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, USDA must relocate the portion of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail that is located on the federal land to (1) adjacent National Forest System land; (2) land owned by the county, subject to county approval; (3) land within the federal land, subject to county approval; or (4) a combination of any of these.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 255 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 255

    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

                            January 4, 2019

   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 Proposed 
        for Exchange'' 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 Proposed for Exchange'' 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 6, 2018.

SEC. 3. EXCHANGE OF LAND; EQUALIZATION OF VALUE.

    (a) Exchange Authorized.--Subject to valid existing rights and the 
terms of this Act, no later than one year after the date that the 
portion of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail is relocated in 
accordance with subsection (h), 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 or an adjustment in acreage. At the option of the 
        County, any excess value of the non-Federal lands may be 
        considered a gift to the United States.
            (2) Cash equalization payment.--The County 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.
    (c) Appraisal.--The Secretary shall complete an appraisal of the 
land to be exchanged under subsection (a) in accordance with--
            (1) the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land 
        Acquisitions; and
            (2) 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.--No later than 
three years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in 
accordance with applicable laws, shall relocate the portion of the 
Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail located on the Federal land to--
            (1) adjacent National Forest System land;
            (2) land owned by the County, subject to County approval;
            (3) land within the Federal land, subject to County 
        approval; or
            (4) a combination of paragraphs (1), (2), and (3).
    (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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