119-hr197

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 197 Reported in Senate

    (RS) ]

<DOC>

 Calendar No. 218
119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 197

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 January 22, 2025

 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
 Nutrition, and Forestry

 October 27, 2025

 Reported by Mr. Boozman, without amendment

_______________________________________________________________________

 AN ACT

 To provide for a land exchange in the Chippewa National Forest, 
 Minnesota, 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 2025''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) BWLT.--The term ``BWLT'' means Big Winnie Land and 
 Timber, LLC, a Minnesota Limited Liability Corporation.

    (2) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map entitled ``Heig 
 Land Exchange'' and dated December 14, 2023.

    (3) Federal land.--The term ``Federal land'' means the 
 approximately 17.5 acres of Federal land in Itasca County, 
 Minnesota, generally depicted as the ``Federal Parcel'' on the 
 Map.

    (4) Non-federal land.--The term ``non-Federal land'' means 
 the approximately 36.7 acres of non-Federal land in Itasca 
 County, Minnesota, generally depicted as the ``Non-Federal 
 Parcel'' on the Map.

    (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.

SEC. 3. EXCHANGE OF LAND.

    (a) Exchange Authorized.--Subject to the provisions of this Act, if 
BWLT offers to convey the non-Federal land to the United States, the 
Secretary shall, not later than 1 year after the date on which such 
offer is made--

    (1) accept the offer;

    (2) convey to BWLT all right, title, and interest of the 
 United States in and to the Federal land, excepting and 
 reserving an easement for road access to National Forest System 
 land west of the Federal Parcel; and

    (3) 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) conditioned on title approval for the non-Federal land 
 by the Secretary in accordance with subsection

    (e) ;

    (2) conditioned on a cash equalization payment made by BWLT 
 to the United States in accordance with subsection
            (c) 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;

    (3) conditioned on the satisfactory completion of a Phase I 
 Environmental Site Assessment by BWLT, provided to the 
 Secretary, in advance of the acceptance of the non-Federal 
 parcel;

    (4) subject to valid existing rights; and

    (5) subject to any other terms and conditions the Secretary 
 determines appropriate.
            (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.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
 if the appraised value of the non-Federal land to be conveyed 
 to the United States exceeds the appraised value of the Federal 
 land, a cash equalization payment by the United States to BWLT 
 is hereby 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 
 an independent and qualified appraiser mutually agreed to by 
 the Secretary and BWLT.

    (2) Appraisal standards.--The Secretary shall complete 
 appraisals 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 
United States under this Act shall be found sufficient by the Secretary 
pursuant to 

section 3111 of title 40, United States Code.

    (f) Management of Acquired Land.--The non-Federal land acquired by 
the United States 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 the 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, including with respect to the boundaries of 
 the Federal land and the non-Federal land.

    (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.

    (h) Closing Costs.--As a condition for the exchange under 
subsection

    (a) , BWLT shall pay all closing costs associated with the 
exchange, including for--

    (1) title insurance and title search;

    (2) any applicable inspection fees, escrow fees, attorneys 
 fees, and recording fees; and

    (3) any environmental analysis or resource survey required 
 under Federal law, regulation, or policy, including a Phase I 
 Environmental Site Assessment of the non-Federal land.
            (i) Survey.--

    (1) In general.--The exact acreages and legal descriptions 
 of the Federal and non-Federal land to be exchanged under 
 subsection

    (a) shall be determined by surveys satisfactory to 
 the Secretary.

    (2) Costs of survey.--BWLT shall bear all costs associated 
 with the surveys under paragraph

    (1) .
 Calendar No. 218

119th CONGRESS

 1st Session

 H. R. 197

_______________________________________________________________________

 AN ACT

 To provide for a land exchange in the Chippewa National Forest, 
 Minnesota, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 October 27, 2025

 Reported without amendment