§ 1402.329 What are the requirements for land acquired under an award?

(a) Approval prior to land purchases. Bureaus and offices must ensure compliance with the prior written approval requirements for land acquisition in 2 CFR 200.439. Whenever a recipient is seeking DOI's approval to use award funds to purchase an interest in real property, the OMB-approved governmentwide data elements for collection of real property reporting information, as of October 29, 2019, SF–429–B, Request to Acquire, Improve, or Furnish, or approved alternate standardized data collection, must be submitted to the bureau or office. The Financial Assistance Officer is responsible for ensuring that this requirement is met. All aspects of the purchase must be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations relating to purchases of land or interests in land.

(b) Appraisal requirements for land purchases. (1) Unless a waiver valuation applies in accordance with 49 CFR 24.102(c), land or interests in land that will be acquired under the award must be appraised in accordance with the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions, (UASFLA or the “Yellow Book”), developed and promulgated by the Interagency Land Acquisition Conference, 1155 15th Street NW, Suite 1111, Washington, DC 20005, by a real property appraiser licensed or certified by the State or States in which the property is located. The appraisal report shall be reviewed by a qualified review appraiser that meets qualifications established by the DOI Appraisal and Valuation Services Office (AVSO), which is responsible for appraisal and valuation services and policy across the Department. Bureaus and offices shall ensure that funds are not disbursed for purchases of land or interests in land without an appraisal accompanied by a written appraisal review report that complies with standards approved by AVSO. Where appraisals are required to support federally assisted land acquisitions, AVSO has oversight responsibilities for these appraisals, including those purchased through financial assistance actions in the various grant programs within the Department. AVSO will coordinate with grant programs to conduct periodic internal control review of appraisal and appraisal review reports prepared in conjunction with grant applications for land acquisition.