I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 903

To provide for the conveyance by the Secretary of Agriculture of the 

Sandpoint Federal Building and adjacent land in Sandpoint, Idaho, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 25, 2003

Mr. OTTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee 

on Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL

To provide for the conveyance by the Secretary of Agriculture 

of the Sandpoint Federal Building and adjacent land 

in Sandpoint, Idaho, 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 ‘‘Sandpoint Land and 

5 Facilities Conveyance Act of 2003’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. CONVEYANCE OF SANDPOINT FEDERAL BUILDING 

2 AND ADJACENT LAND, SANDPOINT, IDAHO. 

3 (a) TRANSFER OF ADMINISTRATIVE JURISDIC4 TION.—Not later than 30 days after the date of the enact5 ment of this Act, the Administrator of General Services 

6 shall transfer to the Secretary of Agriculture, without re7 imbursement, administrative jurisdiction over the 

8 Sandpoint Federal Building and approximately 3.17 acres 

9 of land in Sandpoint, Idaho, as depicted on the map enti10 tled ‘‘Sandpoint Federal Building,’’ dated September 12, 

11 2002. 

12 (b) ASSUMPTION AND REPAYMENT OF DEBT.—As of 

13 the date on which administrative jurisdiction of the prop14 erty is transferred under subsection (a), the Secretary 

15 shall assume the obligation of the Administrator of Gen16 eral Services to repay to the Federal Finance Bank the 

17 debt incurred with respect to the transferred property. 

18 The Secretary may repay the debt using—

19 (1) the proceeds of the conveyance of the prop20 erty under this section; 

21 (2) amounts appropriated to the Forest Service 

22 for the rental, upkeep, and maintenance of facilities; 

23 and 

24 (3) any other unobligated appropriated amounts 

25 available to the Secretary. 

26 (c) CONVEYANCE OF PROPERTY.—
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1 (1) CONVEYANCE AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary 

2 may convey, by quitclaim deed, all right, title, and 

3 interest of the United States in and to the property 

4 transferred to the Secretary under subsection (a). 

5 The conveyance shall be made by sale or by ex6 change. 

7 (2) MAP.—Until the date on which the property 

8 is conveyed under this section, the map referred to 

9 in subsection (a) shall be on file and available for 

10 public inspection in the Office of the Chief of the 

11 Forest Service and the Office of the Supervisor, 

12 Idaho Panhandle National Forest, Coeur d’Alene, 

13 Idaho. 

14 (3) SOLICITATIONS OF OFFERS.—The Secretary 

15 may solicit offers for the conveyance of the property 

16 under this section on such terms and conditions as 

17 the Secretary may prescribe. The Secretary may re18 ject any offer made under this section if the Sec19 retary determines that the offer is not adequate or 

20 not in the public interest. 

21 (d) CONSIDERATION.—

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—If the property is to be con23 veyed under subsection (c) by sale, the recipient of 

24 the property shall pay to the Secretary an amount 

25 equal to the fair market value of the conveyed prop-
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1 erty, as determined under subsection (e). At the 

2 election of the Secretary, the consideration may be 

3 in the form of cash or other consideration, including 

4 the construction of administrative facilities for the 

5 National Forest System in Bonner County, Idaho. 

6 (2) CONDITIONS ON EXCHANGE.—If the prop7 erty is to be conveyed under subsection (c) in ex8 change for the construction of administrative facili9 ties—

10 (A) the construction of the administrative 

11 facilities shall be subject to any terms or condi12 tions that the Secretary may prescribe by con13 tract, including final building design and costs; 

14 and 

15 (B) the conveyance of the property shall be 

16 subject to—

17 (i) the completion of the administra18 tive facilities in a manner satisfactory to 

19 the Secretary; 

20 (ii) the condition that the exchange be 

21 an equal value exchange, or if the value of 

22 the property and the administrative facili23 ties are not equal, as determined under 

24 paragraph (3), that the values be equalized 

25 in accordance with paragraph (4); and 
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1 (iii) any requirements of the Secretary 

2 that the entity acquiring the property as3 sume any outstanding indebtedness on the 

4 property to the Federal Finance Bank. 

5 (3) VALUATION.—The value of the property to 

6 be conveyed under subsection (c), and the value of 

7 any administrative facilities in exchange for the 

8 property, shall be determined by an appraisal that—

9 (A) is acceptable to the Secretary; and 

10 (B) conforms with the Uniform Appraisal 

11 Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions. 

12 (4) EQUALIZATION OF VALUES.—Notwith13 standing section 206(b) of the Federal Land Policy 

14 and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716(b)), 

15 the Secretary may accept a cash equalization pay16 ment in excess of 25 percent of the value of the 

17 property conveyed under subsection (c). 

18 (e) DEPOSIT AND USE OF PROCEEDS.—

19 (1) DEPOSIT.—The Secretary shall deposit the 

20 proceeds derived from the conveyence of the property 

21 under this section in the fund established by Public 

22 Law 90–171 (commonly known as the ‘‘Sisk Act’’; 

23 16 U.S.C. 484a). 
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1 (2) USE.—Amounts deposited under this sub2 section shall be available to the Secretary, without 

3 further appropriation and until expended, for—

4 (A) the acquisition, construction, or im5 provement of administrative facilities and asso6 ciated land in the Northern Region of the For7 est Service in the State of Idaho; and 

8 (B) the acquisition of land and interests in 

9 land for addition to the National Forest System 

10 in the Northern Region of the Forest Service in 

11 the State of Idaho. 

12 (3) LIMITATIONS.—Funds deposited under this 

13 subsection shall not—

14 (A) be paid or distributed to States or 

15 counties under any provision of law; or 

16 (B) be considered to be moneys received 

17 from units of the National Forest System for 

18 purposes of—

19 (i) the sixth paragraph under the 

20 heading ‘‘Forest Service’’ in the Act of 

21 May 23, 1908 (16 U.S.C. 500); 

22 (ii) section 13 of the Act of March 1, 

23 1911 (commonly known as the ‘‘Weeks 

24 Law’’; 16 U.S.C. 500); or 
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1 (iii) the fourteenth paragraph under 

2 the heading ‘‘Forest Service’’ in the Act of 

3 March 4, 1913 (16 U.S.C. 501). 

4 (f) MANAGEMENT OF ACQUIRED LAW.—Subject to 

5 valid existing rights, the Secretary shall manage any land 

6 acquired under this section in accordance with the Act of 

7 March 1, 1911 (commonly known as the ‘‘Weeks Act’’; 

8 16 U.S.C. 480 et seq.) and other laws relating to the Na9 tional Forest System. 

10 (g) APPLICABLE LAW.—Except as otherwise provided 

11 in this section, the conveyance of property under this sec12 tion shall be subject to the laws applicable to the convey13 ance of National Forest System land. Part 1955 of title 

14 7, Code of Federal Regulations, shall not apply to any ac15 tion carried out under this section.

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