Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.8583 | Sponsor: Rep. Stauber, Pete (R-MN)
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange Act of 2022
This bill requires the exchange of certain federal lands in the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota.
The bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA), if Big Winnie Land and Timber, LLC, (BWLT) offers to convey identified nonfederal land to the United States, to (1) accept the offer and convey to BWLT all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the federal land; and (2) accept from BWLT all right, title, and interest of BWLT in and to the nonfederal land.
The exchange shall be for equal value or the values shall be equalized by a cash payment, subject to an exception.
The land acquired by USDA shall be added to and managed as part of Chippewa National Forest.

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange certain public lands 
          in Chippewa National Forest, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange 
Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) BWLT.--The term ``BWLT'' means Big Winnie Land and 
        Timber, LLC, a Minnesota Limited Liability Corporation.
            (2) Federal land.--The term ``Federal land'' means the 
        approximately 7.6 acres of Federal land generally depicted as 
        the ``Federal Parcel for Exchange'' on the Map.
            (3) Map.--The term ``Map'' means sheets 2 and 3 of the map 
        entitled ``Proposed Land Exchange - Bowen Lodge Inc. and 
        Chippewa National Forest'' and dated March 30, 2022.
            (4) Non-federal land.--The term ``non-Federal land'' means 
        the approximately 37.5 acres generally depicted as the ``non-
        Federal Parcel for Exchange'' on the Map.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.

SEC. 3. EXCHANGE OF LAND.

    (a) Exchange Authorized.--Subject to the provisions of this Act, 
not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, if 
BWLT offers to convey the non-Federal land to the United States, the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) accept the offer and convey to BWLT all right, title, 
        and interest of the United States in and to the Federal land; 
        and
            (2) accept from BWLT all right, title, and interest of BWLT 
        in and to the non-Federal land.
    (b) Requirements.--The exchange under subsection (a) shall be--
            (1) subject to valid existing rights; and
            (2) if, under the appraisals conducted in accordance with 
        this Act, it is determined that the value of the Federal land 
        exceeds the value of the non-Federal land, conditioned on a 
        cash equalization payment made by BWLT to the United States in 
        accordance with subsection (c).
    (c) Equal Value and Cash Equalization.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        exchange under subsection (a) shall be for equal value or the 
        values shall be equalized by a cash payment.
            (2) Exception.--If the appraised value of the non-Federal 
        land conveyed to the Secretary exceeds the appraised value of 
        the Federal land, a cash equalization payment by the United 
        States to BWLT is waived and the amount of such waived payment 
        shall be considered a donation by BWLT to the United States for 
        all purposes of law.
    (d) Appraisals.--
            (1) In general.--The value of the land to be exchanged 
        under this Act shall be determined by appraisals conducted by 
        one or more independent and qualified appraisers mutually 
        agreed to by the Secretary and BWLT.
            (2) Appraisal standards.--The Secretary shall complete an 
        appraisal of the land to be exchanged under this Act in 
        accordance with--
                    (A) the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal 
                Land Acquisitions; and
                    (B) the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal 
                Practice.
    (e) Format.--Title to the non-Federal land to be conveyed to the 
Secretary under this Act shall be in a format acceptable to the 
Secretary.
    (f) Management of Acquired Land.--The land acquired by the 
Secretary under subsection (a) shall be--
            (1) added to, and managed as part of, the Chippewa National 
        Forest; and
            (2) managed in accordance with the laws, rules, and 
        regulations pertaining to National Forest System lands.
    (g) Map and Legal Descriptions.--
            (1) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall finalize a Map and 
        legal descriptions of all land to be conveyed under this Act.
            (2) Controlling document.--In the case of a discrepancy 
        between the Map and a legal description, the Map shall control.
            (3) Corrections.--The Secretary and BWLT, by mutual 
        agreement, may correct any minor errors in the Map or in the 
        legal descriptions.
            (4) Map on file.--The Map and legal descriptions shall be 
        on file and available for public inspection in appropriate 
        offices of the Forest Service.
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