RELEASING A FEDERAL REVERSIONARY INTEREST IN CHESTER COUNTY, TENNESSEE; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 2
(Senate - January 06, 2020)

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[Pages S26-S27]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RELEASING A FEDERAL REVERSIONARY INTEREST IN CHESTER COUNTY, TENNESSEE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 377, S. 3076.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 3076) to release a federal reversionary interest 
     in Chester County, Tennessee, to manage certain Federal land 
     in Bath County, Virginia, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I further ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 3076) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed as follows:

                                S. 3076

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. CHESTER COUNTY REVERSIONARY INTEREST RELEASE.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Agriculture.
       (2) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of 
     Tennessee.
       (3) State forest land.--The term ``State forest land'' 
     means the approximately 0.62-acre parcel of land in Chickasaw 
     State Forest that is identified as ``State Forest Land'' on 
     the map prepared by the Forest Service entitled ``State 
     Forest Land Detail Map'' and dated December 13, 2019.
       (4) Webb property.--The term ``Webb property'' means the 
     approximately 0.90-acre parcel of land owned by Kirby and 
     Leta Webb

[[Page S27]]

     identified as ``Webb Property Lot 1'' on the map entitled 
     ``Webb Property Detail Map'' and dated December 13, 2019.
       (b) Release of Reversionary Interest.--
       (1) Release.--On the transfer of ownership of the Webb 
     property to the State for inclusion in the Chickasaw State 
     Forest and the transfer of the State forest land to the State 
     or a non-State entity, by request of the State, the Secretary 
     shall release to the State, without consideration, the 
     reversionary interest of the United States in and to the 
     State forest land described in paragraph (2).
       (2) Description of reversionary interest.--The reversionary 
     interest referred to in paragraph (1) is the reversionary 
     interest of the United States in and to the State forest land 
     that--
       (A) requires that the State forest land be used for public 
     purposes; and
       (B) is contained in a deed--
       (i) granting from the United States to the State the State 
     forest land;
       (ii) dated August 12, 1955; and
       (iii) registered on pages 588 through 591 of book 48 of the 
     record of deeds for Chester County, Tennessee.
       (c) Sale of Mineral Rights.--
       (1) In general.--Subject to any valid existing rights of 
     third parties, as soon as practicable after the date on which 
     all actions described in subsection (b)(1) have been carried 
     out, the Secretary shall offer to sell to the State the 
     undivided mineral interests of the United States in and to 
     the State forest land.
       (2) Terms of sale.--
       (A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall determine--
       (i) the mineral character of the State forest land; and
       (ii) the market value of the mineral interests referred to 
     in paragraph (1), as determined by an appraisal conducted in 
     accordance with subparagraph (C).
       (B) Payment of costs.--As a condition of any sale under 
     this subsection, the State shall pay to the United States--
       (i) any administrative costs incurred by the United States 
     in selling to the State the mineral interests referred to in 
     paragraph (1), including the costs incurred by the Secretary 
     in making the determinations required under subparagraph (A); 
     and
       (ii) an amount equal to the market value of the mineral 
     interests referred to in paragraph (1), as determined under 
     subparagraph (A)(ii).
       (C) Appraisal requirements.--An appraisal conducted under 
     subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be--
       (i) consistent with the Uniform Appraisal Standards for 
     Federal Land Acquisitions and the Uniform Standards of 
     Professional Appraisal Practice; and
       (ii) subject to the approval of the Secretary.

     SEC. 2. ADDITIONS TO ROUGH MOUNTAIN AND RICH HOLE 
                   WILDERNESSES.

       (a) Rough Mountain Addition.--Section 1 of Public Law 100-
     326 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; 102 Stat. 584; 114 Stat. 2057; 123 
     Stat. 1002) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(21) Rough mountain addition.--Certain land in the George 
     Washington National Forest comprising approximately 1,000 
     acres, as generally depicted as the `Rough Mountain Addition' 
     on the map entitled `GEORGE WASHINGTON NATIONAL FOREST - 
     South half - Alternative I - Selected Alternative Management 
     Prescriptions - Land and Resources Management Plan Final 
     Environmental Impact Statement' and dated March 4, 2014, 
     which is incorporated in the Rough Mountain Wilderness Area 
     designated by paragraph (1).''.
       (b) Rich Hole Addition.--
       (1) Potential wilderness designation.--In furtherance of 
     the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), 
     certain land in the George Washington National Forest 
     comprising approximately 4,600 acres, as generally depicted 
     as the ``Rich Hole Addition'' on the map entitled ``GEORGE 
     WASHINGTON NATIONAL FOREST - South half - Alternative I - 
     Selected Alternative Management Prescriptions - Land and 
     Resources Management Plan Final Environmental Impact 
     Statement'' and dated March 4, 2014, is designated as a 
     potential wilderness area for incorporation in the Rich Hole 
     Wilderness Area designated by section 1(2) of Public Law 100-
     326 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; 102 Stat. 584; 114 Stat. 2057; 123 
     Stat. 1002).
       (2) Wilderness designation.--The potential wilderness area 
     designated by paragraph (1) shall be designated as wilderness 
     and incorporated in the Rich Hole Wilderness Area designated 
     by section 1(2) of Public Law 100-326 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; 
     102 Stat. 584; 114 Stat. 2057; 123 Stat. 1002) on the earlier 
     of--
       (A) the date on which the Secretary publishes in the 
     Federal Register notice that the activities permitted under 
     paragraph (4) have been completed; or
       (B) the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of 
     this Act.
       (3) Management.--Except as provided in paragraph (4), the 
     Secretary shall manage the potential wilderness area 
     designated by paragraph (1) in accordance with the Wilderness 
     Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.).
       (4) Water quality improvement activities.--
       (A) In general.--To enhance natural ecosystems within the 
     potential wilderness area designated by paragraph (1) by 
     implementing certain activities to improve water quality and 
     aquatic passage, as set forth in the Forest Service document 
     entitled ``Decision Notice for the Lower Cowpasture 
     Restoration and Management Project'' and dated December 2015, 
     the Secretary may use motorized equipment and mechanized 
     transport in the potential wilderness area until the date on 
     which the potential wilderness area is incorporated into the 
     Rich Hole Wilderness Area under paragraph (2).
       (B) Requirement.--In carrying out subparagraph (A), the 
     Secretary, to the maximum extent practicable, shall use the 
     minimum tool or administrative practice necessary to carry 
     out that subparagraph with the least amount of adverse impact 
     on wilderness character and resources.

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