkansas. 

10 (2) OFFERED TRACT.—The term ‘‘Offered Tract’’ 

11 means all right, title, and interest of the Church in 

12 and to approximately 6.3 acres of non-Federal land 

13 identified as ‘‘Offered Tract 5742’’on the Detail Map 

14 of the Walnut Grove Exchange, Ouachita National 

15 Forest map (printed date May 11, 2017). 

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

17 the Secretary of Agriculture. 

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

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

20 United States in and to approximately 4 acres identi21 fied as ‘‘Selected Tract 5743’’ on the Detail Map of 

22 the Walnut Grove Exchange, Ouachita National For23 est map (printed date May 11, 2017), subject to the 

24 reservation of a road easement by the Secretary. 


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•HR 5923 RH

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

2 (a) EXCHANGE AUTHORIZED.—Subject to the provi3 sions of this Act, not later than 2 years after the date of 

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

5 the Offered Tract to the United States, the Secretary shall— 

6 (1) convey to the Church all right, title, and in7 terest of the United States in and to the Selected 

8 Tract; and 

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

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

11 Offered Tract. 

12 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—The exchange under subsection 

13 (a) shall be— 

14 (1) subject to valid existing rights; 

15 (2) conditioned on an equalization payment 

16 made by the Church in accordance with subsection 

17 (c); and 

18 (3) conditioned on the payment of the costs de19 scribed in subsection (g). 

20 (c) EQUAL VALUE AND CASH EQUALIZATION.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para22 graph (2), the exchange under subsection (a) shall be 

23 for equal value or the values shall be equalized by a 

24 cash payment. 


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•HR 5923 RH

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

2 Tract exceeds the Selected Tract, an equalization pay3 ment shall not be required. 

4 (d) APPRAISALS.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The value of the land to be ex6 changed under this Act shall be determined by ap7 praisals conducted by one or more independent and 

8 qualified appraisers. 

9 (2) APPRAISAL STANDARDS.—The Secretary shall 

10 complete an appraisal of the land to be exchanged 

11 under this Act in accordance with— 

12 (A) the Uniform Appraisal Standards for 

13 Federal Land Acquisitions; and 

14 (B) the Uniform Standards of Professional 

15 Appraisal Practice. 

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

17 exchanged under this Act shall be in a format acceptable 

18 to the Secretary and the Church. 

19 (f) MAP AND LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS.—— 

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

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

22 shall finalize a map and legal descriptions of all land 

23 to be conveyed under this Act. 


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•HR 5923 RH

1 (2) CORRECTIONS.—The Secretary may correct 

2 any minor errors in the map or in the legal descrip3 tions. 

4 (3) MAP ON FILE.—The map and legal descrip5 tions shall be on file and available for public inspec6 tion in appropriate offices of the United States Forest 

7 Service. 

8 (g) COSTS OF CONVEYANCE.—As a condition of con9 veyance, any costs related to the conveyance under this sec10 tion shall be paid by the Church. 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS

daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 715 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5923 

[Report No. 115–922] 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange 

and for other purposes. certain public lands in Ouachita National Forest, 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS