I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4976 
To provide for the conveyance of small parcels of National Forest System 
land and small parcels of public lands administered by the Bureau 
of Land Management to landowners whose lands share a boundary with 
the National Forest System land or public lands, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 27, 2012 
Mr. AMODEI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agri-
culture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for the conveyance of small parcels of National 
Forest System land and small parcels of public lands 
administered by the Bureau of Land Management to 
landowners whose lands share a boundary with the Na-
tional Forest System land or public lands, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Small Lands Tracts 
Conveyance Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. SPECIAL CONVEYANCE AUTHORITY REGARDING 
SMALL PARCELS OF NATIONAL FOREST SYS-
TEM LAND AND PUBLIC LANDS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) DIRECTOR CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Direc-
tor concerned’’ means the Director of the Bureau of 
Land Management for a State. 
(2) ELIGIBLE FEDERAL LANDS PARCEL.—The 
term ‘‘eligible Federal lands parcel’’ means a parcel 
of National Forest System land or the public lands 
that— 
(A) shares one or more boundaries with 
non-Federal land; 
(B) is located within the boundaries of an 
incorporated or unincorporated area with a pop-
ulation of at least 500 residents; 
(C) is not subject to existing rights held by 
a non-Federal entity; 
(D) does not contain an exceptional re-
source; and 
(E) is not habitat for an endangered spe-
cies or a threatened species determined under 
section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 
1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533). 
(3) EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE.—The term ‘‘ex-
ceptional resource’’ means a resource of scientific, 
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historic, cultural, or recreational value on a parcel of 
public lands that the Director concerned or Regional 
Forester concerned determines, on the record and 
after an opportunity for a hearing— 
(A) is documented by a Federal, State, or 
local governmental authority; and 
(B) requires extraordinary conservation 
and protection to maintain the resource for the 
benefit of the public. 
(4) NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LAND.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘National 
Forest System land’’ means land within the Na-
tional Forest System, as defined in section 
11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable 
Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 
1609(a)), including the National Grasslands 
and land utilization projects designated as Na-
tional Grasslands administered pursuant to the 
Act of July 22, 1937 (7 U.S.C. 1010–1012). 
(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term does not in-
clude any land managed by the Forest Service 
that is included in a national monument, an 
area of critical environmental concern, a na-
tional conservation area, a national riparian 
conservation area, a national recreation area, a 
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national scenic area, a research natural area, a 
national outstanding natural area, a national 
natural landmark, a wilderness area, a wilder-
ness study area, the national wild and scenic 
rivers system, or the national system of trails. 
(5) PUBLIC LANDS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘public 
lands’’ has the meaning given that term in sec-
tion 103(e) of the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702(e)). 
(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term does not in-
clude any land managed by the Bureau of Land 
Management that is included in a national 
monument, an area of critical environmental 
concern, a national conservation area, a na-
tional riparian conservation area, a national 
recreation area, a national scenic area, a re-
search natural area, a national outstanding nat-
ural area, a national natural landmark, a wil-
derness area, a wilderness study area, the na-
tional wild and scenic rivers system, or the na-
tional system of trails. 
(6) REGIONAL
FORESTER
CONCERNED.—The 
term ‘‘Regional Forester concerned’’ means the Re-
gional Forester with jurisdiction over the National 
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Forest System land of a specific Forest Service Re-
gion. 
(b) SELECTION OF PARCELS FOR CONVEYANCE.— 
(1) TWO SELECTION METHODS.—The Director 
concerned or the Regional Forester concerned shall 
select an eligible Federal lands parcel for conveyance 
under this section— 
(A) in response to a request submitted by 
an owner of non-Federal land that shares one 
or more boundaries with the parcel; or 
(B) upon the recommendation of the Dis-
trict Office of the Bureau of Land Management 
or unit of the National Forest System exer-
cising administration over the parcel. 
(2) REVIEW OF LANDOWNER REQUEST.—When 
a landowner submits a request under paragraph 
(1)(A) for conveyance of a parcel of National Forest 
System land or public lands, the Director concerned 
or the Regional Forester concerned shall review the 
parcel and determine, within 30 days after receipt of 
the request, whether the parcel satisfies the defini-
tion of eligible Federal lands parcel for conveyance. 
(3) REJECTION OF LANDOWNER REQUEST.—If 
the Director concerned or the Regional Forester con-
cerned determines under paragraph (2) that all or a 
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