I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1969
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain administrative
sites in national forests in the State of Arizona, to convey certain land
to the City of Sedona, Arizona, for a wastewater treatment facility,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 26, 1999
Mr. STUMP introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Resources
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain
administrative sites in national forests in the State of
Arizona, to convey certain land to the City of Sedona,
Arizona, for a wastewater treatment facility, 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 ‘‘Arizona National For-
est Improvement Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) CITY.—The term ‘‘City’’ means the city of
Sedona, Arizona.
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Agriculture.
SEC. 3. SALE OR EXCHANGE OF ADMINISTRATIVE SITES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may, under such
terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, sell
or exchange any and all right, title, and interest of the
United States in and to the following National Forest Sys-
tem land and administrative sites:
(1) The Camp Verde Administrative Site, com-
prising approximately 213.60 acres, as depicted on
the map entitled ‘‘Camp Verde Administrative Site’’,
dated April 12, 1997.
(2) A portion of the Cave Creek Administrative
Site, comprising approximately 16 acres, as depicted
on the map entitled ‘‘Cave Creek Administrative
Site’’, dated May 1, 1997.
(3) The Fredonia Duplex Housing Site, com-
prising approximately 1.40 acres, and the Fredonia
Housing Site, comprising approximately 1.58 acres,
as depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Fredonia Duplex
Dwelling, Fredonia Ranger Dwelling’’, dated August
28, 1997.
(4) The Groom Creek Administrative Site, com-
prising approximately 7.88 acres, as depicted on the
map entitled ‘‘Groom Creek Administrative Site’’,
dated April 29, 1997.
(5) The Payson Administrative Site, comprising
approximately 296.43 acres, as depicted on the map
entitled ‘‘Payson Administrative Site’’, dated May 1,
1997.
(6) The Sedona Administrative Site, comprising
approximately 21.41 acres, as depicted on the map
entitled ‘‘Sedona Administrative Site’’, dated April
12, 1997.
(b) CONSIDERATION.—Consideration for a sale or ex-
change of land under subsection (a) may include the ac-
quisition of land, existing improvements, and improve-
ments constructed to the specifications of the Secretary.
(c) APPLICABLE LAW.—Except as otherwise provided
in this section, any sale or exchange of land under sub-
section (a) shall be subject to the laws (including regula-
tions) applicable to the conveyance and acquisition of land
for the National Forest System.
(d) CASH
EQUALIZATION.—Notwithstanding any
other provision of law, the Secretary may accept a cash
equalization payment in excess of 25 percent of the value
of any land or administrative site exchanged under sub-
section (a).
(e) SOLICITATION OF OFFERS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may solicit
offers for the sale or exchange of land under this
section on such terms and conditions as the Sec-
retary may prescribe.
(2) REJECTION
OF
OFFERS.—The Secretary
may reject any offer made under this section if the
Secretary determines that the offer is not adequate
or not in the public interest.
(f) REVOCATIONS.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, on conveyance of land by the Secretary under
this section, any public order withdrawing the land from
any form of appropriation under the public land laws is
revoked.
SEC. 4. CONVEYANCE TO CITY OF SEDONA.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may sell to the city
of Sedona, Arizona, by quitclaim deed in fee simple, all
right, title, and interest of the United States in and to
approximately 300 acres of land as depicted on the map
in the environmental assessment entitled ‘‘Sedona Efflu-
ent Management Plan’’, dated August 1998, for construc-
tion of an effluent disposal system in Yavapai County, Ari-
zona.
(b) DESCRIPTION.—A legal description of the land
conveyed under subsection (a) shall be available for public
inspection in the office of the Chief of the Forest Service,
Washington, District of Columbia.
(c) CONSIDERATION.—
(1) FAIR MARKET VALUE.—As consideration for
the conveyance of land under subsection (a), the
City shall pay to the Secretary an amount equal to
the fair market value of the land as determined by
an appraisal acceptable to the Secretary and pre-
pared in accordance with the Uniform Appraisal
Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions.
(2) COST OF APPRAISAL.—The City shall pay
the cost of the appraisal of the land.
(3) PAYMENT.—Payment of the amount deter-
mined under paragraph (1) (including any interest
payable under paragraph (4)) shall be paid, at the
option of the City—
(A) in full not later than 180 days after
the date of the conveyance of the land; or
(B) in 7 equal annual installments com-
mencing not later than January 1 of the first
year following the date of the conveyance and
annually thereafter until the total amount has
been paid.
(4) INTEREST RATE.—Any payment due for the
conveyance of land under this section shall accrue,
beginning on the date of the conveyance, interest at
a rate equal to the current (as of the date of the
conveyance) market yield on outstanding, market-
able obligations of the United States with maturities
of 1 year.
(d) RELEASE.—Subject to compliance with all Fed-
eral environmental laws by the Secretary before the date
of conveyance of land under this section, on conveyance
of the land, the City shall agree in writing to hold the
United States harmless from any and all claims to the
land, including all claims resulting from hazardous mate-
rials on the conveyed land.
(e) RIGHT OF REENTRY.—At any time before full
payment is made for the conveyance of land under this
section, the conveyance shall be subject to a right of re-
entry in the United States if the Secretary determines
that—
(1) the City has not complied with the require-
ments of this section or the conditions prescribed by
the Secretary in the deed of conveyance; or
(2) the conveyed land is not used for disposal
of treated effluent or other purposes related to the