[House Report 118-430]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


118th Congress    }                                      {      Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session       }                                      {     118-430

======================================================================



 
 TO REQUIRE THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE TO CONVEY THE PLEASANT VALLEY 
      RANGER DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE SITE TO GILA COUNTY, ARIZONA

                                _______
                                

 March 21, 2024.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Westerman, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 1829]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 1829) to require the Secretary of Agriculture to 
convey the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site 
to Gila County, Arizona, having considered the same, reports 
favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that the 
bill as amended do pass.
    The amendment is as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE OF PLEASANT VALLEY RANGER DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE 
                    SITE TO GILA COUNTY, ARIZONA.

  (a) Definitions.--In this section:
          (1) County.--The term ``County'' means Gila County, Arizona.
          (2) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Pleasant 
        Valley Admin Site Proposal'' and dated September 23, 2021.
          (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.
  (b) Conveyance Required.--Subject to this section, if the County 
submits to the Secretary a written request for conveyance of the 
property described in subsection (c) not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall convey to the County 
all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the 
property described in subsection (c).
  (c) Description of Property.--
          (1) In general.--The property referred to in subsection (b) 
        is the parcel of real property, including all land and 
        improvements, generally depicted as ``Gila County Area'' on the 
        map, consisting of approximately 232.9 acres of National Forest 
        System land located in the Tonto National Forest in Arizona.
          (2) Map.--
                  (A) Minor errors.--The Secretary may correct minor 
                errors in the map.
                  (B) Availability.--A copy of the map shall be on file 
                and available for public inspection in the appropriate 
                offices of the Forest Service.
          (3) Survey.--The exact acreage and legal description of the 
        National Forest System land to be conveyed under subsection (b) 
        shall be determined by a survey satisfactory to the Secretary.
  (d) Terms and Conditions.--The conveyance under subsection (b) shall 
be--
          (1) subject to valid existing rights;
          (2) made without consideration;
          (3) made by quitclaim deed; and
          (4) subject to such other terms and conditions as the 
        Secretary considers to be appropriate to protect the interests 
        of the United States.
  (e) Costs of Conveyance.--As a condition of the conveyance under 
subsection (b), the County shall pay all costs associated with the 
conveyance, including the cost of--
          (1) a survey, if necessary, under subsection (c)(3);
          (2) any environmental analysis or resource survey required 
        under Federal law; and
          (3) any analysis required to comply with division A of 
        subtitle III of title 54, United States Code (commonly referred 
        to as the ``National Historic Preservation Act'').
  (f) Environmental Conditions.--Notwithstanding section 120(h)(3)(A) 
of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and 
Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9620(h)(3)(A)), the Secretary shall 
not be required to provide any covenant or warranty for the land and 
improvements conveyed to the County under subsection (b).
  (g) Use of Land.--The land conveyed to the county under subsection 
(b) shall be used by the County only for the purposes of serving and 
supporting veterans of the Armed Forces.
  (h) Reversion.--If any land conveyed under subsection (b) is used in 
a manner that is inconsistent with the requirements of subsection (g), 
all right, title, and interest in and to the land shall revert to the 
United States, at the discretion of the Secretary.

                       PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION

    The purpose of H.R. 1829 is to require the Secretary of 
Agriculture to convey the Pleasant Valley Ranger District 
Administrative Site to Gila County, Arizona.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    Nearly 60 percent of the land in Gila County, Arizona, is 
managed by the federal government. Like in many other Western 
communities, the large percentage of federal land significantly 
limits the available space to build the infrastructure needed 
for public purposes, such as roads, schools, and community 
centers. This large federal footprint also requires thoughtful 
coordination and collaboration with federal land managers to 
help address needs in the community. For several years, Gila 
County has sought to proactively improve care for the more than 
5,000 veterans who live in their community by creating a 
veterans' retreat center that promotes outdoor recreation and 
nature-based therapy. However, there is limited space available 
for such a facility.
    Gila County, in coordination with Congressmen Gosar (R-AZ) 
and Crane (R-AZ), worked with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to 
identify a suitable property for the proposed veterans' center. 
The property the County selected includes roughly 233 acres of 
Tonto National Forest land and buildings known as the Pleasant 
Valley Ranger Administrative Site (Administrative Site). USFS 
originally planned to tear these buildings down until Gila 
County approached the agency about remodeling the site to 
create a veterans' retreat center focused on outdoor recreation 
and nature-based therapy. In 2021, Gila County signed a 20-year 
special use permit with USFS to begin turning the 
Administrative Site into a veterans' retreat center and start 
needed maintenance. However, Gila County would like to improve 
certainty around the future of the site and have greater 
freedom to make improvements by acquiring the property.
    H.R. 1829 requires USFS to convey the Administrative Site 
and surrounding land to Gila County, Arizona. The site consists 
of 17 buildings, including a 6,000-square-foot administrative 
building, two residences, two barracks, a historic ranger house 
and barn, helipads, and a well and wastewater system. Gila 
County wants to remodel many of the buildings to create the 
``ultimate experience for veterans and their families.'' The 
administrative building will become a main lodge, and 
additional renovations are planned to improve the site's family 
housing and recreation opportunities. H.R. 1829 includes a 
reversionary clause that will return the site to the USFS if it 
ceases to be used to serve and support veterans.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 1829 was introduced on March 28, 2023, by Rep. Elijah 
Crane (R-AZ). The bill was referred to the Committee on Natural 
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 
Federal Lands. On July 20, 2023, the Subcommittee on Federal 
Lands held a hearing on the bill. On February 6, 2024, the 
Committee on Natural Resources met to consider the bill. The 
Subcommittee on Federal Lands was discharged from further 
consideration of H.R. 1829 by unanimous consent. Chairman Bruce 
Westerman (R-AR) offered an Amendment in the Nature of a 
Substitute designated Westerman ANS. The Amendment in the 
Nature of a Substitute was agreed to by unanimous consent. The 
bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House 
of Representatives by unanimous consent.

                                HEARINGS

    For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House rule XIII, the 
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure: 
hearing by the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held on July 20, 
2023.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Conveyance of Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative 
        Site to Gila County, Arizona.

           Provides definitions for the bill, including 
        defining the map as the map entitled ``Pleasant Valley 
        Admin Site Proposal'' and dated September 23, 2021.
           Directs USFS to convey a 232.9-acre property 
        in the Tonto National Forest to Gila County, Arizona, 
        upon the county's submission of a written request for 
        such conveyance. Requires the conveyance to occur 
        within 180 days of such written request.
           Allows for minor technical corrections to be 
        made to the map and acreage.
           Requires the conveyance to be subject to 
        valid existing rights, made without consideration, made 
        by a quitclaim deed, and subject to other applicable 
        terms and conditions.
           Requires Gila County to pay for the costs of 
        the conveyance.
           Specifies that the Forest Service is not 
        required to provide any covenant or warranty for the 
        land and improvements conveyed to the County under the 
        Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and 
        Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA).
           Stipulates that if any land conveyed under 
        this bill ceases to be used to serve and support Armed 
        Forces veterans, all rights, titles, and interests in 
        and to the land shall revert to the United States.

            COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

      COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT

    1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act. 
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for the 
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


    H.R. 1829 would direct the Forest Service to convey 233 
acres of federal land in Gila County, Arizona, to the county, 
without consideration and subject to valid existing rights, if 
the county requests the land. Under the bill, the county would 
be required to pay all costs associated with a conveyance and 
the land would need to be used to provide services to veterans.
    According to the Forest Service, the land is currently 
leased at no cost to a nonprofit organization that uses it to 
provide housing and other support to veterans and their 
families. Because the land does not generate any receipts for 
the federal government and any costs associated with conveying 
the land under the bill would be paid by the county, CBO 
estimates that enacting the bill would not affect the federal 
budget.
    On January 16, 2024, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 
1015, a bill to require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey 
the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site to Gila 
County, Arizona, as reported by the Senate Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources on December 20, 2023. The two bills are 
similar, and CBO's estimates of their budgetary effects are the 
same.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Lilia Ledezma. 
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy 
Director of Budget Analysis.
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                             Director, Congressional Budget Office.
    2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or 
objective of this bill is to require the Secretary of 
Agriculture to convey the Pleasant Valley Ranger District 
Administrative Site to Gila County, Arizona.

                           EARMARK STATEMENT

    This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 
under clauses 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives.

                 UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT

    According to the Congressional Budget Office, H.R. 1829 
contains no unfunded mandates as defined in the Unfunded 
Mandates Reform Act.

                           EXISTING PROGRAMS

    Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any 
directed rule makings.
    Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not 
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government 
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was 
not included in any report from the Government Accountability 
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program 
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law 
98-169) as relating to other programs.

                  APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.

                PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

    Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or 
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's 
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the 
U.S. Constitution.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    As ordered reported by the Committee on Natural Resources, 
H.R. 1829 would make no changes in existing law.

                                  [all]