Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 197 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 197

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 3, 2025

  Mr. Stauber (for himself and Mr. Finstad) introduced the following
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

    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).
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