IB 
Union Calendar No. 169
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 708
[Report No. 108–293] 
To require the conveyance of certain National Forest System lands in 
Mendocino National Forest, California, to provide for the use of the 
proceeds from such conveyance for National Forest purposes, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 11, 2003
Mr. THOMPSON of California introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Resources 
OCTOBER 2, 2003
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 
and ordered to be printed 
A BILL 
To require the conveyance of certain National Forest System 
lands in Mendocino National Forest, California, to pro-
vide for the use of the proceeds from such conveyance 
for National Forest purposes, 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. 
LAND 
CONVEYANCE, 
FARAWAY 
RANCH, 
MENDOCINO 
NATIONAL 
FOREST, 
CALI-
FORNIA. 
(a) CONVEYANCE REQUIRED.—Subject to subsection 
(b), the Secretary of Agriculture shall convey to the owner 
of the property known as the Faraway Ranch in Lake 
County, California (in this section referred to as the ‘‘re-
cipient’’), by quitclaim deed, all right, title, and interest 
of the United States in and to the following National For-
est System lands in Mendocino National Forest in Lake 
County, California: 
(1) ‘‘Faraway Ranch, Tract 39’’ (approximately 
15.8 acres), consisting of a portion of lot 6 of sec-
tion 4, township 18 north, range 10 west, Mount 
Diablo base and meridian, as generally depicted on 
the map entitled ‘‘Faraway Ranch, Tracts 39 and 
40’’ and dated June 30, 2002. 
(2) ‘‘Faraway Ranch, Tract 40’’ (approximately 
105.1 acres) consisting of a portion of the N1/
2SW1/4 and lot 7 of section 4, and a portion of lots 
15 and 16 of section 5, township 18 north, range 10 
west, Mount Diablo base and meridian, as generally 
depicted on the map referred to in paragraph (1). 
(b) TIME FOR CONVEYANCE.—The Secretary shall 
make the conveyance under subsection (a) not later than 
120 days after the date on which the recipient deposits
sufficient funds with the Bureau of Land Management, 
California State Office, Branch of Geographic Services, to 
cover survey work costs and with the Forest Service, 
Mendocino National Forest, to cover Forest Service direct 
transaction costs described in subsection (e). 
(c) CORRECTIONS.—With the agreement of the re-
cipient, the Secretary may make minor corrections to the 
legal descriptions and map of the lands to be conveyed 
pursuant to this section. 
(d) CONSIDERATION.—As consideration for the con-
veyance under subsection (a), the recipient shall pay to 
the Secretary an amount equal to the fair market value 
of the National Forest System lands conveyed under such 
subsection. The fair market value of such lands shall be 
determined by an appraisal that is acceptable to the Sec-
retary and conforms with the Federal appraisal standards, 
as defined in the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Fed-
eral Land Acquisitions developed by the Interagency Land 
Acquisition Conference. 
(e) PAYMENT OF COSTS.—All direct transaction costs 
associated with the conveyance under section (a), includ-
ing the costs of appraisal, title, and survey work, shall be 
paid by the recipient. 
(f) USE OF PROCEEDS.—
(1) DEPOSIT.—The Secretary shall deposit the 
amounts received by the Secretary as consideration 
under subsection (d) in the fund established by Pub-
lic Law 90–171 (commonly known as the Sisk Act; 
16 U.S.C. 484a). 
(2) USE.—Funds deposited under paragraph 
(1) shall be available to the Secretary until ex-
pended, without further appropriation—
(A) for the acquisition of land and inter-
ests in land for National Forest System pur-
poses in the State of California; and 
(B) for reimbursement of costs incurred by 
the Forest Service in making the conveyance 
under subsection (a). 
(3) STATUS
OF
ACQUIRED
LAND.—Notwith-
standing Public Law 85–862 (16 U.S.C. 521a), any 
lands acquired under paragraph (2)(A) shall be 
managed as lands acquired under the Act of March 
1, 1911 (commonly known as the Weeks Act; 16 
U.S.C. 480, 500, 515 et seq.), regardless of whether 
any of the lands conveyed under subsection (a) were 
reserved from the public domain. 
(g) WITHDRAWAL.—Subject to valid existing rights, 
the lands to be conveyed under subsection (a) are hereby 
withdrawn from all forms of location, entry, and patent