Selling Off Small Plots of National Forest Land (H.R. 1214)

What is H.R. 1214?

(Updated February 4, 2018)

This bill would allow for the sale of small, isolated parcels of National Forest lands, including special use land, like cemeteries.

Isolated, inaccessible, and difficult to access parcels under 40 acres would be eligible for purchase at a price determined by the managing agency — but no more than $500,000. These parcels would be transferred over to new owners with long-term special use permits with accompanying potential liability issues covering cemeteries, landfills, and sewage treatment facilities.

This bill would eliminate the need for individual legislative proposals to address these types of land transfers. It would also resolve encroachments of permanent structures that can’t be settled under current laws.

Proceeds from the sale of National Forest lands would be deposited into a Sisk Act account, and those funds could then be used for acquisition of lands for administrative sites or recreation, or to maintain administrative sites, improve recreational access, or cover administrative costs from the sale.

Argument in favor

These are small, remote, and inaccessible parts of National Forests — they won’t be missed, and the funds could be used to maintain the more recreation-friendly land.

Argument opposed

Not requiring a Congressional vote on these transfers could lead to an unwitting transfer of more valuable land that would be better off in federal hands.

Impact

People who want to buy small parcels of National Forest land, and the National Forest System.

Cost of H.R. 1214

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Sales of National Forest land under this act would be deposited into a Sisk Act account — generally used to purchase similar land in the same state — as the initial transaction.

If this bill were to become law, Congress would no longer have to adopt legislation in order to transfer ownership of things like cemeteries. An example of the bureaucratic delays caused by this, can be seen with Rep. Kristi Noem's (R-SD) Black Hills Cemetery Act introduced in January 2013. Passed the House on a 390-2 vote and in the Senate unanimously, the bill didn’t become law until July 2014.

Media:

• House Committee on Natural Resources Markup Summary
• Forest Service (Context)

Summary by Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: Flickr user Andrew V Kearns)