I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 902

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain parcels of National 

Forest System land in the State of Idaho, to use the proceeds for 

the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of facilities in the Panhandle National Forest in the State of 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 Resources 

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain 

parcels of National Forest System land in the State 

of Idaho, to use the proceeds for the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of facilities in the Panhandle 

National Forest in the State of 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 ‘‘Idaho Panhandle Na5 tional Forest Improvement Act of 2003’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. CONVEYANCE ADMINISTRATIVE SITES, NATIONAL 

2 FOREST SYSTEM LAND, IDAHO. 

3 (a) CONVEYANCE AUTHORIZED.—

4 (1) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of Agriculture 

5 may convey any or all right, title, and interest of the 

6 United States in and to the parcels of National For7 est System land, including any improvements there8 on, described in paragraph (2). 

9 (2) PARCELS AUTHORIZED FOR CONVEY10 ANCE.—The following parcels of National Forest 

11 System land are authorized to be conveyed under 

12 this section: 

13 (A) Granite/Reeder Bay, Priest Lake par14 cel, consisting of approximately 80 acres, and 

described as the S.1⁄2 NE.1 15 ⁄4 of section 17, 

16 township 61 north, range 4 east, Boise merid17 ian. 

18 (B) North South Ski area, consisting of 

19 approximately 50 acres, and described as the 

SE.1⁄4 SE.1⁄4 SW.1⁄4, S.1⁄2 SW.1⁄4 SE.1⁄4, NE.1 20 ⁄4

SW.1⁄4 SE.1⁄4, and SW.1⁄4 SE.1⁄4 SE.1 21 ⁄4 of sec22 tion 13, township 43 north, range 3 west, Boise 

23 meridian. 

24 (C) Shoshone work camp (including ease25 ments for utilities), consisting of a portion of 
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S.1⁄2 SE.1 1 ⁄4 of section 5, township 50 north, 

2 range 4 east, Boise meridian. 

3 (3) MODIFICATION OF DESCRIPTIONS.—The 

4 Secretary may modify the descriptions in paragraph 

5 (2) to correct errors in the descriptions or to recon6 figure the parcels to facilitate their conveyance 

7 under this section. 

8 (b) CONSIDERATION.—

9 (1) MARKET VALUE REQUIRED.—As consider10 ation for the conveyance of a parcel of National For11 est System land under this section, the recipient of 

12 the parcel shall pay to the Secretary an amount 

13 equal to the market value of the parcel, as deter14 mined under subsection (c). At the election of the 

15 Secretary, the consideration may be in the form of 

16 cash or other consideration, including the acquisition 

17 by the Secretary of improved or unimproved prop18 erty or property with improvements constructed to 

19 the specifications of the Secretary. 

20 (2) VALUATION.—The value of a parcel to be 

21 conveyed under this section, and the value of any 

22 property or improvements to be received in exchange 

23 for the parcel, shall be determined by an appraisal 

24 that—

25 (A) is acceptable to the Secretary; and 
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1 (B) conforms with the Uniform Appraisal 

2 Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions. 

3 (3) EQUALIZATION OF VALUES.—Notwith4 standing section 206(b) of the Federal Land Policy 

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

6 the Secretary may accept a cash equalization pay7 ment in excess of 25 percent of the value of a parcel 

8 conveyed under this section. 

9 (c) CONVEYANCE PROCESS.—

10 (1) SOLICITATIONS OF OFFERS.—The Secretary 

11 may solicit offers for the conveyance of property 

12 under this section on such terms and conditions as 

13 the Secretary may prescribe. The Secretary may re14 ject any offer made under this section if the Sec15 retary determines that the offer is not adequate or 

16 not in the public interest. 

17 (2) METHODS OF CONVEYANCE.—The Sec18 retary may convey property under this section at 

19 public or private sale, including at auction, or by ex20 change, in accordance with such terms, conditions, 

21 and procedures as the Secretary determines to be in 

22 the best interests of the United States. 

23 (3) APPLICABLE LAW.—Except as otherwise 

24 provided in this section, the conveyance of National 

25 Forest System land under this section shall be sub-
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1 ject to the laws applicable to the conveyance and ac2 quisition of land for the National Forest System. 

3 The Agriculture Property Management Regulations 

4 shall not apply to the conveyance of National Forest 

5 System land under this section or any other action 

6 taken under this section. 

7 (d) DEPOSIT AND USE OF PROCEEDS.—

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

9 proceeds derived from the conveyence of property 

10 under this section in the fund established by Public 

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

12 16 U.S.C. 484a). 

13 (2) USE.—Amounts deposited under this sub14 section shall be available to the Secretary, without 

15 further appropriation and until expended—

16 (A) for the acquisition of, construction of, 

17 or rehabilitation of existing facilities for, a new 

18 ranger station in the Silver Valley portion of 

19 the Panhandle National Forest in the State of 

20 Idaho; and 

21 (B) to the extent that the amount of funds 

22 deposited exceeds the amount needed for the 

23 purpose described in subparagraph (A), for the 

24 acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of 
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1 other facilities in the Panhandle National For2 est. 

3 (3) LIMITATIONS.—Funds deposited under this 

4 subsection shall not—

5 (A) be paid or distributed to States or 

6 counties under any provision of law; or 

7 (B) be considered to be moneys received 

8 from units of the National Forest System for 

9 purposes of—

10 (i) the sixth paragraph under the 

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

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

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

14 1911 (commonly known as the ‘‘Weeks 

15 Law’’; 16 U.S.C. 500); or 

16 (iii) the fourteenth paragraph under 

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

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

19 (4) NEW ADMINISTRATIVE FACILITIES AUTHOR20 IZED.—The Secretary may acquire, construct, or re21 habilitate the ranger station described in paragraph 

22 (2)(A), and acquire associated land, using amounts 

23 deposited under this subsection and, to the extent 

24 such amounts are insufficient for such purpose, 
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1 other funds appropriated or otherwise made avail2 able for such purpose. 

3 (e) MANAGEMENT OF ACQUIRED LAW.—Subject to 

4 valid existing rights, the Secretary shall manage any land 

5 acquired under this section in accordance with the Act of 

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

7 16 U.S.C. 480 et seq.) and other laws relating to the Na8 tional Forest System. 

9 (f) WITHDRAWALS AND REVOCATIONS.—

10 (1) PUBLIC LAND ORDERS.—Effective on the 

11 date of the enactment of this Act, any public land 

12 order withdrawing the property authorized for con13 veyance under this section from appropriation under 

14 the public land laws is revoked with respect to the 

15 property. 

16 (2) WITHDRAWAL.—Subject to valid existing 

17 rights, the property authorized for conveyance under 

18 this section is withdrawn from location, entry, and 

19 patent under the mining laws of the United States.

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