Tennessee gets mineral rights to forest land—with no appraisal or environmental review
S. 277 — A bill to release a Federal reversionary interest and convey mineral interests in Chester County, Tennessee, and for other purposes. · Filed by Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Jan 28, 2025 · Reported out
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What it does
This bill releases the federal government's reversionary interest in a 0.62-acre parcel of state forest land in Chester County, Tennessee, and conveys all federal mineral rights in that parcel to Tennessee—both without appraisal, environmental review, or any determination of mineral value. The action is triggered by a 19-inch encroachment by Bethel Baptist Church onto state-owned land; Tennessee must pay only the administrative costs of processing the transfers.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to transfer federal land interests to Tennessee, but it does so by explicitly waiving standard environmental, appraisal, and mineral-value review processes that would normally apply. The mechanism is a procedural carve-out, not a routine conveyance.
What the text implies
- The bill waives environmental review entirely, preventing public disclosure of potential environmental liabilities or mineral extraction risks on the parcel.
- Federal mineral interests are conveyed without any appraisal or determination of their value, meaning the public cannot assess what mineral assets (coal, natural gas, minerals) are being surrendered.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
State of Tennessee (gains mineral rights and land management authority without appraisal cost)