Bill > HR197

This bill authorizes a land exchange between the U.S. Forest Service and Big Winnie Land and Timber, LLC (BWLT) in the Chippewa National Forest, Minnesota. Under the proposed exchange, BWLT would offer approximately 36.7 acres of non-Federal land to the United States in exchange for about 17.5 acres of Federal land in Itasca County. The Secretary of Agriculture must complete the exchange within one year of BWLT's offer, with several key conditions: the land swap must be for equal value (with any value differences settled through cash payments), subject to a satisfactory title review, contingent upon BWLT completing an environmental site assessment, and reserving a road access easement for the Forest Service. If the non-Federal land is actually more valuable than the Federal land, the excess value will be considered a donation by BWLT. The exchanged non-Federal land will be added to the Chippewa National Forest and managed according to existing National Forest System regulations. BWLT will be responsible for all associated closing costs, including title searches, inspections, legal fees, and survey expenses. The exchange will be documented through a map and legal descriptions, with the map serving as the controlling document in case of any discrepancies.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/197/all-info