HR3937-119

What This Bill Does

The Wabeno Economic Development Act has two substantive pieces. First, it directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Forest Service, to sell approximately 14 acres of National Forest System land in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Wisconsin to Tony's Wabeno Redi-Mix, LLC if the company makes a written offer within 180 days after the federal appraisal is approved. The conveyance must be at market value, by quitclaim deed, and include all federal right, title, and interest in the land, including mineral rights. The company must pay the market value and all costs of the transaction, including survey, appraisal, administrative, and environmental-analysis costs. The Secretary must complete the appraisal within 300 days after enactment.

Second, the bill directs the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with other federal agencies, industry stakeholders, and state permitting authorities, to review federal permitting for stone, sand, and gravel development on federal lands. The review must describe current federal permitting processes and timelines, identify inefficiencies or duplicative steps, recommend administrative or legislative streamlining changes, and analyze economic impacts of federal permitting delays on construction materials supply chains, infrastructure development, and rural communities. Interior must report to the House Natural Resources Committee and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee within 180 days.

Who Benefits and How

Tony's Wabeno Redi-Mix, LLC benefits directly because it receives a statutory path to acquire a specific parcel next to its operations, including mineral rights, if it pays appraised market value and transaction costs. Stone mining companies, sand mining companies, gravel mining companies, construction aggregate suppliers, infrastructure contractors, rural communities dependent on aggregate supplies, and state permitting authorities benefit from a required federal review that could document permitting delays and support future streamlining for construction-materials projects on federal lands.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Forest Service, Department of Agriculture land-conveyance staff, Department of the Interior permitting staff, state permitting authorities, National Forest conservation interests, and public users of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest must comply with transaction, appraisal, consultation, environmental-analysis, and review requirements. Conservation and recreation interests lose federal ownership of the conveyed parcel, while Interior and other agencies must produce a fast permitting report that scrutinizes their current review timelines and duplicative steps.

Key Provisions

• Requires the Forest Service to convey about 14 acres in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest to Tony's Wabeno Redi-Mix, LLC if the company makes a timely offer.
• Requires the sale to occur at market value by quitclaim deed and to include federal mineral rights.
• Requires Tony's Wabeno Redi-Mix, LLC to pay all survey, appraisal, administrative, and environmental-analysis costs.
• Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to complete the appraisal within 300 days after enactment.
• Directs Interior to review federal permitting for stone, sand, and gravel development on federal lands.
• Requires Interior to report permitting timelines, inefficiencies, streamlining recommendations, and economic impacts within 180 days.