IIB 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 708

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 14, 2003

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

Resources 

AN ACT

To require the conveyance of certain National Forest System 

lands in Mendocino National Forest, California, to provide for the use of the proceeds from such conveyance 

for National Forest purposes, 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,
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1 SECTION 1. LAND CONVEYANCE, FARAWAY RANCH, 

2 MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, CALI3 FORNIA. 

4 (a) CONVEYANCE REQUIRED.—Subject to subsection 

5 (b), the Secretary of Agriculture shall convey to the owner 

6 of the property known as the Faraway Ranch in Lake 

7 County, California (in this section referred to as the ‘‘re8 cipient’’), by quitclaim deed, all right, title, and interest 

9 of the United States in and to the following National For10 est System lands in Mendocino National Forest in Lake 

11 County, California: 

12 (1) ‘‘Faraway Ranch, Tract 39’’ (approximately 

13 15.8 acres), consisting of a portion of lot 6 of sec14 tion 4, township 18 north, range 10 west, Mount 

15 Diablo base and meridian, as generally depicted on 

16 the map entitled ‘‘Faraway Ranch, Tracts 39 and 

17 40’’ and dated June 30, 2002. 

18 (2) ‘‘Faraway Ranch, Tract 40’’ (approximately 

19 105.1 acres) consisting of a portion of the N1/

20 2SW1/4 and lot 7 of section 4, and a portion of lots 

21 15 and 16 of section 5, township 18 north, range 10 

22 west, Mount Diablo base and meridian, as generally 

23 depicted on the map referred to in paragraph (1). 

24 (b) TIME FOR CONVEYANCE.—The Secretary shall 

25 make the conveyance under subsection (a) not later than 

26 120 days after the date on which the recipient deposits 
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1 sufficient funds with the Bureau of Land Management, 

2 California State Office, Branch of Geographic Services, to 

3 cover survey work costs and with the Forest Service, 

4 Mendocino National Forest, to cover Forest Service direct 

5 transaction costs described in subsection (e). 

6 (c) CORRECTIONS.—With the agreement of the re7 cipient, the Secretary may make minor corrections to the 

8 legal descriptions and map of the lands to be conveyed 

9 pursuant to this section. 

10 (d) CONSIDERATION.—As consideration for the con11 veyance under subsection (a), the recipient shall pay to 

12 the Secretary an amount equal to the fair market value 

13 of the National Forest System lands conveyed under such 

14 subsection. The fair market value of such lands shall be 

15 determined by an appraisal that is acceptable to the Sec16 retary and conforms with the Federal appraisal standards, 

17 as defined in the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Fed18 eral Land Acquisitions developed by the Interagency Land 

19 Acquisition Conference. 

20 (e) PAYMENT OF COSTS.—All direct transaction costs 

21 associated with the conveyance under section (a), includ22 ing the costs of appraisal, title, and survey work, shall be 

23 paid by the recipient. 

24 (f) USE OF PROCEEDS.—
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1 (1) DEPOSIT.—The Secretary shall deposit the 

2 amounts received by the Secretary as consideration 

3 under subsection (d) in the fund established by Pub4 lic Law 90–171 (commonly known as the Sisk Act; 

5 16 U.S.C. 484a). 

6 (2) USE.—Funds deposited under paragraph 

7 (1) shall be available to the Secretary until ex8 pended, without further appropriation—

9 (A) for the acquisition of land and inter10 ests in land for National Forest System pur11 poses in the State of California; and 

12 (B) for reimbursement of costs incurred by 

13 the Forest Service in making the conveyance 

14 under subsection (a). 

15 (3) STATUS OF ACQUIRED LAND.—Notwith16 standing Public Law 85–862 (16 U.S.C. 521a), any 

17 lands acquired under paragraph (2)(A) shall be 

18 managed as lands acquired under the Act of March 

19 1, 1911 (commonly known as the Weeks Act; 16 

20 U.S.C. 480, 500, 515 et seq.), regardless of whether 

21 any of the lands conveyed under subsection (a) were 

22 reserved from the public domain. 

23 SEC. 2. WITHDRAWAL. 

24 Subject to valid existing rights, the lands to be con25 veyed under subsection (a) of section 1 are hereby with-
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1 drawn from all forms of location, entry, and patent under 

2 the public land laws and the mining and mineral leasing 

3 laws of the United States.

Passed the House of Representatives October 8, 

2003. 

Attest: JEFF TRANDAHL, 

Clerk.