Transfer of Lands in Calaveras Big Trees National Forest to State of CaliforniaPuspan. L. 101–436, Oct. 17, 1990, 104 Stat. 993, provided that:“SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.“(a)Findings.—The Congress finds and declares that—“(1) in order to protect certain outstanding examples of ponderosa pine, sugar pine, and giant sequoia trees located in the North and South Calaveras Groves, on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the State of California has established the Calaveras Big Trees State Park;
“(2) for similar purposes, the United States has designated certain adjacent Federal lands, amounting to approximately 379 acres, as the Calaveras Big Trees National Forest; and
“(3) this National Forest (managed as part of the Stanislaus National Forest) is the smallest National Forest in the United States and could be more appropriately and efficiently managed as part of the Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
“(span)Purpose.—The purpose of this Act is to improve the management of the lands located in the Calaveras Big Trees National Forest, and to protect certain examples of ponderosa pine, sugar pine, and giant sequoia trees, by unifying the management of the lands in such National Forest and in the California Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
“SEC. 2. LAND CONVEYANCE.“(a)Conveyance.—Subject to valid existing rights and the provisions of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ‘Secretary’) is authorized and directed to convey all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to lands and interests therein within the Calaveras Big Trees National Forest, as generally depicted on a map numbered 20435 and dated June 5, 1989, prepared by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, to the State of California for inclusion within the Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
“(span)Map and Description.—As soon as practicable after the enactment of this Act [Oct. 17, 1990], the Secretary shall submit a map and legal description of the lands referred to in subsection (a) to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs [now Committee on Natural Resources] of the United States House of Representatives, and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. Such map and legal description shall have the same force and effect as if included in this Act, except that any clerical or typographical errors in such map or legal description may be corrected. The Secretary shall place such map and legal description on file, and make them available for public inspection, in the Office of the Chief of the Forest Service.
“(c)Conditions of Conveyance.—Conveyance of the lands and interests described in subsection (a) of this section shall be subject to the following conditions:“(1) The conveyance shall take place only if within two years after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 17, 1990], there is concluded an agreement between the State of California and the Secretary whereby the State of California agrees to provide to the United States, in exchange for the lands described in subsection (a) and pursuant to terms and conditions which the Secretary finds acceptable, consideration of approximately equal value. Such consideration shall include either lands in California that the Secretary finds suitable for addition to, and are contiguous to, one or more units of the National Forest System, cash payment, or monetary grants awarded to the United States after June 1, 1990, or any combination thereof.
“(2) No harvest of timber (except as may be necessary for the control of fire, insects, or disease) and no mining, mineral leasing, or geothermal exploration or development shall be permitted on such lands;
“(3) Any action by the State of California to convey any portion of such lands or interests to any entity other than the United States shall be void aspan initio and shall result in the reversion to the United States of all right, title, and interest in such lands;
“(4) Any action by the State of California to permit the use of any portion of such lands for any purpose prohibited by this subsection or any purpose incompatible with the continued ability of such lands to support ponderosa pine, sugar pine, or giant sequoia trees, shall result in the reversion of all right, title, and interest in such lands to the United States. Any such lands which revert to the United States shall be incorporated into the Stanislaus National Forest and managed to preserve and protect the stands of ponderosa pine, sugar pine, and giant sequoia trees located on such lands.
“(5) The Secretary, acting through the Forest Service, shall be afforded by appropriate officials of the State of California reasonable opportunities to collect seeds from trees located on such lands for scientific or silvicultural purposes.
“(6) The Secretary, upon prior notification to the State of California, shall be entitled at any time to enter upon such lands for the purpose of monitoring the management of such lands and the compliance of the State of California with the provisions of this subsection.
“(7) The conveyance shall be subject to the following reservations or exceptions:“(A) existing ditches and canals as authorized by the Act of August 30, 1890 (43 U.S.C. 945); and “(B) any existing rights-of-way to provide the United States and its assigns access to federally owned lands.
“(d)Enforcement.—Upon the request of the Secretary, the Attorney General shall bring any action or take any other steps necessary to enforce the provisions of subsection (c) of this section.
“(e)Timing, Value, and Status.—(1) Conveyance of lands to the State of California pursuant to this Act shall occur when the agreement described in paragraph (1) of subsection (c) has been reached. The restrictions and conditions specified in paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), and (7) of subsection (c) shall be included in the instruments of conveyance of lands to the State of California.
“(2) Effective upon the conveyance to the State of California of lands described in subsection (a) of this section, or two years after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 17, 1990], whichever is sooner, the National Forest designation of such lands shall terminate. Any such lands not conveyed to the State of California shall thereupon be incorporated into the Stanislaus National Forest and managed to preserve and protect the stands of ponderosa pine, sugar pine, and giant sequoia trees located on such lands.
“(3) Any lands conveyed to the United States pursuant to this Act shall be deemed national forest lands and managed according to the laws governing the management of the National Forest System. If any such lands are outside existing boundaries of one or more National Forests, the Secretary shall modify such boundaries as he deems appropriate to include such lands.
“(4) Values of the respective lands exchanged between the United States and the State of California pursuant to this Act shall be of ‘approximately equal value’ as that term is defined by regulations implementing the Act of January 12, 1983, known as the Small Tracts Act (16 U.S.C. 521c–521i).”
