Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange Act of 2023

Subjects: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:  <p><strong>Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange Act of 2023</strong></p> <p>This bill directs the Forest Service to exchange specified land in the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota for specified land owned by Big Winnie Land and Timber, LLC, (BWLT), if BWLT offers to make the exchange.</p>   <p>The exchange shall be for equal value or the values shall be equalized by a cash payment, subject to an exception. </p> <p>The land acquired by the Forest Service shall be added to and managed as part of Chippewa National Forest. </p>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1657 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1657

    To provide for a land exchange in the Chippewa National Forest, 
                   Minnesota, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 17, 2023

Mr. Stauber (for himself, Mr. Finstad, Mrs. Fischbach, Mr. Huffman, and 
 Mr. Neguse) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To provide for a land exchange in the Chippewa National Forest, 
                   Minnesota, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange 
Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) BWLT.--The term ``BWLT'' means Big Winnie Land and 
        Timber, LLC, a Minnesota Limited Liability Corporation.
            (2) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map entitled 
        ``Proposed Land Exchange - Big Winnie Land and Timber LLC and 
        Chippewa National Forest'' and dated January 4, 2023.
            (3) Federal land.--The term ``Federal land'' means the 
        approximately 13.8 acres of Federal land in Itasca County, 
        Minnesota, generally depicted as the ``Federal Parcel for 
        Exchange'' on the Map.
            (4) Non-federal land.--The term ``non-Federal land'' means 
        the approximately 38 acres of non-Federal land in Itasca 
        County, Minnesota, generally depicted as the ``Private Parcel 
        for Exchange'' on the Map.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.

SEC. 3. EXCHANGE OF LAND.

    (a) Exchange Authorized.--Subject to the provisions of this Act, if 
BWLT offers to convey the non-Federal land to the United States, the 
Secretary shall, not later than 180 days after receiving the offer--
            (1) accept the offer;
            (2) convey to BWLT all right, title, and interest of the 
        United States in and to the Federal land; and
            (3) accept from BWLT all right, title, and interest of BWLT 
        in and to the non-Federal land.
    (b) Requirements.--The exchange under subsection (a) shall be--
            (1) subject to valid existing rights; and
            (2) conditioned on a cash equalization payment made by BWLT 
        to the United States in accordance with subsection (c) if, 
        under the appraisals conducted in accordance with this Act, it 
        is determined that the value of the Federal land exceeds the 
        value of the non-Federal land.
    (c) Equal Value and Cash Equalization.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        exchange under subsection (a) shall be for equal value or the 
        values shall be equalized by a cash payment.
            (2) Exception.--If the appraised value of the non-Federal 
        land conveyed to the Secretary exceeds the appraised value of 
        the Federal land, a cash equalization payment by the United 
        States to BWLT is hereby waived and the amount of such waived 
        payment shall be considered a donation by BWLT to the United 
        States for all purposes of law.
    (d) Appraisals.--
            (1) In general.--The value of the land to be exchanged 
        under this Act shall be determined by appraisals conducted by 
        one or more independent and qualified appraisers mutually 
        agreed to by the Secretary and BWLT.
            (2) Appraisal standards.--The Secretary shall complete an 
        appraisal of the land to be exchanged under this Act in 
        accordance with--
                    (A) the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal 
                Land Acquisitions; and
                    (B) the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal 
                Practice.
    (e) Format.--Title to the non-Federal land to be conveyed to the 
Secretary under this Act shall be in a format acceptable to the 
Secretary.
    (f) Management of Acquired Land.--The land acquired by the 
Secretary under subsection (a) shall be--
            (1) added to, and managed as part of, the Chippewa National 
        Forest; and
            (2) managed in accordance with the laws, rules, and 
        regulations pertaining to National Forest System lands.
    (g) Map and Legal Descriptions.--
            (1) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall finalize a Map and 
        legal descriptions of all land to be conveyed under this Act.
            (2) Controlling document.--In the case of a discrepancy 
        between the Map and a legal description, the Map shall control.
            (3) Corrections.--The Secretary and BWLT, by mutual 
        agreement, may correct any minor errors in the Map or in the 
        legal descriptions, including with respect to the boundaries of 
        the Federal land parcel and the non-Federal land parcel.
            (4) Map on file.--The Map and legal descriptions shall be 
        on file and available for public inspection in appropriate 
        offices of the Forest Service.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
</pre></body></html>