§ 2200.0-6 - Policy.

§ 2200.0-6 Policy.

(a) Discretionary nature of exchanges. The Secretary is not required to exchange any Federal lands. Land exchanges are discretionary, voluntary real estate transactions between the Federal and non-Federal parties. Unless and until the parties enter into a binding exchange agreement, any party may withdraw from and terminate an exchange proposal or an agreement to initiate an exchange at any time during the exchange process, without any obligation to reimburse, or incur any liability to, any party, person or other entity.

(b) Determination of public interest. The authorized officer may complete an exchange only after a determination is made that the public interest will be well served. When considering the public interest, the authorized officer shall give full consideration to the opportunity to achieve better management of Federal lands, to meet the needs of State and local residents and their economies, and to secure important objectives, including but not limited to: Protection of fish and wildlife habitats, cultural resources, watersheds, wilderness and aesthetic values; enhancement of recreation opportunities and public access; consolidation of lands and/or interests in lands, such as mineral and timber interests, for more logical and efficient management and development; consolidation of split estates; expansion of communities; accommodation of land use authorizations; promotion of multiple-use values; and fulfillment of public needs. In making this determination, the authorized officer must find that:

(1) The resource values and the public objectives that the Federal lands or interests to be conveyed may serve if retained in Federal ownership are not more than the resource values of the non-Federal lands or interests and the public objectives they could serve if acquired, and

(2) The intended use of the conveyed Federal lands will not, in the determination of the authorized officer, significantly conflict with established management objectives on adjacent Federal lands and Indian trust lands. Such finding and the supporting rationale shall be made part of the administrative record.

(c) Equal value exchanges. Except as provided in § 2201.5 of this part, lands or interests to be exchanged shall be of equal value or equalized in accordance with the methods set forth in § 2201.6 of this part. An exchange of lands or interests shall be based on market value as determined by the Secretary through appraisal(s), through bargaining based on appraisal(s), or through arbitration.

(d) Same-State exchanges. The Federal and non-Federal lands involved in an exchange authorized pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, shall be located within the same State.

(e) O and C land exchanges. Non-Federal lands acquired in exchange for revested Oregon and California Railroad Company Grant lands or reconveyed Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands are required to be located within any one of the 18 counties in which the original grants were made, and, upon acquisition by the United States, automatically shall assume the same status as the lands for which they were exchanged.

(f) Congressional designations. Upon acceptance of title by the United States, lands acquired by an exchange that are within the boundaries of any unit of the National Forest System, National Park System, National Wildlife Refuge System, National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, National Trails System, National Wilderness Preservation System, or any other system established by Act of Congress; the California Desert Conservation Area; or any national conservation or national recreation area established by Act of Congress, immediately are reserved for and become part of the unit or area within which they are located, without further action by the Secretary, and thereafter shall be managed in accordance with all laws, rules, regulations, and land use plans applicable to such unit or area.

(g) Land and resource management planning. The authorized officer shall consider only those exchange proposals that are in conformance with land use plans or plan amendments, where applicable. Lands acquired by an exchange within a Bureau of Land Management district shall automatically become public lands as defined in 43 U.S.C. 1702 and shall become part of that district. The acquired lands shall be managed in accordance with existing regulations and provisions of applicable land use plans and plan amendments. Lands acquired by an exchange that are located within the boundaries of areas of critical environmental concern or any other area having an administrative designation established through the land use planning process shall automatically become part of the unit or area within which they are located, without further action by the Bureau of Land Management, and shall be managed in accordance with all laws, rules, regulations, and land use plans applicable to such unit or area.

(h) Environmental analysis. After an agreement to initiate an exchange is signed, an environmental analysis shall be conducted by the authorized officer in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4371), the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and the environmental policies and procedures of the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management. In making this analysis, the authorized officer shall consider timely written comments received in response to the published exchange notice, pursuant to § 2201.2 of this part.

(i) Reservations or restrictions in the public interest. In any exchange, the authorized officer shall reserve such rights or retain such interests as are needed to protect the public interest or shall otherwise restrict the use of Federal lands to be exchanged, as appropriate. The use or development of lands conveyed out of Federal ownership are subject to any restrictions imposed by the conveyance documents and all laws, regulations, and zoning authorities of State and local governing bodies.

(j) Hazardous substances -

(1) Federal lands. The authorized officer shall determine whether hazardous substances may be present on the Federal lands involved in an exchange and shall provide notice of known storage, release, or disposal of hazardous substances on the Federal lands to the other parties in accordance with the provisions of 40 CFR part 373. The authorized officer shall provide this notice in the exchange agreement. The authorized officer shall also provide such notice, to the extent information is readily available, in the agreement to initiate an exchange. Unless the non-Federal party is a potentially responsible party under 42 U.S.C. 9607(a), the conveyance document from the United States shall contain a covenant in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 9620(h)(3). Where the non-Federal party is a potentially responsible party with respect to the property, it may be appropriate to enter into an agreement, as referenced in 42 U.S.C. 9607(e), whereby that party would indemnify the United States and hold the United States harmless against any loss or cleanup costs after conveyance.

(2) Non-Federal lands. The non-Federal party shall notify the authorized officer of any known, suspected and/or reasonably ascertainable storage, release, or disposal of hazardous substances on the non-Federal land pursuant to § 2201.1 of this part. Notwithstanding such notice, the authorized officer shall determine whether hazardous substances are known to be present on the non-Federal land involved in an exchange. If hazardous substances are known or believed to be present on the non-Federal land, the authorized officer shall reach an agreement with the non-Federal party regarding the responsibility for appropriate response action concerning the hazardous substances before completing the exchange. The terms of this agreement and any appropriate “hold harmless” agreement shall be included in an exchange agreement, pursuant to § 2201.7-2 of this part.

(k) Legal description of properties. All lands subject to an exchange shall be properly described on the basis of either a survey executed in accordance with the Public Land Survey System laws and standards of the United States or, if those laws and standards cannot be applied, the lands shall be properly described and clearly locatable by other means as may be prescribed or allowed by law.

(l) Unsurveyed school sections. For purposes of exchange only, unsurveyed school sections, which would become State lands upon survey by the Secretary, are considered as “non-Federal” lands and may be used by the State in an exchange with the United States. However, minerals shall not be reserved by the State when unsurveyed sections are used in an exchange. As a condition of the exchange, the State shall have waived, in writing, all rights to unsurveyed sections used in the exchange.

(m) Coordination with State and local governments. At least 60 days prior to the conveyance of and upon issuance of the deed or patent for Federal lands, the authorized officer will notify the Governor of the State within which the Federal lands covered by the notice are located and the head of the governing body of any political subdivision having zoning or other land use regulatory authority in the geographical area within which the Federal lands are located.

(n) Fee coal exchanges. As part of the consideration of whether public interest would be served by the acquisition of fee coal through exchange, the provisions of subpart 3461 of this title shall be applied and shall be evaluated as a factor and basis for the exchange.