Sponsors
The bill transfers a specific Forest Service parcel to Gila County to support veterans services and increases public transparency, but it shifts conveyance costs and environmental liability to the county and removes public forest land and local flexibility.
Gila County and local veterans will receive ownership of ~232.9 acres of former Forest Service land at no purchase price (if the county requests the conveyance within 180 days), enabling new veterans facilities, services, or housing.
Local residents and governments gain greater transparency because the referenced map of the conveyed land must be kept on file and available for public inspection in Forest Service offices.
Gila County (and its taxpayers) must pay all conveyance costs, including surveys and environmental/historic reviews, which could strain county budgets.
Gila County and veterans using the land assume environmental liability because the conveyance is by quitclaim deed with no CERCLA covenant or warranty, exposing them to potential cleanup costs and legal risk.
Residents and recreation users lose access to ~232.9 acres of National Forest System land, reducing public land available for recreation, conservation, and multiple-use purposes.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Transfers ~232.9 acres of Tonto National Forest land to Gila County at no cost for use to serve veterans, subject to surveys, reviews, and cost payments by the county.
Conveys about 232.9 acres of Tonto National Forest land to Gila County, Arizona by quitclaim deed at no purchase price, if the county requests the land within 180 days of enactment. The transfer is subject to existing rights, required environmental and historic reviews, additional protective terms set by the Secretary of Agriculture, and a restriction that the land must be used only to serve and support veterans; inconsistent uses may revert title to the United States.
Introduced January 31, 2025 by Eli Crane · Last progress February 4, 2026