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105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4842

To release the reversionary interests retained by the United States in four

deeds that conveyed certain lands to the State of Florida so as to

permit the State to sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of the lands,

and to provide for the conveyance of certain mineral interests of the

United States in the lands to the State of Florida.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 15, 1998

Mrs. THURMAN (for herself and Mr. SCARBOROUGH) introduced the following

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To release the reversionary interests retained by the United

States in four deeds that conveyed certain lands to the

State of Florida so as to permit the State to sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of the lands, and to provide

for the conveyance of certain mineral interests of the

United States in the lands to the State of Florida.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. RELEASE OF REVERSIONARY INTERESTS,

2 BLACKWATER RIVER AND WITHLACOOCHEE

3 STATE FORESTS, FLORIDA.

4 (a) RELEASE.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall re5 lease the reversionary interests of the United States that

6 were retained by the United States when the following

7 parcels of real property were conveyed to the State of

8 Florida:

9 (1) The parcel of real property described in a

10 deed dated November 4, 1955, conveying certain

11 lands in Santa Rosa County to the State of Florida.

12 (2) The parcel of real property described in a

13 deed dated April 11, 1957, conveying certain lands

14 in Santa Rosa County to the State of Florida.

15 (3) The parcel of real property described in a

16 deed dated November 4, 1955, conveying certain

17 lands in Okaloosa County to the State of Florida.

18 (4) The parcel of real property described in a

19 deed dated November 26, 1982, conveying certain

20 lands in Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, and Sumter

21 Counties to the State of Florida.

22 The reversionary interest to be released under this section

23 requires that the conveyed lands be used for public pur24 poses and provides for a reversion of such lands to the

25 United States if at any time they cease to be used for

26 public purposes.
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1 (b) LEGAL DESCRIPTION.—The four deeds referred

2 to in subsection (a) are recorded as follows:

3 (1) Deed Book 122, Pages 397–437, Santa

4 Rosa County, Florida.

5 (2) Deed Book 133, Pages 333–337, Santa

6 Rosa County, Florida.

7 (3) Deed Book 121, Pages 511–528, Okaloosa

8 County, Florida.

9 (4) Official Record Book 610, Pages 1228–

10 1237, Citrus County, Florida.

11 (5) Official Record Book 517, Pages 491–500,

12 Hernando County, Florida.

13 (6) Official Record Book 269, Pages 126–135,

14 Sumter County, Florida.

15 (7) Official Record Book 1240, Pages 1065–

16 1074, Pasco County, Florida.

17 (c) CONSIDERATION.—As consideration for the re18 lease of the reversionary interests under subsection (a),

19 the State of Florida shall agree to the following:

20 (1) All proceeds from the sale, exchange, or

21 other disposition of the real property subject to the

22 reversionary interests shall be used by the State of

23 Florida for the acquisition of other lands within or

24 adjacent to the exterior boundaries of Blackwater

25 River State Forest and Withlacoochee State Forest,
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1 or, with the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture,

2 for the purchase of the individual mineral interest

3 of the United States under section 2.

4 (2) Any lands acquired by the sale, exchange,

5 or other disposition of the real property subject to

6 the reversionary interests shall become a part of the

7 State forest in which the acquired lands are located

8 and shall be subject to the condition that the ac9 quired lands be used for public purposes.

10 (3) The total land base of such State forests

11 shall not be reduced below the original acreage of

12 the real property included in the conveyances de13 scribed in subsection (a), except in the case of any

14 lands conveyed at the request of the United States,

15 and the total land base shall be managed in perpetu16 ity as State forest land.

17 (4) All proceeds from the sale, exchange, or

18 other disposition of the real property subject to the

19 reversionary interests shall be maintained by the

20 State of Florida in a separate fund. The record of

21 all transactions involving such fund shall be open to

22 inspection by the Secretary of Agriculture.

23 (d) DISPOSITION OF FUNDS.—Any proceeds derived

24 from the sale of these mineral interests shall be deposited

25 into the fund established by the Act of December 4, 1967
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1 (16 U.S.C. 484a), known as the Sisk Act, and shall be

2 available for expenditure, upon appropriation, for the ac3 quisitions of lands and interests in lands in the same

4 State.

5 (e) ADDITIONAL TERMS.—The Secretary of Agri6 culture may require such additional terms or conditions

7 in connection with the release of the reversionary interests

8 under this section as the Secretary considers appropriate

9 to protect the interests of the United States.

10 (f) INSTRUMENT OF RELEASE.—The Secretary of

11 Agriculture shall execute and file in the appropriate office

12 or offices a deed of release, amended deed, or other appro13 priate instrument effectuating the release of the reversion14 ary interests under this section.

15 SEC. 2. SALE OF MINERAL RIGHTS.

16 (a) SALE AUTHORIZED.—Upon application by the

17 State of Florida, the Secretary of Agriculture may convey

18 to the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement

19 Trust Fund of the State of Florida, or to its designee,

20 all of the individual mineral interests of the United States

21 in any parcel of real property for which a reversionary in22 terest is released under section 1.

23 (b) CONSIDERATION.—As consideration for the sale

24 of the mineral interests of the United States under sub25 section (a), the State of Florida shall pay to the United
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1 States an amount equal to the fair market value of such

2 interests, as determined by appraisal acceptable to the

3 Secretary of Agriculture.

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