0.62 Acres in Tennessee: Tiny Bill Waives Environmental Review to Clear Up Church Land Dispute

This bill is all about cleaning up a very specific, very small piece of paperwork—specifically, a 0.62-acre parcel of State forest land in Chester County, Tennessee. The goal is to fix a land encroachment issue involving the local Bethel Baptist Church. Essentially, this legislation directs the Secretary of Agriculture to formally give up two important federal interests in that tiny plot of land to the State of Tennessee.

The first thing the bill does is release the United States’ reversionary interest in the land. Think of a reversionary interest like a string attached to a gift: the federal government gave this land to the State back in 1955, but the deal was that if the land ever stopped being used for public purposes, ownership would revert back to the US. This bill cuts that string, giving the State clear, permanent title to the land, regardless of its future use, and it must be done without the usual appraisal or environmental review (SEC. 1).

The Fine Print: Mineral Rights and Expedited Paperwork

Beyond the reversionary interest, the bill also mandates the transfer of the United States’ mineral interest in that same 0.62-acre parcel to the State of Tennessee, using a quitclaim deed. This means Tennessee gets the rights to any oil, gas, or other minerals that might be under that small patch of forest (SEC. 1). What’s notable here is the speed and simplicity: the bill explicitly waives standard federal procedures for both the interest release and the mineral transfer. For example, the Secretary doesn’t have to conduct an appraisal, determine the land’s mineral value, or perform any environmental review, bypassing requirements usually found in laws like the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act or the Federal Land Policy and Management Act.

Who Pays the Tab?

While the transfer itself is free—the State doesn't pay the federal government for the land or the mineral rights—it’s not entirely cost-free. As a condition of receiving both the reversionary interest release and the mineral rights conveyance, the State of Tennessee must pay the United States for all administrative costs the federal government incurs to complete the paperwork (SEC. 1). So, Tennessee covers the cost of the federal bureaucracy’s time and effort to finalize the transfer.

Real-World Impact: A Precedent for Procedural Waivers

For the people of Chester County, this bill primarily resolves a long-standing, local headache, allowing the church and the State to clarify boundaries and land use. For the State of Tennessee, it means full, clear ownership of a small piece of forest land. However, for those interested in federal land management, the most significant detail is the explicit waiver of standard procedural safeguards. While this waiver is applied to a tiny, specific parcel to expedite a local fix, it sets a precedent that Congress can bypass typical requirements—like environmental review and mineral valuation—when transferring federal interests. This is a small bill, but it serves as a reminder that even the most localized land deals can involve trade-offs between administrative speed and regulatory oversight.