Volume 96 · 1407

Public Law 97–302

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to release on behalf of the United States a reversionary interest in certain lands conveyed to the Arkansas Forestry Commission, and to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain mineral interests of the United States in such lands to such Commission.

Approved October 13, 1982

Statutory text

An Act

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

Section 1.

Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary of Agriculture

Arkansas Forestry Commission.

Certain lands, conveyance.

Southern Arkansas Land Utilization Project.

shall release on behalf of the United States, with respect to lands within the Southern Arkansas Land Utilization Project (AK–LU–22) conveyed by the United States to the Arkansas Forestry Commission (hereinafter referred to as the “Commission”) by a quitclaim deed dated February 11, 1980, the condition in such deed which requires that such lands be used for public purposes, and if not so used, that the lands revert to and revest in the United States.

Section 32(c) of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 1011(c)) shall not apply to the release authorized in paragraph (1).

The Secretary of Agriculture shall release the condition referred to in subsection (a)(1) only with respect to lands covered by and described in an agreement or agreements entered into between the Secretary and the Commission in which the Commission, in consideration of the release of such condition as to such lands, agrees that—

the Commission will not exchange any parcel or tract of the lands referred to in subsection (a)(1), or any mineral or other interest in any such parcel or tract for other property (real or personal) unless—

the fair market value of such property is approximately equal to the fair market value of such parcel or tract or interest therein, and

after such exchange, such property will be used exclusively for public purposes, and

the Commission will not sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of any parcel or tract of such lands or any mineral or other interest in any such parcel or tract unless the proceeds thereof are—

deposited and held in an account open to inspection by the Secretary of Agriculture, and

used, if withdrawn from such account, exclusively for public purposes within the authority of the Commission, and

equal to the fair market value of the fee, leasehold, interest in such parcel or tract, or other property right which is the subject of such sale, lease, or other disposition.

Sec. 2.

Subsequent to any release executed by the Secretary of

Nevada County, Ark

Agriculture under section 1, with respect to lands in Nevada County, Arkansas, described as the southeast quarter southwest quarter and southwest quarter southeast quarter, section 27, township 12 south, range 20 west (aggregating 80 acres more or less) the Commission may apply to the Secretary of the Interior seeking to acquire all the undivided mineral interests of the United States in the lands to which such release applied, and the Secretary of the Interior shall, subject to valid existing rights and subject to subsection (b), convey such mineral interests as requested.

The Secretary of the Interior shall not convey the undivided mineral interests of the United States in any lands as requested in an application filed by the Commission under subsection (a) unless—

such application is accompanied by a sum of money which the Secretary of the Interior determines is necessary to pay the administrative costs involved in conveying such mineral interests to the Commission, including the costs of determining the mineral character of such lands and the costs of establishing the fair market value of such mineral interests, and

the Commission, in consideration of such conveyance, pays to the Secretary of the Interior—

$1, in the case of any such lands determined by the Secretary of the Interior to have no mineral value and to be under no active mineral development or leasing, or

the fair market value of such mineral interests (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior), in the case of any such lands not subject to subparagraph (A).

Approved October 13, 1982.