I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4021
To provide for the exchange of certain land in the State of Washington.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 9, 1998
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Ag-
riculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned
A BILL
To provide for the exchange of certain land in the State
of Washington.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Interstate 90 Land Exchange Act of 1998’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. Land exchange.
Sec. 5. Exchange valuation, appraisals, and equalization.
Sec. 6. Miscellaneous provisions.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
(1) certain parcels of private land located in
central and southwest Washington are intermingled
with National Forest System land owned by the
United States and administered by the Secretary of
Agriculture as parts of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie
National Forest, Wenatchee National Forest, and
Gifford Pinchot National Forest;
(2) the private land is owned by the Plum
Creek Timber Company, L.P. in an intermingled
checkerboard pattern, with the United States or
Plum Creek owning alternate square mile sections of
land or fractions of square mile sections;
(3) the checkerboard land ownership pattern in
the area has frustrated sound and efficient land
management on both private land and national for-
est land by complicating fish and wildlife habitat
management, watershed protection, recreation use,
road construction and timber harvest, boundary ad-
ministration, and protection and management of
threatened and endangered species and old growth
forest habitat;
(4) acquisition by the United States of certain
parcels of land that have been offered by Plum
Creek for addition to the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Na-
tional Forest, Wenatchee National Forest, and Gif-
ford Pinchot National Forest would serve important
public objectives, including—
(A) enhancement of public access, aesthet-
ics, and recreation opportunities within or near
areas of very heavy public recreational use, in-
cluding—
(i) the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area;
(ii) the Pacific Crest Trail;
(iii) Snoqualmie Pass;
(iv) Cle Elum Lake, Kachess Lake,
and Keechulus Lake; and
(v) other popular recreation areas
along the Interstate 90 corridor east of the
Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area;
(B) protection and enhancement of old
growth forests and habitat for threatened, en-
dangered, and sensitive species, including a net
gain of approximately 22,000 acres of critical
habitat for the northern spotted owl;
(C) consolidation of national forest hold-
ings for more efficient administration and to
meet a broad array of ecosystem protection and
other public land management goals, including
net public gains of approximately 173 miles of
stream ownership, 14 miles of the route of the
Pacific Crest Trail, 12,800 acres of unroaded
land, and 4,000 acres of riparian land; and
(D) a significant reduction in administra-
tive costs to the United States through—
(i) consolidation of Federal land hold-
ings for more efficient land management
and planning;
(ii) elimination of approximately 300
miles of boundary identification and post-
ing;
(iii) reduced right-of-way, special use,
and other permit processing and issuance
for roads and other facilities on National
Forest System land; and
(iv) other administrative cost savings;
(5) Plum Creek has selected certain parcels of
National Forest System land that are logical for
consolidation into Plum Creek ownership via a land
exchange because the parcels—
(A) are intermingled with parcels owned by
Plum Creek; and
(B)(i) are generally located in less environ-
mentally sensitive areas; and
(ii) have lower public recreation and other
public values;
than the Plum Creek offered land;
(6) time is of the essence in consummating a
land exchange because delays may force Plum Creek
to road or log the offered land and thereby diminish
the public values for which the offered land is to be
acquired; and
(7) it is in the public interest to complete the
land exchange at the earliest practicable date so that
the offered land can be acquired and preserved by
the United States for permanent public manage-
ment, use, and enjoyment.
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to further
the public interest by authorizing, directing, facilitating,
and expediting the consummation of the Interstate 90
land exchange so as to ensure that the offered land is ex-
peditiously acquired for permanent public use and enjoy-
ment.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) OFFERED LAND.—The term ‘‘offered land’’
means the land described in section 4(b) to be con-
veyed into the public ownership of the United States
under this Act.
(2) PLUM
CREEK.—The term ‘‘Plum Creek’’
means the Plum Creek Timber Company, L.P., a
Delaware Limited Partnership, or its successors,
heirs, or assigns.
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Agriculture.
(4) SELECTED
LAND.—The term ‘‘selected
land’’ means the land described in section 4(c) to be
conveyed into the private ownership of Plum Creek
under this Act.
SEC. 4. LAND EXCHANGE.
(a) CONDITION.—The exchange directed by this sec-
tion shall be consummated if, not later than 180 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, Plum Creek offers
to transfer to the United States the offered land.
(b) CONVEYANCE
OF OFFERED LAND
BY PLUM
CREEK.—In accordance with this Act, Plum Creek shall
convey to the United States by deed acceptable to the Sec-
retary all right, title, and interest of Plum Creek in and
to the following offered land:
(1) Certain land comprising approximately
6,460 acres and located within the exterior bound-
aries of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest,
Washington, as generally depicted on a map entitled
‘‘Interstate 90 Land Exchange’’, dated April 1998.
(2) Certain land comprising approximately
53,530 acres and located within or adjacent to the
exterior boundaries of the Wenatchee National For-
est, Washington, as generally depicted on a map en-
titled ‘‘Interstate 90 Land Exchange’’, dated April
1998.
(3) Certain land comprising approximately 400
acres and located within the exterior boundaries of
the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington, as
generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Interstate 90
Land Exchange’’, dated April 1998.
(c) CONVEYANCE
OF SELECTED LAND
BY
THE
UNITED STATES.—On receipt of title to the offered land,
the Secretary shall simultaneously convey to Plum Creek
all right, title and interest of the United States, subject
to valid existing rights, in and to the following selected
land:
(1) Certain land administered, as of the date of
enactment of this Act, by the Secretary of Agri-
culture as part of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Na-
tional Forest, Washington, and comprising approxi-
mately 12,305 acres, as generally depicted on a map