La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act
Latest Action
By Senator Lee from Committee on Energy and Natural Resources filed written report. Report No. 119-109.
Official Summary
La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act This act directs the Department of the Interior, after receiving a request from La Paz County, Arizona, to convey approximately 3,400 acres of identified land managed by the Bureau of Land Management to the county for fair market value. Interior must exclude from the conveyance any federal land that contains significant cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources. As a condition of the conveyance, La Paz County and any subsequent owner must make good faith efforts to avoid disturbing tribal artifacts;minimize impacts on tribal artifacts if they are disturbed;coordinate with the Colorado River Indian Tribes Tribal Historic Preservation Office to identify artifacts of cultural and historic significance; andallow tribal representatives to rebury unearthed artifacts at, or near, where they were discovered.The federal land is withdrawn from the operation of U.S. mining and mineral leasing laws, and thus the land is not available for new mining claims, new mineral or geothermal leases, nor sales of mineral materials. The county must pay all costs related to the conveyance.
GovScope Watchdog™
AI Government Intelligence™The La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act directs the Department of the Interior to convey approximately 3,400 acres of Bureau of Land Management land to La Paz County, Arizona, at fair market value upon the county's request. The conveyance excludes federal lands with significant cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources. The county and any future owners must make good faith efforts to avoid disturbing tribal artifacts, minimize impacts if artifacts are disturbed, coordinate with the Colorado River Indian Tribes Tribal Historic Preservation Office, and allow tribal representatives to rebury artifacts near their discovery sites. The land will be withdrawn from mining and mineral leasing laws, prohibiting new mining claims, leases, or mineral sales. La Paz County is responsible for all costs related to the conveyance.
This bill facilitates the transfer of federal land to La Paz County for solar energy development while protecting tribal artifacts and restricting mining activities.
- Conveys about 3,400 acres of BLM land to La Paz County, Arizona, for fair market value.
- Excludes federal land with significant cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources from conveyance.
- Imposes conditions to protect tribal artifacts, including coordination with tribal historic preservation offices and artifact reburial.
- Withdraws the conveyed land from mining and mineral leasing laws, preventing new mining claims or leases.
- Requires La Paz County to cover all costs associated with the land conveyance.
['La Paz County government and residents', 'Solar energy developers and related local businesses', 'Colorado River Indian Tribes through artifact protection and coordination', 'Department of the Interior and Bureau of Land Management by clarifying land use']
['Ensuring effective enforcement of tribal artifact protections during and after conveyance', 'Potential administrative and financial burden on La Paz County to cover all conveyance costs', 'Exclusion of land with significant resources may limit the size or utility of the conveyed land', 'Withdrawal from mining and mineral leasing laws restricts future resource development options on the land']
The bill is part of ongoing efforts to promote renewable energy development on public lands while balancing cultural and environmental protections. It reflects collaboration between federal agencies, local governments, and tribal entities. The latest action was a committee report filed by Senator Lee in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, indicating the bill is under consideration but not yet enacted.
Hidden impact flags detected: 2
GovScope reviewed 2 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.
['Potential stimulation of local economic development through solar energy projects on conveyed land.', 'Enhanced protection and preservation of tribal cultural heritage due to mandated coordination and artifact handling.', 'Reduced opportunities for mining or mineral development on the conveyed land, possibly shifting resource extraction elsewhere.', 'Possible increased administrative workload for La Paz County to manage compliance with artifact protection and land use restrictions.']
The bill includes specific conditions to protect tribal artifacts and excludes lands with significant resources from conveyance, which are important for transparency and oversight. However, the full bill text is not available, limiting detailed analysis of enforcement mechanisms and cost responsibilities. Monitoring the implementation of artifact protection provisions and the financial impact on La Paz County will be important for assessing the bill's outcomes.
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