(9) The term ‘‘State’’ means each of the several 
States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 
(10) The term ‘‘State forest practices law’’ 
means a forest practices law applicable to State or 
privately owned forest land in a State, including es-
tablished silvicultural best management practices or 
other regulations for forest management practices 
related to clean water, soil quality, wildlife or forest 
health. 
(11) The term ‘‘State obligation’’ means any 
obligation or duty of the State arising out of any 
lease, permit, license, contract and other legal in-
struments issued by or with the State relating to the 
selected lands under this Act. 
SEC. 3. STATE SELECTION OF ELIGIBLE PORTIONS OF THE 
NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM FOR ACQUISI-
TION AND MANAGEMENT. 
(a) SELECTION
AUTHORIZED; CONVEYANCE
RE-
QUIRED.—During the 10-year period beginning on the 
date of the enactment of this Act, if a State elects pursu-
ant to subsection (b) to select and acquire eligible portions 
of the National Forest System in that State under the 
terms and conditions of this Act and notifies the Secretary 
of such selection, then the Secretary shall convey the eligi-
ble portions of the National Forest System so selected to 
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the State in accordance with subsection (d). All convey-
ances shall be subject to valid existing rights. 
(b) FORM OF ELECTION.—The election by a State 
to select and acquire eligible portions of the National For-
est System in that State pursuant to subsection (a) shall 
be executed in the form of a bill enacted into law by the 
legislature of that State. Such a law shall provide, at a 
minimum, the following: 
(1) That the State elects to acquire eligible por-
tions of the National Forest System in that State— 
(A) pursuant to purchase for fair-market 
value; 
(B) in exchange for State lands of equal 
value; 
(C) in satisfaction of land selection rights 
pursuant to the law by which the State was ad-
mitted to the Union; or 
(D) any combination of the preceding 
paragraphs. 
(2) Identifies the eligible portions of the Na-
tional Forest System to be acquired and the method 
by which the State will acquire the land. 
(3) Acceptance by the State that acquisition of 
the identified eligible portions of the National Forest 
System is subject to valid existing rights. 
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(4) Acceptance by the State of the procedures 
specified in this Act and the transition provisions of 
this Act. 
(5) In the case of the State of Alaska, accept-
ance by the State of the rights and obligations of the 
United States under the Alaska Native Claims Set-
tlement Act with respect to acquired lands, rights in 
such lands, and use of lands acquired by that State 
shall not be infringed by that State. 
(6) Specification that up to 50 percent of the 
annual harvest of timber from eligible portions of 
the National Forest System to be acquired shall be 
offered in at least 10-year contracts, and timber 
sales shall, to the maximum extent practicable, pro-
vide sufficient volume to meet the needs of all wood 
processing operations existing in that State as of the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and forest oper-
ations shall be performed in compliance with the 
State forest practices law. 
(7) Acceptance by the State that eligible por-
tions of the National Forest System open to mineral 
entry under the general mining laws of the United 
States shall remain open to mineral entry under 
State law unless subsequently changed by a State 
mineral closing order. 
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(c) MULTIPLE STATE LAWS; ACREAGE LIMITA-
TION.—During the selection period specified in subsection 
(a), a State may enact more than one law to select and 
acquire eligible portions of the National Forest System in 
that State, except that the total quantity of National For-
est System land acquired by the State under this Act may 
not exceed 2,000,000 acres. 
(d) PROCEDURE.—Beginning on the selection date 
for a State’s acquisition of eligible portions of the National 
Forest System in that State, the Secretary shall prepare 
patents conveying the National Forest System lands se-
lected by the State and shall convey such patents to the 
State on the patent date. The duty of the Secretary to 
prepare and convey such patents under this Act shall be 
purely ministerial and conveyance of the patent on the 
patent date shall not be withheld or conditioned by any 
other provision of law except as provided herein. The 
United States Supreme Court shall have exclusive jurisdic-
tion to issue such writs and compel such actions as may 
be necessary to accomplish the conveyance made under 
this Act. 
(e) OTHER PROPERTY.—Beginning on the selection 
date for a State’s acquisition of eligible portions of the 
National Forest System in that State, in addition to other 
conveyances made under this Act, the Secretary shall con-
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vey the right and title to and interest of the United States 
in all other types of property (including real and personal 
property) used for purposes of operating, administering, 
and managing the acquired National Forest System land 
in that State. Such property shall be transferred on the 
patent date and include only that property which is owned 
by the United States and used by the Forest Service pri-
marily on the eligible portions of the National Forest Sys-
tem selected by the State. 
(f) OTHER USES.—Beginning on the selection date 
and concurrent with the selection and conveyance of the 
National Forest System lands and property under this 
Act, the Secretary shall transfer all existing special use 
permits related to the acquired National Forest System 
lands and property to the State. 
SEC. 4. TRANSITION PROVISIONS DURING THE EXCHANGE- 
TRANSITION PERIOD. 
(a) EXISTING
OBLIGATIONS
OF
THE
UNITED 
STATES.—The United States shall remain obligated for all 
Federal obligations incurred prior to the patent date. 
(b) EMPLOYEES.—During the selection-transition pe-
riod, to the extent practicable, the State shall interview 
each person employed by the Forest Service on the date 
of the enactment of this Act whose employment is made 
redundant by this Act for purposes of reemployment by 
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the State in a comparable job within the new State admin-
istrative system for the National Forest System lands ac-
quired by the State under this Act. Employees who do not 
secure employment with the State shall have the option 
of placement in an equivalent position available within the 
Federal Government. 
(c) MANAGEMENT PENDING CONVEYANCE.—During 
the selection-transition period and until the patent date, 
except as provided otherwise under this Act, eligible por-
tions of the National Forest System not yet patented to 
the State under this Act shall be administered and man-
aged under applicable Federal law and land management 
plans. 
(d) TRANSFER
OF CERTAIN RECEIPTS.—Receipts 
from all rentals or sales occurring on eligible portions of 
the National Forest System selected by a State during the 
selection-transition period shall be kept in escrow and 
transferred to the State on the patent date. 
SEC. 5. TRANSITION PROVISIONS OUTSIDE THE TRANSI-
TION PERIOD. 
(a) MANAGEMENT
OF SELECTED LANDS.—Begin-
ning on the patent date, eligible portions of the National 
Forest System conveyed to a State under this Act shall 
be administered and managed primarily for timber pro-
duction pursuant to the State forest practices law, except 
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