16 U.S.C. § 521b: Report of Secretary of…

Summary

To help Congress oversee spending, the Secretary of Agriculture cannot buy or exchange National Forest System land costing $150,000 or more (for lands already approved by the National Forest Reservation Commission) until 30 days after sending a detailed report to the House Committee on Agriculture and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, unless both committees agree to a shorter wait. The report must include the rules used to decide to buy, the land’s location and size, the purchase price and how it was set, the seller’s name, and any value adjustment made under section 1716(f)(2)(B)(ii) of title 43.

Title 16, §521b

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For purposes of providing information that will aid the Congress in its oversight responsibilities and improve the accountability of expenditures for the acquisition of forest land, the Secretary of Agriculture may not hereafter enter into any land purchase or exchange relating to the National Forest System of $150,000 or more for the types of lands which have been heretofore approved by the National Forest Reservation Commission until after 30 days from the date upon which a detailed report of the facts concerning such proposed purchase or transfer is submitted to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate or such earlier time as may be approved by both such committees. Such report shall contain at least the following:

(1)guidelines utilized by the Secretary in determining that the land should be acquired;

(2)the location and size of the land;

(3)the purchase price of the land and the criteria used by the Secretary in determining such price;

(4)the person from whom the land is being acquired; and

(5)any adjustment made by the Secretary of relative value pursuant to section 1716(f)(2)(B)(ii) of title 43.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The National Forest Reservation Commission, referred to in text, was abolished and the functions thereof were transferred to the Secretary of Agriculture by section 17(a)(1) of Pub. L. 94–588, Oct. 22, 1976, 90 Stat. 2961.

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–437 in introductory provisions substituted “Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate” for “Agriculture and Forestry of the Senate”. 1988—Pub. L. 100–409 substituted “$150,000” for “$25,000” in introductory provisions and added par. (5).

§521b Report of Secretary of Agriculture Prior to Purchase or Exchange of Land; Contents; Waiting Period