(a) These rules set forth the procedures for conducting exchanges of National Forest System lands. The procedures in these rules may be supplemented by instructions issued to Forest Service officers in Chapter 5400 of the Forest Service Manual and Forest Service Handbooks 5409.12 and 5409.13.

(b) These rules apply to all National Forest System exchanges of land or interests in land, including but not limited to minerals, water rights, and timber, except those exchanges made under the authority of Small Tracts Act of January 12, 1983 (16 U.S.C. 521c-521i) (36 CFR part 254, subpart C), and as otherwise noted. These rules also apply to other methods of acquisition, where indicated.

(c) The application of these rules to exchanges made under the authority of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1621), or the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 3192), shall be limited to those provisions which do not conflict with the provisions of these Acts.

(d) Unless the parties to an exchange otherwise agree, land exchanges for which the parties have agreed in writing to initiate prior to April 7, 1994, will proceed in accordance with the rules and regulations in effect at the time of the agreement.

(e) Except for exchanges requiring cash equalization payments made available through the Land and Water Conservation Act of 1965, as amended (16 U.S.C. 460[1]9), the boundaries of a national forest are automatically extended to encompass lands acquired under the Weeks Act of March 1, 1911, as amended (16 U.S.C. 516), provided the acquired lands are contiguous to existing national forest boundaries and total no more than 3,000 acres in each exchange.

(f) Exchanges under the Weeks Act of March 1, 1911, or the General Exchange Act of March 20, 1922, may involve land-for-timber (non-Federal land exchanged for the rights to Federal timber), or timber-for-land (the exchange of the rights to non-Federal timber for Federal land), or tripartite land-for-timber (non-Federal land exchanged for the rights to Federal timber cut by a third party in behalf of the exchange parties).

(g) Land exchanges involving National Forest System lands are authorized by a number of statutes, depending upon the status (conditions of ownership) of such lands and the purpose for which an exchange is to be made. The status of National Forest System land is determined by the method by which the land or interests therein became part of the National Forest System. Unless otherwise provided by law, lands acquired by the United States in exchanges assume the same status as the Federal lands conveyed.

(h) The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1701), is supplemental to all applicable exchange laws, except the cash equalization provisions of the Sisk Act of December 4, 1967, as amended (16 U.S.C. 484a).