Title: Big Bear Land Exchange Act
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Big Bear Land Exchange Act
This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to convey 73 acres of identified Forest Service land to the County of San Bernardino, California, in exchange for approximately 71 acres of identified land owned by the county. Before completing the exchange, the USDA must relocate the portion of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail that is located on the federal land to adjacent National Forest System land.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5513 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5513

    To provide for an exchange of lands with San Bernardino County, 
 California, to enhance management of lands within the San Bernardino 
                National Forest, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 13, 2018

   Mr. Cook introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To provide for an exchange of lands with San Bernardino County, 
 California, to enhance management of lands within the San Bernardino 
                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 ``Big Bear Land Exchange Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) County.--The term ``County'' means the County of San 
        Bernardino, California.
            (2) Federal land.--The term ``Federal land'' means the 
        approximately 73 acres of Federal land administered by the 
        Forest Service generally depicted as ``Federal Land'' on the 
        Map.
            (3) Non-federal land.--The term ``non-Federal land'' means 
        the approximately 71 acres owned by the County generally 
        depicted as ``Non-Federal Land'' on the Map.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
            (5) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map titled ``Big Bear 
        Land Exchange'' and dated August 10, 2017.

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 the enactment of this Act, if the County offers to convey the non-
Federal land to the United States, the Secretary shall--
            (1) convey to the County all right, title, and interest of 
        the United States in and to the Federal land; and
            (2) accept from the County a conveyance of all right, 
        title, and interest of the County in and to the non-Federal 
        land.
    (b) Equal Value and Cash Equalization.--
            (1) Equal value exchange.--The land exchange under this 
        section shall be for equal value, or the values shall be 
        equalized by a cash payment as provided for under this 
        subsection.
            (2) Cash equalization payment.--The County or the 
        Secretary, as appropriate, may equalize the values of the lands 
        to be exchanged under this section by cash payment without 
        regard to any statutory limit on the amount of such a cash 
        equalization payment.
            (3) Deposit and use of funds received from county.--Any 
        cash equalization payment received by the Secretary under this 
        subsection shall be deposited in the fund established under 
        Public Law 90-171 (16 U.S.C. 484a; commonly known as the Sisk 
        Act). The funds so deposited shall remain available to the 
        Secretary, until expended, for the acquisition of lands, 
        waters, and interests in land for the San Bernardino National 
        Forest.
            (4) Source of funds for payment by secretary.--If the 
        Secretary will make a cash equalization payment to the County 
        under this subsection, the Secretary may use funds available 
        from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Act of June 15, 
        1938 (Chapter 438; 52 Stat. 699, commonly known as the Receipts 
        Act of 1938), or capital improvement funds.
    (c) Appraisals.--The value of the land to be exchanged under this 
Act shall be determined by appraisals conducted--
            (1) by one or more independent and qualified appraisers; 
        and
            (2) in accordance with nationally recognized appraisal 
        standards, including, as appropriate, the Uniform Appraisal 
        Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions and the Uniform 
        Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.
    (d) Title Approval.--Title to the land to be exchanged under this 
Act shall be in a format acceptable to the Secretary and the County.
    (e) Survey of Non-Federal Lands.--Before completing the exchange 
under this Act, the Secretary shall inspect the non-Federal lands to 
ensure that the land meets Federal standards, including hazardous 
materials and land line surveys.
    (f) Costs of Conveyance.--As a condition of conveyance, any costs 
related to the exchange under this section shall be paid by the County.
    (g) Management of Acquired Lands.--The Secretary shall manage the 
non-Federal land acquired under this section in accordance with the Act 
of March 1, 1911 (16 U.S.C. 480 et seq.; commonly known as the Weeks 
Act), and other laws and regulations pertaining to National Forest 
System lands.
    (h) Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail Relocation.--Before 
completing the land exchange under this section, the Secretary shall 
relocate the portion of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail located 
on the Federal land to adjacent National Forest System land. The trail 
relocation shall be conducted without further environmental analysis.
    (i) 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 
descriptions. 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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