115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3115 
AN ACT 
To provide for a land exchange involving Federal land in 
the Superior National Forest in Minnesota acquired by 
the Secretary of Agriculture through the Weeks Law, 
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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Superior National Forest Land Exchange Act of 2017’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Purpose and need for NorthMet Land Exchange. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
Sec. 4. NorthMet Land Exchange. 
Sec. 5. Valuation of NorthMet Land Exchange. 
Sec. 6. Maps and legal descriptions. 
Sec. 7. Post-exchange land management. 
Sec. 8. Miscellaneous provisions. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR NORTHMET LAND EX-
CHANGE. 
(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to fur-
ther the public interest by consummating the NorthMet 
Land Exchange as specifically set forth in this Act. 
(b) NEED.—According to the Final Record of Deci-
sion, the NorthMet Land Exchange is advisable and need-
ed because the NorthMet Land Exchange will— 
(1) result in a 40-acre net gain in National 
Forest System lands; 
(2) improve the spatial arrangement of Na-
tional Forest System lands by reducing the amount 
of ownership boundaries to be managed by 33 miles; 
(3) improve management effectiveness by ex-
changing isolated Federal lands with no public over-
land access for non-Federal lands that will have pub-
lic overland access and be accessible and open to 
public use and enjoyment; 
(4) result in Federal cost savings by eliminating 
certain easements and their associated administra-
tion costs; 
(5) meet several of the priorities identified in 
the land and resource management plan for Superior 
National Forest to protect and manage administra-
tively or congressionally designated, unique, pro-
posed, or recommended areas, including acquisition 
of 307 acres of land to the administratively proposed 
candidate Research Natural Areas, which are man-
aged by preserving and maintaining areas for eco-
logical research, observation, genetic conservation, 
monitoring, and educational activities; 
(6) promote more effective land management 
that would meet specific National Forest needs for 
management, including acquisition of over 6,500 
acres of land for new public access, watershed pro-
tection, ecologically rare habitats, wetlands, water 
frontage, and improved ownership patterns; 
(7) convey Federal land generally not needed 
for other Forest resource management objectives, 
because such land is adjacent to intensively devel-
oped private land including ferrous mining areas,
where abundant mining infrastructure and transpor-
tation are already in place, including— 
(A) a large, intensively developed open pit 
mine lying directly to the north of the Federal 
land; 
(B) a private mine railroad, powerlines, 
and roads lying directly to the south of the 
Federal land; and 
(C) already existing ore processing, milling, 
and tailings facilities located approximately 5 
miles to the west of the Federal land; and 
(8) provide a practical resolution to complex 
issues pertaining to the development of private min-
eral rights underlying the Federal land surface, and 
thereby avoid potential litigation which could ad-
versely impact the status and management of the 
Federal land and other National Forest System land 
acquired under the authority of section 6 of the Act 
of March 1, 1911 (commonly known as the Weeks 
Law; 16 U.S.C. 515). 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COLLECTION
AGREEMENTS.—The term 
‘‘Collection Agreements’’ means the following agree-
and further depicted on separate tract maps as fol-
lows: 
(A) TRACT 1.—Approximately 4,650 acres 
of land in St. Louis County, Minnesota, gen-
erally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Non-Fed-
eral Land Parcels–NorthMet Land Exchange– 
Hay Lake Tract’’, and dated June 2017. 
(B) TRACT 2.—Approximately 320 acres of 
land in 4 separate parcels in Lake County, Min-
nesota, generally depicted on the map entitled 
‘‘Non-Federal Land Parcels–NorthMet Land 
Exchange–Lake County Lands’’, and dated 
June 2017. 
(C) TRACT 3.—Approximately 1,560 acres 
of land in 4 separate parcels in Lake County, 
Minnesota, generally depicted on the map enti-
tled ‘‘Non-Federal Land Parcels–NorthMet 
Land Exchange–Wolf Lands’’, and dated June 
2017. 
(D) TRACT 4.—Approximately 160 acres of 
land in St. Louis County, Minnesota, generally 
depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Non-Federal 
Land Parcel–NorthMet Land Exchange–Hunt-
ing Club Lands’’, dated June 2017.
(4) NORTHMET LAND EXCHANGE.—The term 
‘‘NorthMet Land Exchange’’ means the land ex-
change specifically authorized and directed by sec-
tion 4 of this Act. 
(5) POLY MET.—The term ‘‘Poly Met’’ means 
Poly Met Mining Corporation, Inc., a Minnesota 
Corporation with executive offices in St. Paul, Min-
nesota, and headquarters in Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota. 
(6) RECORD OF DECISION.—The term ‘‘Record 
of Decision’’ means the Final Record of Decision of 
the Forest Service issued on January 9, 2017, ap-
proving the NorthMet Land exchange between the 
United States and PolyMet Mining, Inc., a Min-
nesota Corporation, involving National Forest Sys-
tem land in the Superior National Forest in Min-
nesota. 
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(8) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of Minnesota. 
SEC. 4. NORTHMET LAND EXCHANGE. 
(a) EXCHANGE AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to section 5(c)(1) 
and other conditions imposed by this Act, if Poly 
Met offers to convey to the United States all right,
title, and interest of Poly Met in and to the non- 
Federal land, the Secretary shall accept the offer 
and convey to Poly Met all right, title, and interest 
of the United States in and to the Federal land par-
cel. 
(2) LAND EXCHANGE EXPEDITED.—Subject to 
the conditions imposed by this Act, the NorthMet 
Land Exchange directed by this Act shall be con-
summated not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act. 
(b) FORM OF CONVEYANCE.— 
(1) NON-FEDERAL
LAND.—Title to the non- 
Federal land conveyed by Poly Met to the United 
States shall be by general warranty deed subject to 
existing rights of record, and otherwise conform to 
the title approval regulations of the Attorney Gen-
eral of the United States. 
(2) FEDERAL
LAND
PARCEL.—The Federal 
land parcel shall be quitclaimed by the Secretary to 
Poly Met by an exchange deed. 
(c) EXCHANGE COSTS.— 
(1) REIMBURSEMENT
REQUIRED.—Poly Met 
shall pay or reimburse the Secretary, either directly 
or through the Collection Agreements, for all land 
survey, appraisal, land title, deed preparation, and
other costs incurred by the Secretary in processing 
and consummating the NorthMet Land Exchange. 
The Collection Agreements, as in effect on the date 
of the enactment of this Act, may be modified 
through the mutual consent of the parties. 
(2) DEPOSIT OF FUNDS.—All funds paid or re-
imbursed to the Secretary under paragraph (1)— 
(A) shall be deposited and credited to the 
accounts in accordance with the Collection 
Agreements; 
(B) shall be used for the purposes specified 
for the accounts; and 
(C) shall remain available to the Secretary 
until expended without further appropriation. 
(d) CONDITIONS ON LAND EXCHANGE.— 
(1) 
RESERVATION
OF
CERTAIN
MINERAL 
RIGHTS.—Notwithstanding 
subsection 
(a), 
the 
United States shall reserve the mineral rights on ap-
proximately 181 acres of the Federal land parcel as 
generally identified on the map entitled ‘‘Federal 
Land Parcel–NorthMet Land Exchange’’, and dated 
June 2017. 
(2) THIRD-PARTY
AUTHORIZATIONS.—As set 
forth in the Final Record of Decision, Poly Met shall 
honor existing road and transmission line authoriza-
tions on the Federal land parcel. Upon relinquish-
ment of the authorizations by the holders or upon 
revocation of the authorizations by the Forest Serv-
ice, Poly Met shall offer replacement authorizations 
to the holders on at least equivalent terms. 
SEC. 5. VALUATION OF NORTHMET LAND EXCHANGE. 
(a) APPRAISALS.—The Congress makes the following 
new findings: 
(1) Appraisals of the Federal and non-Federal 
lands to be exchanged in the NorthMet Land Ex-
change were formally prepared in accordance with 
the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land 
Acquisitions, and were approved by the Secretary in 
conjunction with preparation of the November 2015 
Draft Record of Decision on the NorthMet Land 
Exchange. 
(2) The appraisals referred to in paragraph (1) 
determined that the value of the non-Federal lands 
exceeded the value of the Federal land parcel by ap-
proximately $425,000. 
(3) Based on the appraisals referred to in para-
graph (1), the United States would ordinarily be re-
quired to make a $425,000 cash equalization pay-
ment to Poly Met to equalize exchange values under 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), unless such an 
equalization payment is waived by Poly Met. 
(b) VALUES
FOR CONSUMMATION
OF LAND EX-
CHANGE.—The appraised values of the Federal and non- 
Federal land determined and approved by the Secretary 
in November 2015, and referenced in subsection (a)— 
(1) shall be the values utilized to consummate 
the NorthMet Land Exchange; and 
(2) shall not be subject to reappraisal. 
(c) WAIVER OF EQUALIZATION PAYMENT.— 
(1) CONDITION
ON
LAND
EXCHANGE.—Not-
withstanding section 206(b) of the Federal Land 
Policy and Management Act (43 U.S.C. 1716(b)), 
and as part of its offer to exchange the non-Federal 
lands as provided in section 4(a)(1) of this Act, Poly 
Met shall waive any payment to it of any monies 
owed by the United States to equalize land values. 
(2) TREATMENT OF WAIVER.—A waiver of the 
equalization payment under paragraph (1) shall be 
considered as a voluntary donation to the United 
States by Poly Met for all purposes of law. 
SEC. 6. MAPS AND LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS. 
(a) MINOR ADJUSTMENTS.—By mutual agreement, 
the Secretary and Poly Met may correct minor or typo-
graphical errors in any map, acreage estimate, or descrip-