[MPWG] Forest Land Sales to Support Rural Schools - Public comment period ends March 30

[Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov]

Pardon the cross-postings.

Public comment is being sought for a proposal from the US Forest Service 
to sell parcels of land in order to pay for rural schools.  I had a hard 
time finding the actual federal register notice.  I'm sure there is a lot 
more to this issue than what I've provided but this is a start.

A copy of the FR notice
An article from the Charleston Gazette

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Comment Period Open for Proposed Sale of National Forest Land
Secure Rural Schools Land Sales Initiative

http://yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_32355.shtml
By: USDA
Published: Mar 2, 2006 at 15:17





The Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and 
organizations on the list of National Forest System land parcels in the FY 
2007 President's Budget proposal to be sold for the purpose of funding 
payments to Secure Rural Schools (SRS), should this program be extended by 
amendment to the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act 
of 2000. The sale of these parcels is contingent upon amendment of the SRS 
as proposed by the President.

DATES 

You should submit your comments by March 30, 2006 to be assured of 
consideration. Comments received after that date will be considered only 
to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES

You may submit your comments by e-mail to SRS_Land_Sales at fs.fed.us, by 
facsimile to (202) 205-1604, or by mail to USDA Forest Service, SRS 
Comments, Lands 4S, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Mailstop 1124, 
Washington, DC 20250-0003. Electronic submission is preferred. If you 
submit your comments by e-mail or fax, you do not need to send a paper 
copy by mail.

Your comments may address the entire list of parcels identified in the 
President's proposal, or an individual parcel or parcels on that list. If 
you are commenting about a specific parcel on the list, it would be 
helpful to provide the parcel's number from the list and all information 
specifically related to the sale of that parcel.

Document and Comment Availability: In addition to publishing the full text 
of this document in the Federal Register, the Forest Service provides all 
interested persons an opportunity to view and/or print the contents of 
this document, the potentially eligible lands listing, and associated maps 
via the Internet. Information on this proposal and the Federal Register 
Notice can be found at http://www.fs.fed.us via the Secure Rural Schools 
and Community Self-Determination Act link to the "President's FY 2007 
Budget Proposal for the Forest Service--Secure Rural Schools and Community 
Self-Determination Act Extension" page.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 

Cynthia R. Swanson, Assistant Director of Lands, Washington Office, 
202-205-0099. Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf 
(TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 
1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday 
through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (the 
Act) (Pub. L. 106-393) was enacted to provide transitional assistance to 
rural counties that had been affected by the decline in revenue from 
timber harvests on Federal lands. These counties traditionally relied on a 
share of receipts from timber harvests to fund their school systems and 
roads. The Act stabilized payments that are critically important to more 
than 4,400 rural schools and addressed many severe maintenance backlogs 
for county roads. Resource Advisory Committees (RACs) established under 
the Act have developed and proposed forest health improvement projects.

The President's fiscal year 2007 Budget for the Forest Service proposes 
legislation to amend the Secure Rural Schools Act. The legislation would 
provide a source of funding for payments under the Secure Rural Schools 
Act by authorizing the sale of a limited number of National Forest System 
lands. These parcels generally meet criteria traditionally used by the 
Forest Service to identify lands suitable for sale or exchange. Many of 
these parcels are isolated from other contiguous National Forest System 
lands, and because of their location, size, or configuration are not 
efficient to manage as a component of the National Forest System.

The Forest Service manages about 193 million acres in 155 national forests 
and 20 national grasslands located in 43 States across the nation. The 
limited number of parcels included within this proposal constitutes less 
than 0.2 of 1% of the National Forest System land base. A total of 304,370 
acres and approximately 3,000 individual tracts have been identified on 
120 national forests, 10 national grasslands, within 35 States.

Lands located within the boundaries of any component of the National 
Wilderness Preservation System, National Wild and Scenic River System, 
National Trail System, National Recreation Area, National Monument, 
National Historic Site, National Preserve, or specially designated areas 
such as Research Natural Areas and experimental forests and ranges are not 
eligible for conveyance.

Many of the identified parcels have not been inventoried for natural or 
cultural resources specific to this proposal. However, they generally meet 
criteria traditionally used by the Forest Service to identify parcels for 
potential sale or exchange. Examples of primary benefits of disposal will 
include: 

(1) Reduction in agency costs associated with encroachments and boundary 
management; 
(2) enhancement of local economies through private sector development; and 

(3) increased opportunities for acquisition by local governmental entities 
for low income housing, parks, fire stations, water and wastewater 
systems, and for other community and public purposes.

The proposed sale of these parcels is contingent upon the enactment of 
legislation by Congress to provide revenue for the authorization of the 
Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 
106-393). 

The Forest Service does not have general, non-specific, authority to sell 
National Forest System lands.
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Charleston Gazette-Mail
February 11, 2006 

Monongahela Forest for sale?

About 5,000 acres are in federal bull’s-eye to fund the Secure Rural 
Schools Act

By Rick Steelhammer
Staff writer 

The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to sell more than 250,000 acres of 
national forest land, including 4,836 acres in West Virginia’s Monongahela 
National Forest, to pay for reauthorizing a law that provides extra 
funding for schools and roads in counties in which national forests are 
located. 
Since 1908, 25 percent of revenues from Forest Service timber sales, 
grazing fees and mineral leases have been returned to counties 
encompassing national forest property.
Because the payments — designed to offset the loss of school and road 
revenue from property taxes due to government land ownership — fluctuated 
over time, Congress passed the Secure Rural Schools Act in 2000 to 
stabilize payments as timber harvest receipts decreased.
The proposed sell-off of national forest land apparently is designed to 
continue the Secure Rural Schools Act beyond 2006. According to the Forest 
Service, the Bush administration’s fiscal 2007 budget would permit the 
Secure Rural Schools Act payments to continue, with one key modification: 
They would be financed through the sale of national forest property.
On Friday, the Forest Service posted on its Web site (www.fs.fed.us) the 
properties being considered for sale. Among properties on the list were 
the nearly 5,000 acres of Monongahela National Forest land, including 
1,649 acres in Randolph County, 1,171 in Tucker County, 1,376 in Pendleton 
County and 458 acres in Pocahontas County.
According to a Forest Service news release, a notice will be published in 
the Federal Register at the end of February requesting public comments. At 
that time, detailed maps of the tracts being proposed will be available.
“This proposed land sale could have irreversible consequences for West 
Virginia, leaving us with far fewer acres to hunt, fish and enjoy nature,” 
said Rep. Nick J. Rahall, in response to the Forest Service announcement.
Rahall said timber-sale receipts and funds from the general treasury have 
been used to fund the Secure Rural Schools Act from 2000 to 2006. Last 
year, Rahall said, Pocahontas County received $485,000 for its school 
system through the program, accounting for about 5 percent of its 
operating budget.
But Rahall said Agriculture Secretary Mark Rey has stated that funding the 
program using proceeds from a sell-off of national forest lands would 
provide counties with only about half the revenue they received for 
schools and roads during the past five years. 
Rahall said the Forest Service’s announcement came two months after public 
outcry from outdoors enthusiasts forced the abandonment of a public-lands 
sale in the West.
“The administration is playing a shell game with these vital funds, 
undermining the guarantee of a fair return for these communities,” Rahall 
said. “It is unacceptable to break this promise to rural communities who 
rely on these funds to provide adequate schools and safe roads for their 
residents.”
Rahall is co-sponsor of bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Secure 
Rural Schools Act, set to expire this year.
To contact staff writer Rick Steelhammer, use e-mail or call 348-5169.

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