109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 409
AN ACT 
To provide for the exchange of land within the Sierra 
National Forest, California, 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 ‘‘Sierra National Forest 
Land Exchange Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ 
means the parcels of land and improvements thereon 
comprising approximately 160 acres and located in 
township 9 south, range 25 east, section 30, 
E1⁄2SW1⁄4 and W1⁄2SE1⁄4, Mt. Diablo Meridian, Cali-
fornia. 
(2) NON-FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘non-Fed-
eral land’’ means a parcel of land comprising ap-
proximately 80 acres and located in township 8 
south, range 26 east, section 29, N1⁄2NW1⁄4, Mt. 
Diablo Meridian, California. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
SEC. 3. LAND EXCHANGE, SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST, CALI-
FORNIA. 
(a) EXCHANGE AUTHORIZED.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—If, during the one-year pe-
riod beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, 
the owner of the non-Federal land offers the United 
States the exchange of the non-Federal land and a 
cash equalization payment of $50,000, the Secretary
shall convey, by quit claim deed, all right, title, and 
interest of the United States in and to the Federal 
land. The conveyance of the Federal land shall be 
subject to valid existing rights and under such terms 
and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe. 
(2) ACCEPTABLE TITLE.—Title to the non-Fed-
eral land shall conform with the title approval stand-
ards of the Attorney General applicable to Federal 
land acquisitions and shall be acceptable to the Sec-
retary. 
(3) CORRECTION AND MODIFICATION OF LEGAL 
DESCRIPTIONS.—The Secretary, in consultation with 
the owner of the non-Federal land, may make cor-
rections to the legal descriptions of the Federal land 
and non-Federal land. The Secretary and the owner 
of the non-Federal land may make minor modifica-
tions to such descriptions insofar as such modifica-
tions do not affect the overall value of the exchange 
by more than five percent. 
(b) VALUATION OF LAND TO BE CONVEYED.—For 
purposes of this section, during the period referred to in 
subsection (a)(1), the value of the non-Federal land shall 
be deemed to be $200,000 and the value of the Federal 
land shall be deemed to be $250,000.
(c) ADMINISTRATION
OF
LAND
ACQUIRED
BY 
UNITED STATES.—Once acquired, the Secretary shall 
manage the non-Federal land in accordance with the Act 
of March 1, 1911 (commonly known as the Weeks Act; 
16 U.S.C. 480 et seq.), and in accordance with the other 
laws and regulations pertaining to National Forest System 
lands. 
(d) CONDITIONS
ON CONVEYANCE
OF FEDERAL 
LAND.—The conveyance by the Secretary under sub-
section (a) shall be subject to the following conditions: 
(1) That the recipient of the Federal land con-
vey all 160 acres of the Federal land to the Sequoia 
Council of the Boy Scouts of America not later than 
four months after the date on which the recipient re-
ceives the Federal land from the Secretary under 
subsection (a). 
(2) That, as described in section 5, the owner 
of the easement granted in section 4 have the right 
of first offer regarding any reconveyance of the Fed-
eral land by the Sequoia Council of the Boy Scouts 
of America. 
(e) DISPOSITION AND USE OF CASH EQUALIZATION 
FUNDS.—The Secretary shall deposit the cash equali-
zation payment received under subsection (a) in the fund 
established by Public Law 90–171 (commonly known as
the Sisk Act; 16 U.S.C. 484a). The cash equalization pay-
ment shall be available to the Secretary until expended, 
without further appropriation, for the acquisition of lands 
and interests in lands for the National Forest System in 
the State of California. 
(f) COST COLLECTION FUNDS.—The owner of the 
non-Federal land shall be responsible for all direct costs 
associated with processing the land exchange under this 
section and shall pay the Secretary the necessary funds, 
which shall be deposited in a cost collection account. 
Funds so deposited shall be available to the Secretary 
until expended, without further appropriation, for the cost 
associated with the land exchange. Any funds remaining 
after completion of the land exchange, which are not need-
ed to cover expenses, shall be refunded to the owner of 
the non-Federal land. 
SEC. 4. GRANT OF EASEMENT IN CONNECTION WITH HY-
DROELECTRIC PROJECT NO. 67. 
(a) PURPOSE.—A hydroelectric project, licensed pur-
suant to the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 791a et seq.) 
as Project No. 67, is located on a majority of the Federal 
land authorized for exchange under section 3. To protect 
the ability of the owner of Project No. 67 to continue to 
operate and maintain that hydroelectric project under the 
current and all future licenses or authorizations issued