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
The bill is about giving a piece of land in Arizona to a local county so they can help veterans. The county gets the land for free, but if they don't use it right, the land can go back to the government.
Summary AI
H.R. 837 requires the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer ownership of the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site to Gila County, Arizona. This bill outlines that Gila County must request the land within 180 days, and it will be transferred without any fees, but the county must cover all associated costs like surveys and environmental studies. The land is intended to be used exclusively for services supporting veterans, and if misused, ownership can revert back to the United States. The House of Representatives approved the bill on February 5, 2025.
Published
Keywords AI
Sources
Bill Statistics
Size
Language
Complexity
AnalysisAI
Overview of the Bill
The proposed legislation, H.R. 837, mandates that the Secretary of Agriculture transfer a piece of federal land, the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site, to Gila County, Arizona. This parcel, totaling approximately 232.9 acres, is part of the National Forest System located in the Tonto National Forest. The transfer, should it occur, will not require financial compensation from Gila County but does stipulate that the land must be used to serve and support veterans. If the land is not used for this intended purpose, it may revert back to federal ownership.
Key Issues
A significant aspect of the bill is its mandate that the land be transferred without financial compensation to the federal government, raising concerns about potential loss of federal assets. The bill also lacks explicit mechanisms for monitoring or enforcing the stipulated land use for veterans, which introduces a risk of misuse. There is a provision allowing the Secretary of Agriculture to impose terms and conditions to protect federal interests, but without specific guidelines, this may lead to inconsistency and legal disputes.
Moreover, the Secretary is allowed to correct "minor errors" in the map accompanying the bill. However, the term "minor errors" is not clearly defined, which could lead to misunderstandings or disputes over the extent of the land being transferred. Additionally, in cases where the land is not used as intended, the potential for reversion back to the United States is subject to the Secretary's discretion, yet the conditions under which this discretion may be exercised are not specified, introducing ambiguity.
The bill also does not require any environmental covenant or warranty during the land transfer, potentially transferring unknown liabilities to Gila County. This poses a risk to the county if the land contains environmental hazards or requires significant remediation.
Potential Impacts on the Public and Stakeholders
The bill could broadly impact the public by ensuring that veterans in Gila County have a dedicated space for support and services. This can be seen as a positive development, recognizing and catering to the needs of veterans. Conversely, the loss of federal assets without financial compensation might concern those focused on federal property management and asset protection.
For Gila County specifically, acquiring additional land could offer opportunities to expand services for local veterans, potentially providing positive outcomes for the veteran community. However, the lack of required environmental assessments might leave the county vulnerable to unforeseen liabilities, which could strain local resources if the land needs substantial cleanup or other interventions.
In summary, while the bill aims to support veterans by providing Gila County with additional resources, the accompanying lack of financial compensation, absence of explicit enforcement for land use requirements, and potential for undisclosed environmental issues present several challenges. The bill's implementation would need careful management to ensure that its objectives are met without exposing stakeholders to unnecessary risks.
Issues
The conveyance is made without consideration (Section 1.d), meaning the United States receives no compensation for the transfer of approximately 232.9 acres of National Forest System land, potentially leading to a significant loss of government assets.
The lack of explicit monitoring or enforcement mechanisms regarding the requirement that the land be used only for serving and supporting veterans (Section 1.g) suggests a potential for misuse and raises concerns over compliance with the intended use of the land.
The Secretary is granted discretion to impose terms and conditions to protect the interests of the United States (Section 1.d(4)), but the absence of specific criteria could result in inconsistencies and legal disputes over what conditions are appropriate.
The authorization for the Secretary to correct 'minor errors' in the map (Section 1.c(2)(A)) without a clear definition could lead to disputes over what constitutes a 'minor error', potentially affecting the amount of land conveyed or its boundaries.
The potential reversion clause (Section 1.h) allows the Secretary discretion without specifying the conditions under which this discretion might be exercised, creating ambiguity in enforcement and legal accountability if land usage does not comply with the stated purpose.
The lack of requirement for any covenant or warranty on environmental conditions (Section 1.f) suggests that the land may be transferred with unknown liabilities, posing potential risks to Gila County.
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 to obtain a piece of federal land in the Tonto National Forest, consisting of 232.9 acres, for free from the United States government. The County must use the land to support veterans and cover any costs related to the transfer, like surveys or environmental studies; if the land isn't used for veterans, it can revert back to the U.S. government.