Walnut Grove Land Exchange Act

Bill: 115-s-3224
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR]
Introduced: 2018-07-17
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Arkansas

Forests, forestry, trees

Land transfers

Religion
Latest action: action_date: 2018-07-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-07-17
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Walnut Grove Land Exchange Act </b></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of Agriculture, if the Walnut Grove Church in Garland County, Arkansas, offers to convey to the United States approximately 6.3 acres of nonfederal land in the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas and Oklahoma and identified as Offered Tract 5742, to convey, in exchange, to the church approximately 4 acres identified as Selected Tract 5743. </p> <p>The federal and nonfederal lands under the exchange shall be of equal value, or the values shall be equalized by a cash payment, unless the value of the offered tract exceeds that of the selected tract. </p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3224 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 17, 2018 Mr. Boozman (for himself and Mr. Cotton ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange certain public lands in Ouachita National Forest, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Walnut Grove Land Exchange Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Church The term Church means the Walnut Grove Church in Garland County, Arkansas. (2) Offered Tract The term Offered Tract means all right, title, and interest of the Church in and to approximately 6.3 acres of non-Federal land identified as Offered Tract 5742 on the Detail Map of the Walnut Grove Exchange, Ouachita National Forest map (printed date May 11, 2017). (3) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture. (4) Selected Tract The term Selected Tract means all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to approximately 4 acres identified as Selected Tract 5743 on the Detail Map of the Walnut Grove Exchange, Ouachita National Forest map (printed date May 11, 2017). 3. Exchange of land; equalization of value (a) Exchange authorized Subject to the provisions of this Act, not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, if the Church offers to convey the Offered Tract to the United States, the Secretary shall— (1) convey to the Church all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the Selected Tract; and (2) accept from the Church a conveyance of all right, title, and interest of the Church in and to the Offered Tract. (b) Requirements The exchange under subsection (a) shall be— (1) subject to valid existing rights; (2) conditioned on an equalization payment made by the Church in accordance with subsection (c); and (3) conditioned on the payment of the costs described in subsection (g). (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 value of the Offered Tract exceeds the Selected Tract, an equalization payment shall not be required. (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. (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 and valuation to the land to be exchanged under this Act shall be in a format acceptable to the Secretary and the Church. (f) Map and legal descriptions (1) In general 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. (2) Corrections The Secretary may correct any minor errors in the map or in the legal descriptions. (3) Map on file The map and legal descriptions shall be on file and available for public inspection in appropriate offices of the United States Forest Service. (g) Costs of conveyance As a condition of conveyance, any costs related to the conveyance under this section shall be paid by the Church.