[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4289 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4289

  To provide for the purchase by the Secretary of the Interior of the 
    Wilcox ranch in Eastern Utah for management as wildlife habitat.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 21, 1998

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for the purchase by the Secretary of the Interior of the 
    Wilcox ranch in Eastern Utah for management as wildlife habitat.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wilcox Ranch Wildlife Habitat 
Acquisition Act''.

SEC. 2. ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT OF WILCOX RANCH, UTAH, FOR WILDLIFE 
              HABITAT.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The lands within the Wilcox Ranch in eastern Utah are 
        prime habitat for wild turkeys, eagles, hawks, bears, cougars, 
        elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and many other important species, and 
        Range Creek within the Wilcox Ranch could become a blue ribbon 
        trout stream.
            (2) These lands also contain a great deal of undisturbed 
        cultural and archeological resources, including ancient 
        pottery, arrowheads, and rock homes constructed centuries ago.
            (3) These lands, while comprising only approximately 3,800 
        acres, control access to over 75,000 acres of Federal lands 
        under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management.
            (4) Acquisition of the Wilcox Ranch would benefit the 
        people of the United States by preserving and enhancing 
        important wildlife habitat, ensuring access to lands of the 
        Bureau of Land Management, and protecting priceless 
        archeological and cultural resources.
            (5) These lands, if acquired by the United States, can be 
        managed by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources at no 
        additional expense to the Federal Government.
    (b) Acquisition of Lands.--As soon as practicable, after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
acquire, through purchase, the Wilcox Ranch in eastern Utah, as 
depicted on the map entitled ``Wilcox Ranch Acquisition'', dated July 
15, 1998.
    (c) Funds for Purchase.--The Secretary of the Interior is 
authorized to use not more than $5,000,000 from the land and water 
conservation fund established under section 2 of the Land and Water 
Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l-5) for the purchase of 
the Wilcox Ranch under subsection (b).
    (d) Management of Lands.--Immediately upon completion of the 
purchase of Wilcox Ranch under subsection (b), the Secretary of the 
Interior shall transfer all right, title, and interest of the United 
States in the surface estate to such lands to the State of Utah for 
management by the State Division of Wildlife Resources for wildlife 
habitat and public access.
    (e) Reversionary Interest.--If the Secretary of the Interior 
determines at any time that the lands transferred under subsection (d) 
are not being managed as provided in such subsection, all right, title, 
and interest in and to the lands shall revert to the United States, and 
the United States shall have immediate right of entry thereon.
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