SEC. 6. LAND CONSOLIDATION—GALLATIN ROADED AREA.
(a) ACQUISITION OF GALLATIN ROADED PROPERTY.—
The Secretary is authorized and directed to acquire, by pur-
chase or exchange, lands and interests in lands as depicted
on the map entitled ‘‘Gallatin Area’’ date September 1992,
in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Option
not otherwise acquired, purchased, or exchanged under sec-
tion 3, 4, or 5.
(b) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall re-
port annually to the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Re-
sources of the House of Representatives, on the status of the
acquisition authorized by this section.
SEC. 7. SEVERED MINERAL EXCHANGE.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
(1) underlying certain areas in Montana de-
scribed in subsection (b) are mineral rights owned by
subsidiaries of Burlington Resources, Incorporated
and its successors and assigns (referred to in this Act
as ‘‘Burlington’’);
(2) there are federally-owned minerals underly-
ing lands of Burlington lying outside those areas;
(3) Burlington has agreed in principle with the
Secretary to an exchange of mineral rights to consoli-
date surface and subsurface ownerships and to avoid
potential conflicts with the surface management of the
areas; and
(4) it is desirable that an exchange of lands be
completed not later than two years after the date of
enactment of this Act.
(b) MINERAL INTERESTS.—
(1) ACQUISITION.—Pursuant to an exchange
agreement between the Secretary and Burlington, the
Secretary may acquire mineral interests owned by
Burlington or an affiliate of Burlington underlying
surface lands owned by the United States located in
the areas depicted on the maps entitled ‘‘Severed Min-
erals Exchange, Clearwater-Monture Area’’, dated
September 1988, and ‘‘Severed Mineral Exchanges,
Gallatin Area’’, dated September 1988, or in frac-
tional sections adjacent to the areas depicted on the
maps.
(2) EXCHANGE.—In exchange for the mineral in-
terests conveyed to the Secretary pursuant to para-
graph (1), the Secretary of the Interior shall convey,
subject to valid existing rights, such federally owned
mineral interests as the Secretary and Burlington
may agree upon.
(c) EQUAL VALUE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The value of the mineral in-
terests exchanged under subsection (b) shall be ap-
proximately equal in value based upon available in-
formation.
(2) APPRAISAL.—To ensure that the wilderness
or other natural values of the area are not affected by
the exchange, a formal appraisal based upon drilling
or other surface disturbing activities shall not be re-
quired for any mineral interest proposed for ex-
change, except that the Secretary and Burlington
shall fully share all available information on the
quality and quantity of mineral interests proposed for
exchange.
(3) INADEQUATE INFORMATION.—In the absence
of adequate information regarding values of minerals
proposed for exchange, the Secretary and Burlington
may agree to an exchange on the basis of mineral in-
terests of similar development potential, geologic char-
acter, and similar factors.
(d) IDENTIFICATION OF FEDERALLY OWNED MINERAL
INTERESTS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2),
mineral interests conveyed by the United States pur-
suant to this section shall underlie lands the surface
of which are owned by Burlington.
(2) OTHER INTERESTS.—If there are not suffi-
cient federally-owned mineral interests of approxi-
mately equal value underlying lands owned by Bur-
lington, the Secretary and the Secretary of the Inte-
rior may identify for exchange other federally owned
mineral interests in lands in the State of Montana of
which the surface estate is in private ownership.
(e) CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF THE
INTERIOR.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall consult
with the Secretary of the Interior in the negotiation
of the exchange agreement authorized by subsection
(b), particularly with respect to the inclusion in the
agreement of a provision authorizing the exchange of
federally-owned mineral interests lying outside the
boundaries of units of the National Forest System.
(2) CONVEYANCE.—Notwithstanding any other
law, the Secretary of the Interior shall convey the fed-
erally-owned mineral interests identified in a final
exchange agreement between the Secretary of Agri-
culture and Burlington and affiliates of Burlington.
(f) MINERAL INTEREST DEFINED.—For purposes of
this section, the term ‘‘mineral interests’’ includes all
locatable and leasable minerals, including oil and gas, geo-
thermal resources, and other subsurface rights.
SEC. 8. GENERAL PROVISIONS.
(a) MAPS.—The maps referred to in sections 3, 4, 5,
6 and 7 are subject to such minor corrections as may be
agreed upon by the Secretary and the Company. The Sec-
retary shall notify the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the United States Senate and the Committee
on Natural Resources of the United States House of Rep-
resentatives of any corrections made pursuant to the sub-
section. The maps shall be on file and available for public
inspection in the office of Chief, Forest Service, USDA.
(b) TITLE
OF LANDS CONVEYED
TO
THE UNITED
STATES.—
(1) QUALITY OF TITLE AND RIGHTS.—Subject to
paragraph (2), the rights, title, and interests to lands
conveyed to the United States under sections 4, 5 and
6 shall, at a minimum, consist of the surface estate
and the subsurface rights owned by the Company or
Burlington where applicable.
(2) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary may accept title
subject to outstanding or reserved oil and gas and
geothermal rights, except that there shall be no surface
occupancy permitted on the lands acquired by the
United States under sections 4, 5, and 6 for access to
reserved or outstanding rights or exploration or devel-
opment of such lands.
(3) ACCESS.—No portion of lands acquired by
the United States under this Act shall be available for
access to, or exploration or development of, any re-
served or outstanding oil, gas, geothermal, or other
non-Federal property interest.
(c) NATIONAL FOREST LANDS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—All lands conveyed to the
United States under this Act shall be added to and
administered as part of the Gallatin National Forest
of the National Forest System by the Secretary in ac-
cordance with the laws and regulations pertaining to
the National Forest System.
(2) HYALITE-PORCUPINE-BUFFALO
HORN
WIL-
DERNESS STUDY AREA.—Lands acquired within the
Hyalite-Porcupine-Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study
Area shall be managed to maintain their presently
existing wilderness character and potential for inclu-
sion in the National Wilderness Preservation System
in accordance with the Montana Wilderness Study
Act of 1977 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note).
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as
are necessary to carry out this Act.
Passed the House of Representatives May 20, 1993.
Attest:
DONNALD K. ANDERSON,
Clerk.