Overview

Title

An Act To require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site to Gila County, Arizona.

ELI5 AI

Imagine a big piece of forest land is like a giant playground. This bill wants the person in charge of the playground to give a part of it to Gila County in Arizona so they can help army veterans who used to fight for the country. But if they don't use it for the veterans, the playground part goes back to the original owner.

Summary AI

H.R. 1829 is a bill that directs the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer ownership of a specified area within the Pleasant Valley Ranger District to Gila County, Arizona. Gila County must request the transfer within 180 days of the bill’s enactment and cover all associated costs, such as surveys and environmental analysis. The transferred land, comprised of about 232.9 acres in the Tonto National Forest, must be used by the County to support veterans of the Armed Forces. If the land is used for other purposes, ownership will revert back to the United States.

Published

2024-04-09
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: HOUSE
Status: Engrossed in House
Date: 2024-04-09
Package ID: BILLS-118hr1829eh

Keywords AI

pleasant valley ranger district gila county land conveyance secretary of agriculture tonto national forest veterans support federal land transfer land reversion environmental analysis cost coverage

Sources

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
1
Words:
741
Pages:
6
Sentences:
19

Language

Nouns: 236
Verbs: 48
Adjectives: 24
Adverbs: 5
Numbers: 29
Entities: 57

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.21
Average Sentence Length:
39.00
Token Entropy:
4.72
Readability (ARI):
21.25

AnalysisAI

Summary of the Bill

The legislative proposal titled H. R. 1829, discussed here, aims to facilitate the transfer of the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site from the federal government to Gila County, Arizona. This site encompasses roughly 232.9 acres situated within the Tonto National Forest. The process for this conveyance requires the county to submit a request within 180 days following the enactment of the bill. Notably, the county is obligated to cover all costs related to this transfer and is mandated to use the land specifically for purposes that serve and support veterans of the Armed Forces.

Significant Issues

Several noteworthy issues emerge from the bill's provisions:

  • Lack of Consideration: The transfer is executed without any financial consideration, which means that Gila County would receive this federal asset without direct compensation. This aspect could raise concerns about the equitable management of federal assets, potentially perceived as an undue favor to the county.

  • Usage Terms: The stipulation that the land must only be used for "serving and supporting veterans" lacks detailed specifications. This vagueness might lead to varying interpretations of what constitutes support, potentially causing disputes or mismanagement.

  • Reversion Discretion: The bill allows the Secretary of Agriculture discretion over whether the land should revert to federal ownership if not used for its intended purpose. Such discretion might introduce inconsistency in enforcement and unpredictability in the process.

  • Timeline Ambiguities: Missing specific timelines for conducting surveys or other processes necessary for the conveyance might lead to indefinite delays or bureaucratic disputes.

  • Error Correction: The Secretary’s power to correct "minor errors" on the map is not well-defined, leaving room for disagreements over what qualifies as a minor error.

Impact on the Public and Stakeholders

The proposed legislation presents implications for various stakeholders:

  • General Public: Broadly, transferring federal land without compensation could be perceived as a drawback for federal taxpayers if it fails to demonstrate public benefit. Given the land's intended purpose to support veterans, the bill might gain public favor if it results in meaningful veteran services.

  • Veterans: As primary beneficiaries, veterans in the area could greatly benefit if Gila County utilizes the land effectively for veteran support services. This could include housing, recreational facilities, or other community initiatives designed to improve veterans' lives.

  • Gila County: The county stands to benefit significantly, receiving valuable land that can enhance local services and community support for veterans. However, it also bears the onus of compliance with federal guidelines and the financial responsibility of all conveyance-associated costs.

In conclusion, while the intent to support veterans is a positive aspect, the ambiguity in specific guidelines and compensation arrangements invites scrutiny. Stakeholders, especially those managing the implementation within Gila County, must navigate these issues to ensure compliance and maximize the land's intended public benefit. The success of this legislation largely depends on its clear execution and adherence to the purpose outlined for veteran support.

Issues

  • The conveyance is made without consideration (Section 1, (d)(2)), which could be seen as a loss of federal assets without compensation. This might be perceived as favoring Gila County without a clear benefit to the federal government or taxpayers.

  • The condition that the land can only be used for 'serving and supporting veterans of the Armed Forces' (Section 1, (g)) is not detailed enough to clarify what activities or developments are permitted, which could result in varied interpretations.

  • The discretion given to the Secretary to decide on reversion (Section 1, (h)) could lead to inconsistent enforcement, particularly since the reversion is at the Secretary's discretion and not automatically enforced.

  • The lack of specific timelines for the survey and other processes (Section 1, (c)(3)) potentially leads to delays or disputes in execution.

  • The ability of the Secretary to correct 'minor errors' in the map (Section 1, (c)(2)(A)) is somewhat vague and could lead to disputes over what constitutes a 'minor' error.

  • While the term 'County' is defined (Section 1, (a)(1)), there might be a need for clarity on what part or office of the Gila County government is responsible for requesting and managing the conveyance.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Conveyance of Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site to Gila County, Arizona Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

Gila County, Arizona, can request the conveyance of the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site from the United States, which comprises about 232.9 acres of land in the Tonto National Forest. The county must cover all associated costs, use the land to support veterans, and if the land is used for other purposes, it could revert to the United States.