(a) For an LEA with an otherwise approvable application to be eligible to receive financial assistance under section 8002 of the Act, the LEA must meet the requirements in subpart A of this part and § 222.22. In addition, unless otherwise provided by statute as meeting the requirements in section 8002(a)(1)(C), the LEA must document—

(1) That the United States owns or has acquired “eligible Federal property” within the LEA, that has an aggregate assessed value of 10 percent or more of the assessed value of—

(i) All real property in that LEA, based upon the assessed values of the eligible Federal property and of all real property (including that Federal property) on the date or dates of acquisition of the eligible Federal property; or

(ii) All real property in the LEA as assessed in the first year preceding or succeeding acquisition, whichever is greater, only if—

(A) The assessment of all real property in the LEA is not made at the same time or times that the Federal property was so acquired and assessed; and

(B) State law requires an assessment be made of property so acquired; or

(2)(i) That, as demonstrated by written evidence from the United States Forest Service satisfactory to the Secretary, the LEA contains between 20,000 and 60,000 acres of land that has been acquired by the United States Forest Service between 1915 and 1990; and

(ii) That the LEA serves a county chartered by State law in 1875 or 1890.

(b) “Federal property” described in section 8002(d) (certain transferred property) is considered to be owned by the United States for the purpose of paragraph (a) of this section.

(c) If, during any fiscal year, the United States sells, transfers, is otherwise divested of ownership of, or relinquishes an interest in or restriction on, eligible Federal property, the Secretary redetermines the LEA's eligibility for the following fiscal year, based upon the remaining eligible Federal property, in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section. This paragraph does not apply to a transfer of real property by the United States described in section 8002(d).

(d) Except as provided under paragraph (a)(2) of this section, the Secretary's determinations and redeterminations of eligibility under this section are based on the following documents:

(1) For a new section 8002 applicant or newly acquired eligible Federal property, only upon—

(i) Original records as of the time(s) of Federal acquisition of real property, prepared by a legally authorized official, documenting the assessed value of that real property;

(ii) Facsimiles, such as microfilm, or other reproductions of those records; or

(iii) If the documents specified in paragraphs (d)(1)(i) and (ii) are unavailable, other records that the Secretary determines to be appropriate and reliable for establishing eligibility under section 8002(a)(1) of the Act, such as Federal agency records or local historical records.

(2) For a redetermination of an LEA's eligibility under section 8002(a)(1), only upon—

(i) Records described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section; or

(ii) Department records.

(e) The Secretary does not base the determination or redetermination of an LEA's eligibility under this section upon secondary documentation that is in the nature of an opinion, such as estimates, certifications, or appraisals.