Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 92 Part 1.djvu/131

This page needs to be proofread.

PUBLIC LAW 95-000—MMMM. DD, 1978

PUBLIC LAW 95-238—FEB. 25, 1978 (b) As used in this section, the term: (1) "Teton flood" means the flood resulting from the collapse of Teton Dam of the Lower Teton Division of the Teton Basin Federal Reclamation Project on June 5, 1976. (2) "Department of Energy land" means those public and acquired lands in the State of Idaho identified as sections numbered fourteen (14), twenty-three (23), twenty-four (24), twenty-five (25), and thirty-six (36), in township six (6) north, or range thirty-three (33) east of the Boise meridian; sections numbered nineteen (19), thirty (30), and thirty-one (31) in township six (6) north, of range thirty-four (34) east of the Boise meridian; and the southeast quarter, the south half of the northeast quarter, the east half of the southwest quarter and the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter, of section numbered eight (8) and the south half of the north half of section numbered nine (9) in township five (5) north, of range thirtyfour (34) east of the Boise meridian, all situated in the county of Jefferson and State of Idaho, and containing 5,955 acres, more or less, which would be transferred for the purposes of this Act. (3) "Qualifying farmer" means the resident, owner-operator of a farm who resides in the immediate locality, whose livelihood is derived from his farming operation and whose land was damaged due to the collapse of the Teton Dam on June 5, 1976, to the extent that in the opinion of the Secretary of the Interior, it is not economically feasible to reclaim such land so that it produces an income commensurate with that earned prior to^ the Teton flood. (4) "Irrigable land" means farm land that is suitable for irrigated agriculture and has been certified as irrigable by the Secretary of the Interior. (c) For a period of not more than five years after transfer to the Bureau of Reclamation, the land heretofore described shall be available for purchase by those who, on or before October 1, 1978, are determined to be qualifying farmers pursuant to regulations issued in accordance with subsection (f) of this section by the Secretary of the Interior. (d) Department of Energy land as described in subsection (b)(2) of this section shall be certified as irrigable by the Secretary of the Interior, and lands so certified shall be made available in a manner to be prescribed by the Secretary for purchase by qualifying farmers at its current fair market value as determined by a board of appraisers composed of a Federal appraiser, a State appraiser, and one appraiser from the disaster region: Provided, That irrigable land transferred to a single ownership shall not exceed 160 acres of class I land as defined by the Secretary or the equivalent thereof in other land classes as determined by the Secretary. The United States, through the Secretary, shall convey fee simple title of the Department of Energy land to the qualifying farmer. The cost of developing the replacement land for farming shall be borne by the qualifying farmer who purchases the land. (e) Any part of the Department of Energy land remaining in the possession of the Bureau of Reclamation at the end of the five year period, except land needed for public rights-of-way, as determined by the Secretary, shall be returned to the Department of Energy. (f) Within ninety days after the enactment of this Act the Secretary shall prescribe and publish in the Federal Register such rules and regulations as may be necessary and proper to carry out the provisions of this section.

92 STAT. 77 Definitions.

Lands, purchase.

Irrigable lands, certification. Land purchases, fair market value.

Single ownership acreage limitation. Title conveyance. Development costs. Remaining lands, disposition.

Rules and regulations, publication in Federal Register.