I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 497 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain public lands in 
San Bernardino County, California, to the San Bernardino Valley Water 
Conservation District, and to accept in return certain exchanged non- 
public lands, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 12, 2017 
Mr. COOK (for himself and Mr. AGUILAR) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain 
public lands in San Bernardino County, California, to 
the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District, 
and to accept in return certain exchanged non-public 
lands, 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 ‘‘Santa Ana River Wash 
Plan Land Exchange Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) CONSERVATION DISTRICT.—The term ‘‘con-
servation district’’ means the San Bernardino Valley 
Water Conservation District, a political subdivision 
of the State of California. 
(2) EXCHANGE
LAND.—The term ‘‘Exchange 
Land’’ means the approximately 310 acres of land 
owned by the Conservation District generally de-
picted as ‘‘SBVWCD to BLM’’ on the Map. 
(3) MAP.—The term ‘‘Map’’ means the map ti-
tled ‘‘Santa Ana River Wash Land Exchange’’ and 
dated September 3, 2015. 
(4) NON-PUBLIC
EXCHANGE
PARCEL.—The 
term ‘‘non-public exchange parcel’’ means the ap-
proximately 59 acres of land owned by the Conserva-
tion District generally depicted as ‘‘SBVWCD 
Equalization Land’’ on the Map and is to be con-
veyed to the United States if necessary to equalize 
the fair market values of the lands otherwise to be 
exchanged. 
(5) PUBLIC
EXCHANGE
PARCEL.—The term 
‘‘public exchange parcel’’ means the approximately 
90 acres of Federal land administered by the Bu-
reau of Land Management generally depicted as 
‘‘BLM Equalization Land to SBVWCD’’ on the Map 
and is to be conveyed to the Conservation District 
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if necessary to equalize the fair market values of the 
lands otherwise to be exchanged. 
(6) PUBLIC
LAND.—The term ‘‘public land’’ 
means the approximately 327 acres of Federal land 
administered by the Bureau of Land Management 
generally depicted as ‘‘BLM Land to SBVWCD’’ on 
the Map. 
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
SEC. 3. EXCHANGE OF LAND; EQUALIZATION OF VALUE. 
(a) EXCHANGE AUTHORIZED.—Notwithstanding the 
land use planning requirements of sections 202, 210, and 
211 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712, 1720–21), subject to valid existing 
rights, and conditioned upon any equalization payment 
necessary under section 206(b) of the Federal Land Policy 
and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716(b)), and 
subsection (b) of this Act, as soon as practicable, but not 
later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall— 
(1) quitclaim to the conservation district all 
right, title, and interest of the United States in and 
to the public land, and any such portion of the pub-
lic exchange parcel as may be required to equalize 
the values of the lands exchanged; and 
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(2) accept from the conservation district a con-
veyance of all right, title, and interest of the con-
servation district in and to the exchange land, and 
any such portion of the non-public exchange parcel 
as may be required to equalize the values of the 
lands exchanged. 
(b) EQUALIZATION PAYMENT.—To the extent an 
equalization payment is necessary under section 206(b) of 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
(43 U.S.C. 1716), the amount of such equalization pay-
ment shall first be made by way of in-kind transfer of such 
portion of the public exchange parcel to the conservation 
district, or transfer of such portion of the non-public ex-
change parcel to the United States, as the case may be, 
as may be necessary to equalize the fair market values 
of the exchanged properties, as such values are indicated 
by the appraisal provided for under the Federal Land Pol-
icy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716). Such 
appraisal shall include an appraisal of the public exchange 
parcel and the non-public exchange parcel. The fair mar-
ket value of the public exchange parcel or non-public ex-
change parcel, as the case may be, shall be credited 
against any required equalization payment. To the extent 
such credit is not sufficient to offset the entire amount 
of equalization payment so indicated, any remaining 
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amount of equalization payment shall be treated as fol-
lows: 
(1) If the equalization payment is to equalize 
values by which the public land exceeds the exchange 
land and the credited value of the non-public ex-
change parcel, conservation district may make the 
equalization payment to the United States, notwith-
standing any limitation regarding the amount of the 
equalization payment under section 206(b) of the 
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
(43 U.S.C. 1716). In the event conservation district 
opts not to make the indicated equalization payment, 
the exchange shall not proceed. 
(2) If the equalization payment is to equalize 
values by which the exchange land exceeds the public 
land and the credited value of the public exchange 
parcel, the Secretary shall order the exchange with-
out requirement of any additional equalization pay-
ment by the United States to the conservation dis-
trict. 
(c) MAP AND LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS.—As soon as 
practicable after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall finalize a map and legal descriptions 
of all land to be conveyed under this Act. The Secretary 
may correct any minor errors in the map or in the legal 
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descriptions. The map and legal descriptions shall be on 
file and available for public inspection in appropriate of-
fices of the Bureau of Land Management. 
(d) COSTS OF CONVEYANCE.—As a condition of con-
veyance, any costs related to the conveyance under this 
section shall be paid by the conservation district. 
SEC. 4. APPLICABLE LAW. 
(a) ACT OF FEBRUARY 20, 1909.— 
(1) The Act of February 20, 1909 (35 Stat. 
641), shall not apply to the public land and any pub-
lic exchange land transferred under this Act. 
(2) The exchange of lands under this section 
shall be subject to continuing rights of the conserva-
tion district under the Act of February 20, 1909 (35 
Stat. 641), on the exchange land and any exchanged 
portion of the non-public exchange parcel for the 
continued use, maintenance, operation, construction, 
or relocation of, or expansion of, groundwater re-
charge facilities on the exchange land, to accommo-
date groundwater recharge of the Bunker Hill Basin 
to the extent that such activities are not in conflict 
with any Habitat Conservation Plan or Habitat 
Management Plan under which such exchange land 
or non-public exchange parcel may be held or man-
aged. 
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(b) FLPMA.—Except as otherwise provided in this 
Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701, et seq.), shall apply to the ex-
change of land under this Act. 
SEC. 5. CANCELLATION OF SECRETARIAL ORDER 241. 
Secretarial Order 241, dated November 11, 1929 
(withdrawing a portion of the public land for an 
unconstructed transmission line), is terminated and the 
withdrawal thereby effected is revoked. 
Æ 
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