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ing acquisition of 307 acres of land to the ad-
ministratively proposed candidate Research Nat-
ural Areas, which are managed by preserving 
and maintaining areas for ecological research, 
observation, genetic conservation, monitoring, 
and educational activities; 
(F) promote more effective land manage-
ment that would meet specific National Forest 
needs for management, including acquisition of 
over 6,500 acres of land for new public access, 
watershed protection, ecologically rare habitats, 
wetlands, water frontage, and improved owner-
ship patterns; 
(G) convey Federal land generally not need-
ed for other Forest resource management objec-
tives, because such land is adjacent to intensively 
developed private land including ferrous mining 
areas, where abundant mining infrastructure 
and transportation are already in place, includ-
ing— 
(i) a large, intensively developed open 
pit mine lying directly to the north of the 
Federal land;
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(ii) 
a 
private 
mine 
railroad, 
powerlines, and roads lying directly to the 
south of the Federal land; and 
(iii) already existing ore processing, 
milling, and tailings facilities located ap-
proximately 5 miles to the west of the Fed-
eral land; and 
(H) provide a practical resolution to com-
plex issues pertaining to the development of pri-
vate mineral rights underlying the Federal land 
surface, and thereby avoid potential litigation 
which could adversely impact the status and 
management of the Federal land and other Na-
tional Forest System land acquired under the 
authority of section 6 of the Act of March 1, 
1911 (commonly known as the Weeks Law; 16 
U.S.C. 515). 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COLLECTION AGREEMENTS.—The term ‘‘Col-
lection Agreements’’ means the following agreements 
between the Secretary and Poly Met pertaining to the 
NorthMet Land Exchange: 
(A) The agreement dated August 25, 2015. 
(B) The agreement dated January 15, 2016.
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(2) FEDERAL LAND PARCEL.—The term ‘‘Federal 
land parcel’’ means all right, title, and interest of the 
United States in and to approximately 6,650 acres of 
National Forest System land, as identified in the 
Final Record of Decision, within the Superior Na-
tional Forest in St. Louis County, Minnesota, as gen-
erally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Federal Land 
Parcel–NorthMet Land Exchange’’, and dated June 
2017. 
(3) NON-FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘non-Fed-
eral land’’ means all right, title, and interest of Poly 
Met in and to approximately 6,690 acres of land in 
four separate tracts (comprising 10 separate land 
parcels in total) within the Superior National Forest 
to be conveyed to the United States by Poly Met in 
the land exchange as generally depicted on an over-
view map entitled ‘‘Non-Federal Land Parcels– 
NorthMet Land Exchange’’ and dated June 2017, and 
further depicted on separate tract maps as follows: 
(A) TRACT 1.—Approximately 4,650 acres 
of land in St. Louis County, Minnesota, gen-
erally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Non-Federal 
Land Parcels–NorthMet Land Exchange–Hay 
Lake Tract’’, and dated June 2017.
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† HR 5515 EAS 
(B) TRACT 2.—Approximately 320 acres of 
land in 4 separate parcels in Lake County, Min-
nesota, generally depicted on the map entitled 
‘‘Non-Federal Land Parcels–NorthMet Land Ex-
change–Lake County Lands’’, and dated June 
2017. 
(C) TRACT 3.—Approximately 1,560 acres 
of land in 4 separate parcels in Lake County, 
Minnesota, generally depicted on the map enti-
tled ‘‘Non-Federal Land Parcels–NorthMet Land 
Exchange–Wolf Lands’’, and dated June 2017. 
(D) TRACT 4.—Approximately 160 acres of 
land in St. Louis County, Minnesota, generally 
depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Non-Federal Land 
Parcel–NorthMet Land Exchange–Hunting Club 
Lands’’, dated June 2017. 
(4) NORTHMET
LAND
EXCHANGE.—The term 
‘‘NorthMet Land Exchange’’ means the land exchange 
specifically authorized and directed by subsection (c). 
(5) POLY MET.—The term ‘‘Poly Met’’ means 
Poly Met Mining Corporation, Inc., a Minnesota Cor-
poration with executive offices in St. Paul, Min-
nesota, and headquarters in Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota. 
(6) RECORD OF DECISION.—The term ‘‘Record of 
Decision’’ means the Final Record of Decision of the
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† HR 5515 EAS 
Forest Service issued on January 9, 2017, approving 
the NorthMet Land exchange between the United 
States and PolyMet Mining, Inc., a Minnesota Cor-
poration, involving National Forest System land in 
the Superior National Forest in Minnesota. 
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(8) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of Minnesota. 
(c) NORTHMET LAND EXCHANGE.— 
(1) EXCHANGE AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subsection 
(d)(3)(A) and other conditions imposed by this 
section, if Poly Met offers to convey to the United 
States all right, title, and interest of Poly Met in 
and to the non-Federal land, the Secretary shall 
accept the offer and convey to Poly Met all right, 
title, and interest of the United States in and to 
the Federal land parcel. 
(B) LAND EXCHANGE EXPEDITED.—Subject 
to the conditions imposed by this section, the 
NorthMet Land Exchange directed by this section 
shall be consummated not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(2) FORM OF CONVEYANCE.—
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† HR 5515 EAS 
(A) NON-FEDERAL LAND.—Title to the non- 
Federal land conveyed by Poly Met to the United 
States shall be by general warranty deed subject 
to existing rights of record, and otherwise con-
form to the title approval regulations of the At-
torney General of the United States. 
(B) FEDERAL LAND PARCEL.—The Federal 
land parcel shall be quitclaimed by the Secretary 
to Poly Met by an exchange deed. 
(3) EXCHANGE COSTS.— 
(A) 
REIMBURSEMENT
REQUIRED.—Poly 
Met shall pay or reimburse the Secretary, either 
directly or through the Collection Agreements, for 
all land survey, appraisal, land title, deed prep-
aration, and other costs incurred by the Sec-
retary in processing and consummating the 
NorthMet Land Exchange. The Collection Agree-
ments, as in effect on the date of the enactment 
of this Act, may be modified through the mutual 
consent of the parties. 
(B) DEPOSIT OF FUNDS.—All funds paid or 
reimbursed to the Secretary under subparagraph 
(A)—
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† HR 5515 EAS 
(i) shall be deposited and credited to 
the accounts in accordance with the Collec-
tion Agreements; 
(ii) shall be used for the purposes spec-
ified for the accounts; and 
(iii) shall remain available to the Sec-
retary until expended without further ap-
propriation. 
(4) CONDITIONS ON LAND EXCHANGE.— 
(A) RESERVATION
OF
CERTAIN
MINERAL 
RIGHTS.—Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the 
United States shall reserve the mineral rights on 
approximately 181 acres of the Federal land 
parcel as generally identified on the map entitled 
‘‘Federal Land Parcel–NorthMet Land Ex-
change’’, and dated June 2017. 
(B) THIRD-PARTY
AUTHORIZATIONS.—As 
set forth in the Final Record of Decision, Poly 
Met shall honor existing road and transmission 
line authorizations on the Federal land parcel. 
Upon relinquishment of the authorizations by the 
holders or upon revocation of the authorizations 
by the Forest Service, Poly Met shall offer re-
placement authorizations to the holders on at 
least equivalent terms.
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(d) VALUATION OF NORTHMET LAND EXCHANGE.— 
(1) APPRAISALS.—The Congress makes the fol-
lowing new findings: 
(A) Appraisals of the Federal and non-Fed-
eral lands to be exchanged in the NorthMet Land 
Exchange were formally prepared in accordance 
with the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Fed-
eral Land Acquisitions, and were approved by 
the Secretary in conjunction with preparation of 
the November 2015 Draft Record of Decision on 
the NorthMet Land Exchange. 
(B) The appraisals referred to in subpara-
graph (A) determined that the value of the non- 
Federal lands exceeded the value of the Federal 
land parcel by approximately $425,000. 
(C) Based on the appraisals referred to in 
subparagraph (A), the United States would ordi-
narily be required to make a $425,000 cash 
equalization payment to Poly Met to equalize ex-
change values under the Federal Land Policy 
and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et 
seq.), unless such an equalization payment is 
waived by Poly Met. 
(2) VALUES FOR CONSUMMATION OF LAND EX-
CHANGE.—The appraised values of the Federal and
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† HR 5515 EAS 
non-Federal land determined and approved by the 
Secretary in November 2015, and referenced in para-
graph (1)— 
(A) shall be the values utilized to consum-
mate the NorthMet Land Exchange; and 
(B) shall not be subject to reappraisal. 
(3) WAIVER OF EQUALIZATION PAYMENT.— 
(A) CONDITION ON LAND EXCHANGE.—Not-
withstanding section 206(b) of the Federal Land 
Policy 
and 
Management 
Act 
(43 
U.S.C. 
1716(b)), and as part of its offer to exchange the 
non-Federal lands as provided in subsection 
(c)(1)(A), Poly Met shall waive any payment to 
it of any monies owed by the United States to 
equalize land values. 
(B) TREATMENT OF WAIVER.—A waiver of 
the equalization payment under subparagraph 
(A) shall be considered as a voluntary donation 
to the United States by Poly Met for all purposes 
of law. 
(e) MAPS AND LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS.— 
(1) MINOR
ADJUSTMENTS.—By mutual agree-
ment, the Secretary and Poly Met may correct minor 
or typographical errors in any map, acreage estimate, 
or description of the Federal land parcel or non-Fed-
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† HR 5515 EAS 
eral land to be exchanged in the NorthMet Land Ex-
change. 
(2) CONFLICT.—If there is a conflict between a 
map, an acreage estimate, or a description of land 
under this section, the map shall control unless the 
Secretary and Poly Met mutually agree otherwise. 
(3) EXCHANGE MAPS.—The maps referred to in 
subsection (b) depicting the Federal and non-Federal 
lands to be exchanged in the NorthMet Land Ex-
change, and dated June 2017, depict the identical 
lands identified in the Final Record of Decision, 
which are on file in the Office of the Supervisor, Su-
perior National Forest. 
(f) POST-EXCHANGE LAND MANAGEMENT.— 
(1) NON-FEDERAL LAND.—Upon conveyance of 
the non-Federal land to the United States in the 
NorthMet Land Exchange, the non-Federal land shall 
become part of the Superior National Forest and be 
managed in accordance with— 
(A) the Act of March 1, 1911 (commonly 
known as the Weeks Law; 16 U.S.C. 500 et seq.); 
and 
(B) the laws and regulations applicable to 
the Superior National Forest and the National 
Forest System.
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† HR 5515 EAS 
(2) PLANNING.—Upon acquisition by the United 
States in the NorthMet Land Exchange, the non-Fed-
eral lands shall be managed in a manner consistent 
with the land and resource management plan appli-
cable to adjacent federally owned lands in the Supe-
rior National Forest. An amendment or supplement 
to the land and resource management plan shall not 
be required solely because of the acquisition of the 
non-Federal lands. 
(3) FEDERAL
LAND.—Upon conveyance of the 
Federal land parcel to Poly Met in the NorthMet 
Land Exchange, the Federal land parcel shall become 
private land and available for any lawful use in ac-
cordance with applicable Federal, State, and local 
laws and regulations pertaining to mining and other 
uses of land in private ownership. 
(g) MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.— 
(1) WITHDRAWAL
OF
ACQUIRED
NON-FEDERAL 
LAND.—The non-Federal lands acquired by the 
United States in the NorthMet Land Exchange shall 
be withdrawn, without further action by the Sec-
retary, from appropriation and disposal under public 
land laws and under laws relating to mineral and 
geothermal leasing.
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† HR 5515 EAS 
(2) WITHDRAWAL
REVOCATION.—Any public 
land order that withdraws the Federal land parcel 
from appropriation or disposal under a public land 
law shall be revoked without further action by the 
Secretary to the extent necessary to permit convey-
ance of the Federal land parcel to Poly Met. 
(3) WITHDRAWAL OF FEDERAL LAND PENDING 
CONVEYANCE.—The Federal land parcel to be con-
veyed to Poly Met in the NorthMet Land Exchange, 
if not already withdrawn or segregated from appro-
priation or disposal under the mineral leasing and 
geothermal or other public land laws upon enactment 
of this Act, is hereby so withdrawn, subject to valid 
existing rights, until the date of conveyance of the 
Federal land parcel to Poly Met. 
(4) ACT CONTROLS.—In the event any provision 
of the Record of Decision conflicts with a provision of 
this section, the provision of this section shall control. 
Attest: 
Secretary.