119-HR-3187 Investigative Journalist Impact Analysis

Summary

What H.R. 3187 does: directs USDA Forest Service to convey about 0.81 acres at 1069 Fourche Ave., Perryville, AR, to Perry County by quitclaim deed, at no cost, for public purposes (e.g., education/youth programs); county pays all conveyance, environmental, and historic‑preservation compliance costs; standard CERCLA §120(h)(3)(A) cleanup covenant is waived; misuse triggers reversion at the Secretary’s discretion. [1]Congress.gov — Text - H.R.3187 (119th Congress): Conveyance of Forest Service p…

• Economic: Minimal federal budget effect; potential local gains from reusing an idle facility; no change to local tax base if used for public purposes (tax‑exempt). [4]U.S. GAO — Federal Real Property: Congress and Agencies Have Acted to Address K…[5]FindLaw — Arkansas Constitution of 1874, Article 16, §5 (Property tax exemption…
• Social: Enables colocating county programs (Extension, Conservation District, 4‑H) if the county follows through on planned uses; benefits are localized and contingent on rehab funding. [6]LegiStorm (press release link) — Rep. Hill press release: Turning vacant Forest…
• Environmental: Direct transfer has limited immediate ecological effect; NEPA/NHPA processes still apply; reuse of an existing building can reduce embodied‑carbon impacts vs. new construction; main risk is unknown contamination because the deed waives the CERCLA cleanup covenant. [3]USDA Forest Service — USFS Excess Facilities Tools: NEPA/NHPA Process (disposal…[7]Advisory Council on Historic Preservation — An Introduction to Section 106 (NHP…[8]National Trust for Historic Preservation / Main Street America — The Greenest B…[2]U.S. EPA — Institutional Controls and Transfer of Real Property under CERCLA §1…
• Governance/guardrails: Public‑purpose restriction and reversion clause protect federal interest but limit flexibility; county assumes due‑diligence responsibilities and costs. [1]Congress.gov — Text - H.R.3187 (119th Congress): Conveyance of Forest Service p…

Economic Effects

Direct fiscal effects are limited in scope; distributional effects accrue locally.

• Federal portfolio management: Disposing of a small, vacant administrative site aligns with efforts to reduce underused federal real property and maintenance backlogs; GAO reports federal real‑property challenges (including underuse and deferred maintenance) and supports disposal of unneeded assets as a cost‑saving measure. [4]U.S. GAO — Federal Real Property: Congress and Agencies Have Acted to Address K…[9]U.S. GAO — Federal Real Property: Reducing the Government's Holdings Could Gene…
• Transaction terms: Conveyance is “without consideration” (no sale proceeds) and by quitclaim deed (minimal warranties). Federal outlays are negligible; Perry County bears survey, environmental review, and NHPA compliance costs. [1]Congress.gov — Text - H.R.3187 (119th Congress): Conveyance of Forest Service p…
• Local public finance: Because county‑owned property “used exclusively for public purposes” is exempt from Arkansas ad valorem taxation, the transfer is not expected to expand the local tax base. [5]FindLaw — Arkansas Constitution of 1874, Article 16, §5 (Property tax exemption…
• Local programmatic benefits: Sponsor materials indicate intended occupancy by the University of Arkansas Extension, Perry County Conservation District, and 4‑H, which could reduce lease costs elsewhere and centralize services; these are planned uses, not binding outcomes of the bill. [6]LegiStorm (press release link) — Rep. Hill press release: Turning vacant Forest…
• Opportunity cost: The public‑purpose and reversion constraints limit potential monetization; however, federal disposal via legislation avoids holding costs on a property the Forest Service does not plan to use. [10]Congress.gov — H. Rept. 119‑292 (Committee on Natural Resources): Perry County,…

Social Effects

Consequences are localized to Perry County (rural, ~10k residents) and depend on the county’s execution of intended programming. [11]U.S. Census Bureau — U.S. Census QuickFacts: Perry County, Arkansas

• Service access: If realized, colocating Extension, Conservation District, and 4‑H activities at a central site could expand youth development, agricultural education, and conservation outreach. These benefits hinge on timely rehabilitation and operating budgets. [6]LegiStorm (press release link) — Rep. Hill press release: Turning vacant Forest…
• Rural equity: For a sparsely populated county (median HH income ≈$60k; poverty ≈14%), free acquisition of a public facility can relieve capital constraints for community services, though ongoing O&M remains a local obligation. [11]U.S. Census Bureau — U.S. Census QuickFacts: Perry County, Arkansas
• Transparency/participation: Any required NEPA/NHPA reviews bring consultation and public input opportunities (e.g., SHPO/ACHP engagement) before final decisions on alterations. [7]Advisory Council on Historic Preservation — An Introduction to Section 106 (NHP…

Environmental Effects

Direct ecological impacts from the transfer are limited; principal environmental considerations arise from compliance and legacy conditions.

• NEPA applicability: While the bill is a legislative directive, implementing the conveyance and any subsequent actions (e.g., renovations) can trigger NEPA review; the Forest Service indicates such disposals commonly proceed under categorical exclusions or EAs, depending on context. [3]USDA Forest Service — USFS Excess Facilities Tools: NEPA/NHPA Process (disposal…[12]Web search · turn 10 #1
• NHPA Section 106: The county must fund any analysis required to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act; federal undertakings affecting historic properties require consultation and effect assessment. [1]Congress.gov — Text - H.R.3187 (119th Congress): Conveyance of Forest Service p…[7]Advisory Council on Historic Preservation — An Introduction to Section 106 (NHP…
• CERCLA covenant waiver: The bill waives the §120(h)(3)(A) deed covenant that normally warrants remedial action for hazardous substances; absent that covenant, contamination risk (if present) shifts toward the transferee (county). EPA guidance outlines the covenant’s purpose and alternatives. [2]U.S. EPA — Institutional Controls and Transfer of Real Property under CERCLA §1…
• Legacy facility risks: Older administrative sites sometimes include underground or heating‑oil tanks; EPA documents note USTs are common and leaking USTs are a frequent groundwater contamination source—underscoring the need for Phase I/II due diligence before renovation. (No specific tank is identified for this site.) [13]U.S. EPA — Learn About Underground Storage Tanks (USTs)
• Embodied‑carbon benefits of reuse: Rehabilitating an existing building typically yields 4–46% lifecycle environmental savings vs. new construction with similar performance and can take 10–80 years for new construction to “pay back” its carbon debt—supporting adaptive reuse over replacement. [8]National Trust for Historic Preservation / Main Street America — The Greenest B…

Temporal Analysis

Short‑term implementation vs. longer‑term operations and contingencies.

Unintended Consequences (Risks/Trade‑offs)

• Compliance cost exposure: County pays for surveys and any required NEPA/NHPA analyses; unforeseen findings (e.g., historic resources or environmental conditions) could delay or increase costs. [1]Congress.gov — Text - H.R.3187 (119th Congress): Conveyance of Forest Service p…[7]Advisory Council on Historic Preservation — An Introduction to Section 106 (NHP…
• Use‑constraint rigidity: Public‑purpose restriction plus reversion clause could complicate future adaptive reuse or joint‑use partnerships if program needs change. [1]Congress.gov — Text - H.R.3187 (119th Congress): Conveyance of Forest Service p…
• Facility condition risk: Sponsor statements note the building needs repairs; if rehab costs escalate, planned program benefits could be deferred or scaled back. (Sponsor claim, not verified in statute.) [6]LegiStorm (press release link) — Rep. Hill press release: Turning vacant Forest…

Assessment

Analytical stance (not advocacy).

Given the very small scale, the statutory guardrails (public use, reversion), and the transfer of due‑diligence costs to the county, H.R. 3187 is best characterized as a targeted housekeeping measure that can yield localized social benefits at low federal cost—provided the county proactively manages environmental and compliance risks. Overall assessment: neutral. [1]Congress.gov — Text - H.R.3187 (119th Congress): Conveyance of Forest Service p…[4]U.S. GAO — Federal Real Property: Congress and Agencies Have Acted to Address K…

Sourcing & Procedural Context

Key primary sources and official references consulted.

• Statutory text and terms (parcel, address, quitclaim, no consideration, reversion, CERCLA covenant waiver, NHPA cost‑bearing): Congress.gov bill text for H.R. 3187. [1]Congress.gov — Text - H.R.3187 (119th Congress): Conveyance of Forest Service p…
• House committee report background on vacancy/intent: H. Rept. 119‑292. [10]Congress.gov — H. Rept. 119‑292 (Committee on Natural Resources): Perry County,…
• EPA guidance on CERCLA §120(h)(3): covenant/warranty requirements and deferrals. [2]U.S. EPA — Institutional Controls and Transfer of Real Property under CERCLA §1…
• NEPA/NHPA process overviews: USFS NEPA pages and ACHP Section 106 resources. [3]USDA Forest Service — USFS Excess Facilities Tools: NEPA/NHPA Process (disposal…[7]Advisory Council on Historic Preservation — An Introduction to Section 106 (NHP…
• GAO testimony/reports on federal real‑property disposal and backlogs. [4]U.S. GAO — Federal Real Property: Congress and Agencies Have Acted to Address K…[9]U.S. GAO — Federal Real Property: Reducing the Government's Holdings Could Gene…
• Arkansas tax‑exemption framework for public property used exclusively for public purposes. [5]FindLaw — Arkansas Constitution of 1874, Article 16, §5 (Property tax exemption…
• Population/economic baselines for Perry County (Census QuickFacts). [11]U.S. Census Bureau — U.S. Census QuickFacts: Perry County, Arkansas
• Building‑reuse environmental benefits (National Trust/Preservation Green Lab). [8]National Trust for Historic Preservation / Main Street America — The Greenest B…
• House floor scheduling/context for 12/15/2025 proceedings. [14]Congress.gov — On the House Floor on December 15, 2025 (includes H.R. 3187)[15]U.S. House Republican Cloakroom — Republican Cloakroom Daily Schedule (Dec. 15,…