H.R. 6146House115th Congress (2017-2019)Passed House

Cottonwood Land Exchange Act of 2018

To authorize, direct, expedite, and facilitate a land exchange in Yavapai County, Arizona, and for other purposes.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 10:40 PM UTC

The Cottonwood Land Exchange Act of 2018 authorizes a swap of land in Yavapai County, Arizona, between the county and the federal government. The county would give the Secretary of Agriculture about 369 acres of non‑federal land, and the federal government would transfer roughly 80 acres of land within the Coconino National Forest to the county. The exchange must be of equal value, and any cash difference is paid by the county. After the swap, the newly acquired federal land becomes part of the national forest and is withdrawn from other public‑land uses.

Key Provisions

If Yavapai County offers its non‑federal land, the Secretary must accept it and simultaneously transfer the designated federal land to the county.
The lands must be appraised using standard federal appraisal guidelines, and the values must be equal; any excess federal value is paid by the county in cash, while excess county value is treated as a donation to the United States.
The county bears all costs for surveys, appraisals, and any staff time needed for the exchange.
The exchanged federal land is permanently withdrawn from mining, mineral leasing, and geothermal leasing, and will be managed as part of the Coconino National Forest.
Minor boundary adjustments and map corrections can be made by mutual agreement, and the official map will be filed for public inspection.

Legislative Activity

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14 earlier actions

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

November 14, 2018

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

June 19, 2018

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Natural Resources Committee

June 19, 2018

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.

Federal Lands Subcommittee

June 27, 2018

HouseCommittee

Subcommittee Hearings Held.

Federal Lands Subcommittee

July 17, 2018

HouseCommittee

Subcommittee on Federal Lands Discharged.

Natural Resources Committee

July 18, 2018

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Natural Resources Committee

July 18, 2018

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.

Natural Resources Committee

July 18, 2018

HouseCommittee

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 115-895.

Natural Resources Committee

August 10, 2018

HouseCalendars

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 692.

August 10, 2018

HouseFloor

Mr. Gosar moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

November 13, 2018 • 4:33 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H9483-9484)

November 13, 2018 • 4:33 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6146.

November 13, 2018 • 4:33 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H9483-9484)

November 13, 2018 • 4:35 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

November 13, 2018 • 4:36 PM

SenateIntro Referral

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

November 14, 2018

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about H.R. 6146 on the floor

1 Republican1 Democrat

Rep. Paul A. GosarR-AZ-4 · Nov 13, 2018

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6146) to authorize, direct, expedite, and facilitate a land exchange in Yavapai County, Arizona, and for other purposes, as amended.…

Rep. Colleen HanabusaD-HI-1 · Nov 13, 2018

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes a land exchange between the U.S. Forest Service and Yavapai County, Arizona. The Federal land that will be…

Bill Text

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Referred in SenateIssued November 14, 2018

IIB

115th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 6146

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

November 14, 2018

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

AN ACT

To authorize, direct, expedite, and facilitate a land exchange in Yavapai County, Arizona, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Cottonwood Land Exchange Act of 2018.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

County

The term County means Yavapai County, Arizona.

(2)

Federal land

The term Federal land means all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to approximately 80 acres of land within the Coconino National Forest, in Yavapai County, Arizona, generally depicted as Coconino National Forest Parcels Federal Land on the map.

(3)

Map

The term map means the map entitled Cottonwood Land Exchange, with the revision date July 5, 2018\Version 1.

(4)

Non-Federal land

The term non-Federal land means the approximately 369 acres of land in Yavapai County, Arizona, generally depicted as Yavapai County Parcels Non-Federal Land on the map.

(5)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture, unless otherwise specified.

Land exchange

(a)

In general

If the County offers to convey to the Secretary all right, title, and interest of the County in and to the non-Federal land, the Secretary shall accept the offer and simultaneously convey to the County all right, title, and interest of the United States to the Federal land.

(b)

Land title

Title to the non-Federal land conveyed to the Secretary under this Act shall be acceptable to the Secretary and shall conform to the title approval standards of the Attorney General of the United States applicable to land acquisitions by the Federal Government.

(c)

Exchange costs

The County shall pay for all land survey, appraisal, and other costs to the Secretary as may be necessary to process and consummate the exchange under this Act, including reimbursement to the Secretary, if the Secretary so requests, for staff time spent in such processing and consummation.

Equal value exchange and appraisals

(a)

Appraisals

The values of the lands to be exchanged under this Act shall be determined by the Secretary through appraisals performed in accordance with—

(1)

the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions;

(2)

the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice;

(3)

appraisal instructions issued by the Secretary; and

(4)

shall be performed by an appraiser mutually agreed to by the Secretary and the County.

(b)

Equal value exchange

The values of the Federal and non-Federal land parcels exchanged shall be equal, or if they are not equal, shall be equalized as follows:

(1)

Surplus of Federal land value

If the final appraised value of the Federal land exceeds the final appraised value of the non-Federal land, the County shall make a cash equalization payment to the United States as necessary to achieve equal value, including, if necessary, an amount in excess of that authorized pursuant to section 206(b) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716(b)).

(2)

Use of funds

Any cash equalization moneys received by the Secretary under paragraph (1) shall be—

(A)

deposited in the fund established under Public Law 90–171 (commonly known as the Sisk Act; 16 U.S.C. 484a); and

(B)

made available to the Secretary for the acquisition of land or interests in land in Region 3 of the Forest Service.

(3)

Surplus of non-Federal land value

If the final appraised value of the non-Federal land exceeds the final appraised value of the Federal land, the United States shall not make a cash equalization payment to the County, and surplus value of the non-Federal land shall be considered a donation by the County to the United States for all purposes of law.

Withdrawal provisions

Lands acquired by the Secretary under this Act are, upon such acquisition, automatically and permanently withdrawn from all forms of appropriation and disposal under the public land laws (including the mining and mineral leasing laws) and the Geothermal Steam Act of 1930 (30 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.).

Management of land

Land acquired by the Secretary under this Act shall become part of the Coconino National Forest and be managed in accordance with the laws, rules, and regulations applicable to the National Forest System.

Maps, estimates, and descriptions

(a)

Minor errors

The Secretary and the County may, by mutual agreement—

(1)

make minor boundary adjustments to the Federal and non-Federal lands involved in the exchange; and

(2)

correct any minor errors in any map, acreage estimate, or description of any land to be exchanged.

(b)

Conflict

If there is a conflict between a map, an acreage estimate, or a description of land under this Act, the map shall control unless the Secretary and the County mutually agree otherwise.

(c)

Availability

The Secretary shall file and make available for public inspection in the headquarters of the Coconino National Forest a copy of all maps referred to in this Act.

Passed the House of Representatives November 13, 2018.

Karen L. Haas,

Clerk.