Sponsors (2)
The bill provides Gila County free federal land to help veterans locally while shifting conveyance costs, legal risk, and reduction of public federal land to the county and local taxpayers — trading a direct local veterans benefit for financial, legal, and public-access risks.
Veterans in Gila County gain access to up to ~232.9 acres of federal land for creating or expanding local facilities and services at no purchase price to the county.
Federal taxpayers and the federal budget save money because the county assumes conveyance-related costs (surveys, environmental and historic analyses, and other conveyance costs) instead of the federal government.
The Secretary retains a reversionary authority to reclaim the land if it is not used to serve veterans, providing a mechanism to protect the public interest and intended use.
Gila County (and thus local taxpayers) bears all up-front and ongoing financial and legal risks of the conveyance — including survey, NEPA and NHPA compliance costs, conveyance expenses, and potential cleanup or liability from unknown contamination under a quitclaim deed with no warranties.
Conveying National Forest land to a local government reduces the amount of federal public land available for recreation, conservation, and other public uses in the area.
If the county fails to use the land for veterans' purposes, enforcing the reversion clause and restoring public control could be administratively complex and slow, delaying public access or reuse.
Based on analysis of 1 section of legislative text.
Conveys ~232.9 acres of Tonto National Forest land to Gila County for use solely to serve and support veterans, with the county paying conveyance costs.
Official title: Require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site to Gila County, Arizona.
Introduced February 25, 2025 by Mark Edward Kelly · Last progress February 25, 2025
Conveys about 232.9 acres of Tonto National Forest land in the Pleasant Valley Ranger District to Gila County, Arizona, by quitclaim deed if the county asks within 180 days. The county must pay conveyance costs (survey, required environmental and historic reviews), the transfer is subject to existing rights and Secretary-imposed terms, and the land must be used solely to serve and support veterans or title may revert to the United States.