[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3258 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3258

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain real property 
     located within the Carlsbad Project in New Mexico to Carlsbad 
                          Irrigation District.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 17, 1996

  Mr. Skeen introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain real property 
     located within the Carlsbad Project in New Mexico to Carlsbad 
                          Irrigation District.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE.

    (a) Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior shall, 
        without consideration and subject to paragraph (2), convey all 
        right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the 
        lands described in subsection (b) (in this Act referred to as 
        the ``Acquired Lands'') to the Carlsbad Irrigation District (a 
        quasi-municipal corporation formed under the laws of the State 
        of New Mexico; in this Act referred to as the ``District''), by 
        not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this 
        Act.
            (2) Limitation.--In the case of land on which is located 
        any dam, reservoir high water elevation, canal, or head gate, 
        the Secretary shall convey under this subsection only the 
        right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the 
        mineral estate.
    (b) Acquired Lands Described.--The lands referred to in subsection 
(a) are those lands (including the surface and mineral estate) in Eddy 
County, New Mexico, described as the Acquired Lands in section 7 of the 
Bureau of Reclamation's 1978 ``Status of Lands and Title Report''.
    (c) Terms and Conditions of Conveyance.--Any conveyance of the 
Acquired Lands under this Act shall be subject to the following terms 
and conditions:
            (1) After conveyance under this Act, the Acquired Lands 
        shall continue to be managed and used by the District for 
        purposes for which the Carlsbad Project was authorized and 
        those uses allowed under the Federal reclamation laws (the Act 
        of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. 388), and Acts supplementary thereto 
        and amendatory thereof).
            (2) Upon conveyance of the Acquired Lands under this Act, 
        the District is obligated to fulfill the duties and obligations 
        of the United States under the lease dated December 15, 1983, 
        between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Director, New Mexico 
        Department of Game of Fish (Document No. 4-LM-57-02900), 
        relating to management of certain lands near Brantley Reservoir 
        for fish and wildlife purposes.
    (d) National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.--Conveyance of the 
Acquired Lands under this Act does not constitute a major Federal 
action for purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

SEC. 2. LEASE MANAGEMENT AND PAST REVENUES COLLECTED FROM THE ACQUIRED 
              LANDS.

    (a) Identification and Notification of Leaseholders.--Within 45 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 
Interior shall provide a written identification of all oil and gas 
leases on the Acquired Lands in effect on the date of enactment of this 
Act. The Secretary of the Interior shall notify all leaseholders of the 
changes required by this Act before implementing this Act.
    (b) Management of Leases.--The District, upon conveyance of the 
Acquired Lands under this Act, shall be entitled to immediately assume 
the management of all leases on the Acquired Lands, including leases 
entered into before the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall be 
entitled to any revenues from such leases accruing after the date of 
such conveyance.
    (c) Availability of Amounts Paid Into Reclamaton Fund.--Revenues 
collected before the date of the conveyance of the Acquired Lands under 
this Act from the Acquired Lands which have been paid into the 
reclamation fund on behalf of the Carlsbad Project under the Mineral 
Leasing Act, shall be made immediately available to the District under 
the distribution scheme set forth in subsection I of section 4 of the 
Act of December 5, 1924 (43 U.S.C. 501; commonly referred to as the 
``Fact Finders Act of 1924'').
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