H.R. 197 explained · 119th Congress · Pending in Congress
Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange Act of 2025
Cosponsors: 2 (0 D, 2 R) · per Congress.gov, 2026-10-10
Introduced: 2025-01-03
Latest action (2025-10-27): Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 218.
What H.R. 197 does, in plain terms
Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange Act of 2025 This bill directs the Forest Service to exchange specified land along the shoreline of Lake Winnibigoshish (commonly known as Lake Winnie) in the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota for specified land owned by Big Winnie Land and Timber, LLC (BWLT), if BWLT offers to make the exchange. The land acquired by the Forest Service must be added to and managed as part of Chippewa National Forest. The bill outlines requirements and conditions for the exchange. For example, the Forest Service must reserve an easement for road access to certain land in the forest. The bill also conditions the exchange on the satisfactory completion of a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment by BWLT before the nonfederal land is accepted in the exchange. In addition, the exchange must be for equal value or the values must be equalized by a cash payment, subject to an exception. Finally, the bill directs BWLT to pay all closing costs associated with the exchange.
Official summary by the Congressional Research Service, via Congress.gov.
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