I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4469
To establish terms and conditions under which the Secretary of the Interior
shall, for fair market value, convey certain properties around Canyon
Ferry Reservoir, Montana, to the lessees of those properties.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 6, 1998
Mr. HILL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Resources
A BILL
To establish terms and conditions under which the Secretary
of the Interior shall, for fair market value, convey certain
properties around Canyon Ferry Reservoir, Montana, to
the lessees of those properties.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that the conveyance of the Prop-
erties described in section 4(b) to the Lessees of those
Properties for fair market value would have the beneficial
results of—
(1) reducing Pick-Sloan project debt for the
Canyon Ferry Unit;
(2) providing a permanent source of funding for
projects that develop and maintain public recreation,
and that conserve and enhance fish and wildlife op-
portunities in the State of Montana;
(3) eliminating Federal payments in lieu of
taxes and associated management expenditures in
connection with the Government’s ownership of the
Properties while increasing local tax revenues from
the new owners; and
(4) eliminating expensive and contentious dis-
putes between the Secretary and leaseholders while
ensuring that the Federal Government receives full
and fair value for the acquisition of the Properties.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to establish terms and con-
ditions under which the Secretary of the Interior shall, for
fair market value, convey certain Properties around Can-
yon Ferry Reservoir, Montana, to the Lessees of those
Properties.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) CFRA.—The term ‘‘CFRA’’ means the
Canyon Ferry Recreation Association, Incorporated,
a Montana corporation.
(2) LESSEE.—The term ‘‘Lessee’’ means the
leaseholder of any 1 of the cabin sites described in
section 4(b) on the date of enactment of this Act
and the leaseholder’s heirs, executors, and assigns of
their leasehold interest in that cabin site.
(3) PROPERTY.—The term ‘‘Property’’ means
any 1 of the cabin sites described in section 4(b).
(4) 
PROPERTIES.—The 
term 
‘‘Properties’’
means all 265 of the cabin sites (and related par-
cels) described in section 4(b).
(5) 
PURCHASER.—The 
term 
‘‘Purchaser’’
means a person or entity, excluding CFRA, that
purchases the Properties under section 4.
(6) RESERVOIR.—The term ‘‘Reservoir’’ means
the Canyon Ferry Reservoir in the State of Mon-
tana.
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of the Interior.
(8) TRUST.—The term ‘‘Trust’’ means the Can-
yon Ferry Lake Trust established pursuant to sec-
tion 6.
SEC. 4. SALE OF PROPERTIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (c) and not-
withstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary
shall sell at fair market value—
(1) all right, title, and interest of the United
States in and to all (but not fewer than all) of the
Properties described in subsection (b), subject to
valid existing rights; and
(2) easements for—
(A) vehicular access to each Property;
(B) access to and the use of 1 dock per
Property; and
(C) access to and the use of all boathouses,
ramps, retaining walls, and other improvements
for which access is provided in the Property
leases as of the date of this Act.
(b) DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTIES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Properties to be con-
veyed are—
(A) the 265 cabin sites of the Bureau of
Reclamation located along the northern portion
of the Reservoir in portions of sections 2, 11,
12, 13, 15, 22, 23, and 26, Township 10 North,
Range 1 West; and
(B) any small parcels contiguous to the
Properties (not including shoreline or land
needed to provide public access to the shoreline
of the Reservoir) that the Secretary determines
should be conveyed in order to eliminate
inholdings and facilitate administration of sur-
rounding land remaining in Federal ownership.
(2) ACREAGE; LEGAL DESCRIPTION.—The acre-
age and legal description of each Property and of
each parcel determined by the Secretary under para-
graph (1)(B) shall be determined by agreement be-
tween the Secretary and CFRA.
(c) PURCHASE PROCESS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary—
(A) shall solicit sealed bids for the Prop-
erties;
(B) shall, subject to paragraph (2), sell the
Properties to the bidder that submits the high-
est bid above the minimum bid determined
under paragraph (2); and
(C) shall not accept any bid for less than
all of the Properties in one bundle.
(2) MINIMUM BID.—Before accepting bids, the
Secretary, in consultation with CFRA, shall estab-
lish a minimum bid based on an appraisal of the fair
market value of the Properties, exclusive of the value
of private improvements made by the leaseholders