Sponsor
Bruce Westerman
Representative · R-AR
Representative · R-AR
The bill transfers the Crossett Experimental Forest to Arkansas to support local research and management and reduce federal costs, but does so by waiving federal environmental and historic reviews and shifting upfront costs and some legal risks to the State.
Researchers, students, and academic programs at the University of Arkansas at Monticello and the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture gain guaranteed reasonable access to the Crossett Experimental Forest for research, education, and demonstration activities.
The State of Arkansas can acquire ownership of the Crossett Experimental Forest at no purchase price (if it requests conveyance), expanding State-managed public land available for research, education, and local use.
State management may allow more locally tailored stewardship and quicker decision-making for forest research and demonstration consistent with the forest's historic mission.
Local communities and other stakeholders lose the opportunity for federal environmental review because the conveyance is exempted from NEPA, removing formal environmental impact analysis and public comment.
Exempting the conveyance from historic property (Section 106) review removes protections that could identify or mitigate impacts to cultural or historic resources important to local communities.
The quitclaim deed conveys the property without warranties, potentially leaving Arkansas responsible for unknown title issues or preexisting third-party rights.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Conveys the Crossett Experimental Forest to Arkansas for management as a state forest for research, education, and demonstration if requested within 180 days.
Official title: To require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the Crossett Experimental Forest to the State of Arkansas, and for other purposes.
Introduced August 20, 2026 by Bruce Westerman · Last progress August 20, 2026
Transfers the Crossett Experimental Forest, including the R.R. Reynolds Research Natural Area and related facilities as shown on a May 1, 2026 map, from the U.S. Forest Service to the State of Arkansas if the State requests the conveyance within 180 days. The conveyance is by quitclaim deed, without payment, subject to existing rights and conditions, and requires the State to manage the property as "Crossett State Forest" for research, education, and demonstration consistent with the site's historic mission and to coordinate access with the University of Arkansas at Monticello and the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. The State must pay conveyance costs and may face reversion of the property to the United States if it fails to meet management requirements after 180 days’ written notice. The conveyance is exempted from the National Environmental Policy Act major federal action review and from certain historic preservation review provisions as they apply to this transfer.