HR 3187: To require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey a parcel of property of the Forest Service to Perry County, Arkansas, and for other purposes.

HR 3187 in plain English: This bill directs the U.S. Forest Service to transfer approximately one acre of federal land to Perry County, Arkansas at no cost. The county must use the land for public purposes such as education and youth development, and the land reverts to the federal government if it stops being used for those purposes. The county is responsible for paying all costs associated with the transfer, including survey and environmental analysis fees.

Stated purpose

This bill directs the U.S. Forest Service to transfer approximately 0.81 acres of federal land in Perryville, Arkansas to Perry County, to be used for public purposes such as education and youth development.

Key points

• Transfers approximately 1 acre of Forest Service land to Perry County, Arkansas at no charge
• County must use the land for public purposes, such as education and youth development
• Land reverts to the U.S. government if it ceases to be used for qualifying public purposes
• County must pay all transfer-related costs, including survey and environmental analysis fees

Arguments supporters make

• Transferring this small parcel to the local county puts the land to active community use—such as youth and education programs—which is a better outcome than it sitting unused in federal inventory.
• The county, not taxpayers nationally, pays all costs of the transfer, making this a no-cost deal for the federal government while benefiting a local community.
• A reversion clause protects the public interest by requiring the land to return to federal ownership if the county ever stops using it for its stated public purpose.

Arguments opponents make

• Once federal land is conveyed away, local priorities or budget pressures could eventually lead to uses that stray from the public benefit originally intended, and reversion is only triggered at the Forest Service's discretion—not automatically.
• Even a small transfer of public land without payment sets a precedent for giving away federal assets, which some argue should be sold at fair market value to benefit all taxpayers rather than gifted to one locality.
• The bill exempts the Forest Service from providing environmental covenants or warranties, meaning Perry County and its residents bear full risk if any undisclosed environmental issues exist on the property.

Tradeoffs

The federal government gives up ownership of a small public asset at no charge in exchange for a local public benefit, but the lack of a required sale price means national taxpayers receive nothing, while the receiving county gains land but also assumes all transfer costs and environmental risk.

Current status in Congress: Passed House.

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