National Forest Small Tracts Act Amendments Act of 2015

To amend the Small Tracts Act to expand the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture to sell or exchange small parcels of National Forest System land to enhance the management of the National Forest System, to resolve minor encroachments, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the National Forest Small Tracts Act Amendments Act of 2015 2. Additional authority for sale or exchange of small parcels of National Forest System land (a) Increase in maximum value of small parcels Section 3 of Public Law 97–465 16 U.S.C. 521e $150,000 $500,000 (b) Additional conveyance purposes Section 3 of Public Law 97–465 16 U.S.C. 521e (1) by striking ; or (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (3) and inserting a semicolon; and (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: (4) parcels of 40 acres or less which are determined by the Secretary to be physically isolated, to be inaccessible, or to have lost their National Forest character; (5) parcels of 10 acres or less which are not eligible for conveyance under paragraph (2), but which are encroached upon by permanent habitable improvements for which there is no evidence that the encroachment was intentional or negligent; or (6) parcels used as a cemetery, a landfill, or a sewage treatment plant under a special use authorization issued by the Secretary. . (c) Disposition of proceeds Section 2 of Public Law 97–465 16 U.S.C. 521d (1) by striking The Secretary is authorized (a) Conveyance authority; consideration The Secretary is authorized ; (2) by striking The Secretary shall insert (b) Inclusion of terms, covenants, conditions, and reservations The Secretary shall insert ; (3) by striking convenants covenants (4) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (c) Disposition of proceeds (1) Deposit in sisk fund The net proceeds derived from any sale or exchange conducted under the authority of paragraph (4), (5), or (6) of section 3 shall be deposited in the fund established by Public Law 90–171 16 U.S.C. 484a (2) Use Amounts deposited under paragraph (1) shall be available to the Secretary until expended, for— (A) the acquisition of land or interests in land for administrative sites for the National Forest System in the State from which the amounts were derived; (B) the acquisition of land or interests in land for inclusion in the National Forest System in that State, including land or interests in land which enhance opportunities for recreational access; (C) the performance of deferred maintenance on administrative sites for the National Forest System in that State or other deferred maintenance activities in that State which enhance opportunities for recreational access; or (D) the reimbursement of the Secretary for costs incurred in preparing a sale conducted under the authority of section 3 if the sale is a competitive sale. . June 8, 2015 Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources June 8, 2015 The Committee on Agriculture

Summary: National Forest Small Tracts Act Amendments Act of 2015 (Sec. 2) Amends the Small Tracts Act (the Act) to permit the sale, exchange, or interchange under such Act of National Forest System (NFS) lands the sale or exchange of which is not practicable under any other authority of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) which have a value determined to be not more than $500,000. Includes as those lands permitted to be sold, exchanged, or interchanged under the Act: parcels of 40 acres or less which are determined to be physically isolated, to be inaccessible, or to have lost their National Forest character; parcels of 10 acres or less which are not eligible for conveyance under such Act, but which are encroached upon by permanent habitable improvements for which there is no evidence that the encroachment was intentional or negligent; and parcels used as a cemetery, a landfill, or a sewage treatment plant under a special use authorization issued by the USDA. Allows the sale, exchange, or interchange of a cemetery that is expected to reach capacity within 10 years to include, in the USDA's sole discretion, up to 1 additional acre abutting the permit area to facilitate the expansion of that cemetery. Requires any proceeds under this Act to be deposited in the special fund established under the Sisk Act and made available for: the acquisition of land or interests in land for administrative sites for the NFS in the state from which the amounts were derived; the acquisition of land or interests in land for inclusion in the NFS in that state, including those which enhance opportunities for recreational access; the performance of deferred maintenance on administrative sites for the NFS in that state or other deferred maintenance activities in that state which enhance opportunities for recreational access; and the reimbursement of the USDA for costs incurred in preparing a competitive sale conducted under the authority of the Act.