I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3962
To limit the authority of the Federal Government to acquire land for certain
Federal agencies in counties in which 50 percent or more of the total
acreage is owned by the Federal Government and under the administra-
tive jurisdiction of such agencies.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 13, 2002
Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. OTTER, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr.
GIBBONS, Mr. POMBO, and Mr. HERGER) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to
the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To limit the authority of the Federal Government to acquire
land for certain Federal agencies in counties in which
50 percent or more of the total acreage is owned by
the Federal Government and under the administrative
jurisdiction of such agencies.
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 ‘‘Good Neighbor Act
of 2002’’.
SEC. 2. LIMITATIONS ON FEDERAL ACQUISITION OF LANDS
IN CERTAIN COUNTIES.
(a) LIMITATION
ON NET INCREASE
IN FEDERAL
LAND VALUE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—No Federal agency may ac-
quire any interest in qualified land that after such
acquisition will be under the administrative jurisdic-
tion of a covered Federal agency, unless the Federal
Government disposes of interests in qualified land
located in the same county that—
(A) are under the administrative jurisdic-
tion of that covered Federal agency; and
(B) have a fair market value equal to at
least 97 percent of the fair market value of the
interest to be acquired.
(2) LIMITATIONS ON APPLICATION.—This sub-
section shall not apply to—
(A) any acquisition of an interest in land
that is approved by the Governor of the State
in which the land is located; or
(B) any acquisition of an interest in a par-
cel of land—
(i) that is comprised of 40 or fewer
acres; and
(ii) that is located in a county in
which, after the acquisition, less than 66
percent of the total acreage will be owned
by the Federal Government.
(3) MANNER OF DISPOSAL.—For purposes of
paragraph (1), the term ‘‘dispose’’ includes convey-
ance by sale or exchange.
(b) NOTICE
AND HEARING REQUIREMENT.—The
head of a Federal agency shall, before acquiring any inter-
est in qualified land that after such acquisition will be
under the administrative jurisdiction of a covered Federal
agency—
(1) provide notice to the Governor of the State,
the chief executive of the county, and each Member
of the House of Representatives and the Senate
elected to represent the congressional district and
State, respectively, in which the land is located; and
(2) hold at least one hearing in the county in
which the land is located, except in the case of an
acquisition described in subsection (a)(2)(B).
(c) COUNTY APPROVAL REQUIREMENT.—If the ac-
quisition of qualified land by a Federal agency will result
in 66 percent or more of the total acreage in a county
being owned by the Federal Government and under the
administrative jurisdiction of one or more covered Federal
agencies, the agency may not acquire such land unless the
acquisition is approved by the governing legislative body
of the county.
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(1) COVERED
FEDERAL
AGENCY.—The term
‘‘covered Federal agency’’ means each of the fol-
lowing:
(A) The Forest Service.
(B) The National Park Service.
(C) The Bureau of Land Management.
(D) The United States Fish and Wildlife
Service.
(2) QUALIFIED
LAND.—The term ‘‘qualified
land’’ means land located in a county in which 50
percent or more of the total acreage is—
(A) owned, in whole or in part, by the Fed-
eral Government; and
(B) under the administrative jurisdiction
of one or more covered Federal agencies.
Æ