A bill to require the Secretary of Agriculture to release a reversionary interest in certain land in the Black River State Forest in Millston, Wisconsin, and for other purposes.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1262 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1262

   To require the Secretary of Agriculture to release a reversionary
 interest in certain land in the Black River State Forest in Millston,
                   Wisconsin, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 2, 2025

  Mr. Johnson (for himself and Ms. Baldwin) introduced the following
      bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
                  Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To require the Secretary of Agriculture to release a reversionary
 interest in certain land in the Black River State Forest in Millston,
                   Wisconsin, 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. RELEASE OF REVERSIONARY INTEREST, BLACK RIVER STATE FOREST,
              WISCONSIN.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Deli, inc.--The term ``Deli, Inc.'' means Deli, Inc., a
        sphagnum moss production business located in Millston,
        Wisconsin.
            (2) Deli land.--The term ``Deli land'' means the
        approximately 37.27 acres of land owned or optioned to acquire,
        subject to the approval of the land exchange by the Wisconsin
        Department of Natural Resources, the Wisconsin Natural
        Resources Board, and the Governor of the State, in 2 separate
        parcels, by Deli, Inc., located in Millston, Wisconsin, as
        depicted on the map and more particularly described as follows:
                    (A) The approximately 31.3-acre parcel (including
                land within the road right-of-way), together with any
                improvements--
                            (i) comprising the NE\1/4\NE\1/4\ of sec.
                        29, T. 20 N., R. 2 W., Town of Millston,
                        Jackson County, Wisconsin;
                            (ii) excluding--
                                    (I) land lying north of the
                                railroad right-of-way; and
                                    (II) a parcel 150 feet wide, with
                                50 feet lying to the northeast, and 100
                                feet to the southwest, of a line
                                commencing at a point 5 feet east of
                                the northwest corner of the quarter-
                                quarter section described in clause
                                (i), thence south 56 E. 39' a distance
                                of 222 feet, thence south 57 E. 31' a
                                distance of 1359 feet; and
                            (iii) subject to--
                                    (I) any public water use or
                                easements on Lee Lake; and
                                    (II) any easements or restrictions
                                of record, public roadways, zoning and
                                use ordinances, and the railroad right-
                                of-way.
                    (B) The approximately 5.97-acre parcel located in
                the SW\1/4\SW\1/4\ of sec. 20, T. 20 N., R. 4 W., Town
                of Millston, Jackson County, Wisconsin, comprising lot
                7 of Certified Survey Map No. 4483, as recorded in
                volume 19S of the certified survey maps, page 334, as
                Document No. 413440 in the Jackson County Register of
                Deeds.
            (3) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Black
        River State Forest - Deli, Inc.'' and dated June 26, 2023.
            (4) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of
        Wisconsin.
            (5) State forest land.--The term ``State forest land''
        means the approximately 31.83 acres of land located in the
        Black River State Forest in Millston, Wisconsin, as depicted on
        the map and more particularly described as follows:
                    (A) The 23.13-acre parcel--
                            (i) comprising the portion of the E\1/
                        2\SE\1/4\ of sec. 20, T. 20 N., R. 2. W., Town
                        of Millston, Jackson County, Wisconsin, lying
                        south of the Interstate 94 southern right-of-
                        way; and
                            (ii) excluding a triangular parcel in the
                        southwest corner described as commencing at the
                        southwest corner, thence east 260 feet, thence
                        northwesterly to a point on the west boundary
                        thereof 200 feet north of the southwest corner,
                        thence south to the place of beginning.
                    (B) The 8.70-acre parcel comprising the portion of
                the NE\1/4\NE\1/4\ of sec. 29, T. 20 N., R. 2. W., Town
                of Millston, Jackson County, Wisconsin, lying north of
                the railroad right-of-way, forming a triangular piece,
                and more particularly described as commencing at the
                northeast corner of that quarter-quarter section,
                thence west 1010 feet to the north line of the railroad
                right-of-way, thence southeasterly along the boundary
                of the railroad to the east line of that quarter-
                quarter section, thence north on the east line 750 feet
                to the place of beginning.
    (b) Conditional Release.--
            (1) Findings.--Congress finds that--
                    (A) the State forest land is subject to a
                reversionary interest of the United States pursuant to
                section 32(c) of The Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (7
                U.S.C. 1011(c)), requiring that the State forest land
                be used for public purposes in perpetuity; and
                    (B) the State and Deli, Inc. have agreed that--
                            (i) the State will convey to Deli, Inc. the
                        State forest land in exchange for the Deli
                        land; and
                            (ii) after that exchange, the Deli land
                        will be added to Black River State Forest in
                        the State.
            (2) Release.--If the State offers, in a written agreement,
        to convey to Deli, Inc., the State forest land in exchange for
        the conveyance of the Deli land by Deli, Inc. to the State--
                    (A) the reversionary interest of the United States
                in the State forest land shall be released; and
                    (B) the Secretary of Agriculture shall provide, as
                expeditiously as practicable, recordable evidence of
                the release under subparagraph (A) in the form of a
                quitclaim deed, which shall--
                            (i) convey any interest of the United
                        States in and to the State forest land, without
                        consideration; and
                            (ii) be provided to the State for recording
                        before the exchange deeds are recorded.
            (3) Corrections.--The Secretary of Agriculture, in
        consultation with the State, may make any necessary corrections
        to the legal description of the State forest land for purposes
        of the quitclaim deed described in paragraph (2)(B).
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