IIA

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 826

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

DECEMBER 6, 1995

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural

Resources

AN ACT

To extend the deadline for the completion of certain land

exchanges involving the Big Thicket National Preserve

in Texas, 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. FINDINGS.

4 The Congress finds that—

5 (1) under the Big Thicket National Preserve

6 Addition Act of 1993 (Public Law 103–46), Con-
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1 gress increased the size of the Big Thicket National

2 Preserve through authorized land exchanges;

3 (2) such land exchanges were not consummated

4 by July 1, 1995, as required by Public Law 103–46;

5 and

6 (3) failure to consummate such land exchanges

7 by the end of the three-year extension provided by

8 this Act will necessitate further intervention and di9 rection from Congress concerning such land ex10 changes.

11 SEC. 2. TIME PERIOD FOR LAND EXCHANGE.

12 (a) EXTENSION.—The last sentence of subsection (d)

13 of the first section of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to authorize

14 the establishment of the Big Thicket National Preserve

15 in the State of Texas, and for other purposes’’, approved

16 October 11, 1974 (16 U.S.C. 698(d)), is amended by

17 striking out ‘‘two years after date of enactment’’ and in18 serting ‘‘five years after the date of enactment’’.

19 (b) INDEPENDENT APPRAISAL.—Subsection (d) of

20 the first section of such Act (16 U.S.C. 698(d)) is further

21 amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘The Sec22 retary, in considering the values of the private lands to

23 be exchanged under this subsection, shall consider inde24 pendent appraisals submitted by the owners of the private

25 lands.’’.
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1 (c) LIMITATION.—Subsection (d) of the first section

2 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 698(d)), as amended by subsection

3 (b), is further amended by adding at the end the following:

4 ‘‘The authority to exchange lands under this subsection

5 shall expire on July 1, 1998.’’.

6 SEC. 3. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

7 Not later than six months after the date of the enact8 ment of this Act and every six months thereafter until the

9 earlier of the consummation of the exchange or July 1,

10 1998, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of

11 Agriculture shall each submit a report to the Committee

12 on Resources of the House of Representatives and the

13 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Sen14 ate concerning the progress in consummating the land ex15 change authorized by the amendments made by Big Thick16 et National Preserve Addition Act of 1993 (Public Law

17 103–46).

18 SEC. 4. LAND EXCHANGE IN LIBERTY COUNTY, TEXAS.

19 If, within one year after the date of the enactment

20 of this Act—

21 (1) the owners of the private lands described in

22 subsection (b)(1) offer to transfer all their right,

23 title, and interest in and to such lands to the Sec24 retary of the Interior, and
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1 (2) Liberty County, Texas, agrees to accept the

2 transfer of the Federal lands described in subsection

3 (b)(2),

4 the Secretary shall accept such offer of private lands and,

5 in exchange and without additional consideration, transfer

6 to Liberty County, Texas, all right, title, and interest of

7 the United States in and to the Federal lands described

8 in subsection (b)(2).

9 (b) LANDS DESCRIBED.—

10 (1) PRIVATE LANDS.—The private lands de11 scribed in this paragraph are approximately 3.76

12 acres of lands located in Liberty County, Texas, as

13 generally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Big Thicket

14 Lake Estates Access—Proposed’’.

15 (2) FEDERAL LANDS.—The Federal lands de16 scribed in this paragraph are approximately 2.38

17 acres of lands located in Menard Creek Corridor

18 Unit of the Big Thicket National Preserve, as gen19 erally depicted on the map referred to in paragraph

20 (1).

21 (c) ADMINISTRATION OF LANDS ACQUIRED BY THE

22 UNITED STATES.—The lands acquired by the Secretary

23 under this section shall be added to and administered as
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1 part of the Menard Creek Corridor Unit of the Big Thick2 et National Preserve.

Passed the House of Representatives December 5,

1995.

Attest: ROBIN H. CARLE,

Clerk.

By LINDA NAVE,

Deputy Clerk.