William R. Richardson: “H.R. 440 is identical to legislation considered by the Resources Committee and passed by the House on a voice vote in…”

“H.R. 440 is identical to legislation considered by the Resources Committee and passed by the House on a voice vote in the last Congress. The measure that would resolve title problems for 16 private landowners in Butte County, CA. These title problems, which involve about 30 acres of land, arose because of an incorrect boundary survey done by a private contractor for the Forest Service in the early 1960's. The bill would remove the clouds from the private land titles by providing for the conveyance of the involved lands to these private landowners without cost. For the private landowners, H.R. 440 is a generous resolution of their title problems. Under the bill, the Federal Government will not only convey the land without cost, it will also pick up the tab for preparing the deeds and doing all surveys and markings. Yes, there was an incorrect survey and yes, these private landowners had thought the lands in question were theirs. The fact is they are not. They are and always have been national forest lands. If this was a title problem between private parties, I seriously doubt that one party would say that the other parties could have the affected lands free and clear and not only that, but the first party would pay all the costs associated with the conveyances. That just doesn't happen in the private sector.”