A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to release on behalf of the United States a reversionary interest in certain lands conveyed to the Arkansas Forestry Commission, and to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain mineral interests of the United States in such lands to such Commission.
PL 97-302 (H.R.3881), enacted 10/13/1982

PUBLIC LAW 97-302—OCT. 13, 1982 
96 STAT. 1407 
Public Law 97-302 
97th Congress 
An Act 
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to release on behalf of the United States a 
reversionary interest in certain lands conveyed to the Arkansas Forestry Commis-
sion, and to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain mineral interests 
of the United States in such lands to such Commission. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. (a)(1) Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary of Agricul-
ture shall release on behalf of the United States, with respect to 
lands within the Southern Arkansas Land Utilization Project (AK-
LU-22) conveyed by the United States to the Arkansas Forestry 
Commission (hereinafter referred to as the "Commission") by a 
quitclaim deed dated February 11, 1980, the condition in such deed 
which requires that such lands be used for public purposes, and if 
not so used, that the lands revert to and revest in the United States. 
(2) Section 32(c) of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 
1011(c)) shall not apply to the release authorized in paragraph (1). 
(b) The Secretary of Agriculture shall release the condition re-
ferred to in subsection (a)(1) only with respect to lands covered by 
and described in an agreement or agreements entered into between 
the Secretary and the Commission in which the Commission, in 
consideration of the release of such condition as to such lands, 
agrees that— 
(1) the Commission will not exchange any parcel or tract of 
the lands referred to in subsection (a)(1), or any mineral or other 
interest in any such parcel or tract for other property (real or 
personal) unless— 
(A) the fair market value of such property is approxi-
mately equal to the fair market value of such parcel or 
tract or interest therein, and 
(B) after such exchange, such property will be used exclu-
sively for public purposes, and 
(2) the Commission will not sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of 
any parcel or tract of such lands or any mineral or other 
interest in any such parcel or tract unless the proceeds thereof 
are— 
(A) deposited and held in an account open to inspection 
by the Secretary of Agriculture, and 
(B) used, if withdrawn from such account, exclusively for 
public purposes within the authority of the Commission, 
and 
(C) equal to the fair market value of the fee, leasehold, 
interest in such parcel or tract, or other property right 
which is the subject of such sale, lease, or other disposition. 
SEC. 2. (a) Subsequent to any release executed by the Secretary of 
Agriculture under section 1, with respect to lands in Nevada 
County, Arkansas, described as the southeast quarter southwest 
quarter and southwest quarter southeast quarter, section 27, town-
ship 12 south, range 20 west (aggregating 80 acres more or less) the 
Oct. 13, 1982 
[H.R. 3881] 
Arkansas 
Forestry 
Commission. 
Certain lands, 
conveyance. 
Southern 
Arkansas Land 
Utilization 
Project. 
Nevada County, 
Ark. 
96 STAT. 1408 
PUBLIC LAW 97-302—OCT. 13, 1982 
Commission may apply to the Secretary of the Interior seeking to 
acquire all the undivided mineral interests of the United States in 
the lands to which such release applied, and the Secretary of the 
Interior shall, subject to valid existing rights and subject to subsec-
tion (b), convey such mineral interests as requested. 
(b) The Secretary of the Interior shall not convey the undivided 
mineral interests of the United States in any lands as requested in 
an application filed by the Commission under subsection (a) unless— 
(1) such application is accompanied by a sum of money which 
the Secretary of the Interior determines is necessary to pay the 
administrative costs involved in conveying such mineral inter-
ests to the Commission, including the costs of determining the 
mineral character of such lands and the costs of establishing the 
fair market value of such mineral interests, and 
(2) the Commission, in consideration of such conveyance, pays 
to the Secretary of the Interior— 
(A) $1, in the case of any such lands determined by the 
Secretary of the Interior to have no mineral value and to be 
under no active mineral development or leasing, or 
(B) the fair market value of such mineral interests (as 
determined by the Secretary of the Interior), in the case of 
any such lands not subject to subparagraph (A). 
Approved October 18, 1982. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 3881: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 97-447 Pt. I (Comm. on Agriculture), Pt. II (Comm. on Interior 
and Insular Affairs). 
SENATE REPORT No. 97-570 (Comm. on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 128 (1982): 
May 17, considered and passed House. 
Sept. 29, considered and passed Senate. 
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 18, No. 41 (1982): 
Oct. 14, Presidential statement.