What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture to give a piece of federal land called the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site to Gila County, Arizona. The county must request the land in writing within 180 days after the law passes. The land will be about 232.9 acres located in the Tonto National Forest.
Who It Affects
Gila County, Arizona
The Secretary of Agriculture
The Forest Service
Veterans of the Armed Forces
Key Provisions
Gila County must submit a written request for the land within 180 days after the law is enacted, or the transfer does not happen (Sec. 1(b))
The county must pay all costs related to the transfer, including surveys, environmental studies and historic preservation analyses (Sec. 1(e))
The county can only use the land to serve and support veterans of the Armed Forces (Sec. 1(g))
If the county uses the land for any other purpose, the land returns to the federal government at the Secretary's discretion (Sec. 1(h))
The transfer happens with no payment from the county to the federal government, and the Secretary does not have to guarantee the condition of the land (Sec. 1(d) and 1(f))
What Changes
Gila County will own about 232.9 acres of National Forest System land in Arizona that is currently owned by the federal government. This land must be used only for purposes that serve and support veterans of the Armed Forces.
Important Definitions
"Secretary" means the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service (Sec. 1(a)(3))
"Map" means the map titled "Pleasant Valley Admin Site Proposal" dated September 23, 2021 (Sec. 1(a)(2))
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
II
Calendar No. 360
118TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 1829
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
APRIL 10, 2024
Received; read twice and placed on the calendar
AN ACT
To require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the Pleas-
ant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site to Gila
County, Arizona.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE OF PLEASANT VALLEY RANGER
3
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE SITE TO GILA
4
COUNTY, ARIZONA.
5
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
6
(1) COUNTY.—The term ‘‘County’’ means Gila
7
County, Arizona.
8
VerDate Sep 11 2014
00:22 Apr 11, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1829.PCS
H1829
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2
HR 1829 PCS
(2) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map en-
1
titled ‘‘Pleasant Valley Admin Site Proposal’’ and
2
dated September 23, 2021.
3
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
4
the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the
5
Chief of the Forest Service.
6
(b) CONVEYANCE REQUIRED.—Subject to this sec-
7
tion, if the County submits to the Secretary a written re-
8
quest for conveyance of the property described in sub-
9
section (c) not later than 180 days after the date of enact-
10
ment of this Act, the Secretary shall convey to the County
11
all right, title, and interest of the United States in and
12
to the property described in subsection (c).
13
(c) DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY.—
14
(1) IN GENERAL.—The property referred to in
15
subsection (b) is the parcel of real property, includ-
16
ing all land and improvements, generally depicted as
17
‘‘Gila County Area’’ on the map, consisting of ap-
18
proximately 232.9 acres of National Forest System
19
land located in the Tonto National Forest in Ari-
20
zona.
21
(2) MAP.—
22
(A) MINOR ERRORS.—The Secretary may
23
correct minor errors in the map.
24
VerDate Sep 11 2014
00:22 Apr 11, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1829.PCS
H1829
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3
HR 1829 PCS
(B) AVAILABILITY.—A copy of the map
1
shall be on file and available for public inspec-
2
tion in the appropriate offices of the Forest
3
Service.
4
(3) SURVEY.—The exact acreage and legal de-
5
scription of the National Forest System land to be
6
conveyed under subsection (b) shall be determined
7
by a survey satisfactory to the Secretary.
8
(d) TERMS
AND
CONDITIONS.—The conveyance
9
under subsection (b) shall be—
10
(1) subject to valid existing rights;
11
(2) made without consideration;
12
(3) made by quitclaim deed; and
13
(4) subject to such other terms and conditions
14
as the Secretary considers to be appropriate to pro-
15
tect the interests of the United States.
16
(e) COSTS OF CONVEYANCE.—As a condition of the
17
conveyance under subsection (b), the County shall pay all
18
costs associated with the conveyance, including the cost
19
of—
20
(1) a survey, if necessary, under subsection
21
(c)(3);
22
(2) any environmental analysis or resource sur-
23
vey required under Federal law; and
24
VerDate Sep 11 2014
00:22 Apr 11, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1829.PCS
H1829
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4
HR 1829 PCS
(3) any analysis required to comply with divi-
1
sion A of subtitle III of title 54, United States Code
2
(commonly referred to as the ‘‘National Historic
3
Preservation Act’’).
4
(f)
ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS.—Notwith-
5
standing section 120(h)(3)(A) of the Comprehensive Envi-
6
ronmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of
7
1980 (42 U.S.C. 9620(h)(3)(A)), the Secretary shall not
8
be required to provide any covenant or warranty for the
9
land and improvements conveyed to the County under sub-
10
section (b).
11
(g) USE OF LAND.—The land conveyed to the county
12
under subsection (b) shall be used by the County only for
13
the purposes of serving and supporting veterans of the
14
Armed Forces.
15
(h) REVERSION.—If any land conveyed under sub-
16
section (b) is used in a manner that is inconsistent with
17
the requirements of subsection (g), all right, title, and in-
18
terest in and to the land shall revert to the United States,
19
at the discretion of the Secretary.
20
Passed the House of Representatives April 9, 2024.
Attest:
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,
Clerk.
VerDate Sep 11 2014
00:22 Apr 11, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1829.PCS
H1829
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
VerDate Sep 11 2014
00:22 Apr 11, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1829.PCS
H1829
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
Calendar No. 360
118TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 1829
AN ACT
To require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey
the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administra-
tive Site to Gila County, Arizona.
APRIL 10, 2024
Received; read twice and placed on the calendar
VerDate Sep 11 2014
00:22 Apr 11, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6651
Sfmt 6651
E:\BILLS\H1829.PCS
H1829
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS