A bill to require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site to Gila County, Arizona.
Latest Action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 471.
Official Summary
This bill directs the Forest Service to convey specified property to Gila County, Arizona, upon the county's submission of a written request for such conveyance. The property, identified as the Gila County Area, consists of approximately 232.9 acres of National Forest System land located in the Tonto National Forest in Arizona. The county must use the land for the purposes of serving and supporting veterans. If any land conveyed under this bill ceases to be used for such purpose, all right, title, and interest in and to the land shall revert to the United States, at the discretion of the Forest Service. The conveyance must be made with a quitclaim deed and without consideration (value, such as payment, provided in exchange for the property). The Forest Service must not be required to provide any covenant or warranty for the land and improvements conveyed to the county under such conveyance. As a condition of the conveyance, the county must pay all the costs associated with the conveyance, including any (1) surveys, (2) environmental analysis or resource survey required under federal law, and (3) analysis required to comply with certain provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act.
GovScope Watchdog™
AI Government Intelligence™This bill requires the U.S. Forest Service to transfer approximately 232.9 acres of National Forest System land in the Tonto National Forest, Arizona, known as the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site, to Gila County, Arizona. The transfer is contingent upon the county's written request and requires the land to be used specifically to serve and support veterans. If the land ceases to be used for this purpose, ownership reverts to the federal government at the Forest Service's discretion. The conveyance will be made via quitclaim deed without monetary consideration, and the county must cover all associated costs including surveys and environmental and historic preservation analyses. The Forest Service is not required to provide any warranties or covenants with the conveyance.
The bill facilitates the transfer of federal land to Gila County for veteran support purposes, with conditions on use and cost responsibilities placed on the county.
- Transfers approximately 232.9 acres of National Forest System land in Arizona to Gila County upon request.
- Land must be used to serve and support veterans, with reversion to the U.S. if this use ceases.
- Conveyance is via quitclaim deed without payment, and the county pays all transfer-related costs.
- The Forest Service provides no warranties or covenants with the land transfer.
- Environmental and historic preservation compliance analyses are required before conveyance.
['Gila County, Arizona', 'Veterans residing in or served by Gila County', 'U.S. Forest Service (by transferring management responsibility)']
['The county bears all costs related to surveys and compliance analyses, which may be substantial.', 'Reversion conditions require ongoing oversight to ensure land use compliance.', 'The Forest Service provides no warranties, potentially transferring liability or risk to the county.', 'No financial consideration is exchanged, which may raise questions about federal asset valuation.']
The bill is currently in process in the 119th Congress, having been placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar. It falls under the policy area of Public Lands and Natural Resources and reflects a legislative approach to repurposing federal land for local veteran support services. The bill aligns with precedents of land conveyances from federal agencies to local governments for specific public purposes.
High concern review — 3 hidden impact flags detected
GovScope reviewed 3 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.
['Potential increased local responsibility for land management and maintenance costs.', 'Possible enhanced veteran services in Gila County due to dedicated land use.', 'Federal government reduces management burden for this parcel of National Forest land.', 'Need for ongoing compliance monitoring may require administrative resources from both county and federal agencies.']
The bill includes clear conditions on land use and reversion rights, which require mechanisms for monitoring compliance. The transfer of all associated costs to the county and the lack of warranties may affect local government budgeting and risk exposure. Transparency around the valuation of the land and the adequacy of environmental and historic preservation analyses will be important for oversight. The absence of full bill text limits detailed analysis of procedural and enforcement provisions.
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