Imperial Valley Desert Conservation and Recreation Act of 2015

Summary: Imperial Valley Desert Conservation and Recreation Act of 2015 This bill directs the Department of the Interior to convey to the state of California approximately 934 acres of specified public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in San Diego County in order to allow California to include it as part of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The Department of Transportation shall seek a conveyance from Interior of approximately 3,500 acres of BLM-administered land adjacent to the Imperial County Holtville Airport in Imperial County, California, to allow the county to expand the airport.  The bill establishes the Vinagre Wash Special Management Area in California, which shall consist of approximately 81,880 acres of certain public lands in Imperial County. Interior shall manage specified lands in the Management Area to preserve their character for eventual inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Imperial Valley Desert Conservation 
and Recreation Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. LAND CONVEYANCE, ANZA-BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK, CALIFORNIA.

    (a) Conveyance Required.--The Secretary, without consideration, to 
the State, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and 
to a parcel of public lands administered by the Bureau of Land 
Management in San Diego County, California, comprising approximately 
934 acres and generally depicted as ``Table Mountain Wilderness Study 
Area Proposed Transfer'' on the map prepared at the request of 
Representative Juan Vargas entitled ``Table Mountain Wilderness Study 
Area Proposed Transfer to the State'' and dated October 8, 2015, for 
the purpose of allowing the State to include that land as part of Anza-
Borrego Desert State Park.
    (b) Time for Conveyance.--The Secretary shall complete the 
conveyance of the parcel under subsection (a) as soon as practicable 
after the termination of all mining claims related to the parcel.
    (c) Management.--The parcel conveyed under subsection (a) shall be 
managed by the State in accordance with the provisions of the 
California Wilderness Act (California Public Resources Code sections 
5093.30-5093.40).
    (d) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, the parcel to be 
conveyed under subsection (a) is withdrawn from--
            (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under 
        the public land laws;
            (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
            (3) disposition under all laws relating to mineral and 
        geothermal leasing.
    (e) Reversion.--If the State ceases to manage the parcel conveyed 
under subsection (a) as part of the State Park System or in a manner 
inconsistent with the California Wilderness Act (California Public 
Resources Code sections 5093.30-5093.40), the land shall revert to the 
Secretary, at the discretion of the Secretary, to be managed as a 
Wilderness Study Area.

SEC. 3. LAND CONVEYANCE, HOLTVILLE AIRPORT, IMPERIAL COUNTY, 
              CALIFORNIA.

    (a) Conveyance Authority.--On the submission of an application by 
Imperial County, California, the Secretary of Transportation shall 
seek, in accordance with section 47125 of title 49, United States Code, 
and section 2641.1 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
successor regulation), a conveyance from the Secretary of a parcel of 
Federal land administered by the Bureau of Land Management comprising 
approximately 3,500 acres adjacent to the Imperial County Holtville 
Airport (L04) for the purposes allowing the County to expand the 
airport.
    (b) Segregation.--With respect to the parcel described in 
subsection (a), the Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
Bureau of Land Management, shall--
            (1) segregate the parcel; and
            (2) prohibit the appropriation of the parcel until the 
        earlier of the following:
                    (A) The date on which a notice of realty action 
                terminates the application referred to in subsection 
                (a).
                    (B) The date on which a document of conveyance with 
                regard to the parcel is published.

SEC. 4. VINAGRE WASH SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Management area.--The term ``Management Area'' means 
        the Vinagre Wash Special Management Area.
            (2) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map prepared at the 
        request of Representative Juan Vargas entitled ``Vinagre Wash 
        Proposed Special Management Area; Indian Pass Mountains and 
        Palo Verde Mountains Potential Wilderness Additions, and 
        Buzzards Peak, Milpitas Wash Potential Wilderness'' and dated 
        October 8, 2015.
            (3) Public lands.--The term ``public lands'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 103 of the Federal Land 
        Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702).
    (b) Vinagre Wash Special Management Area.--
            (1) Establishment.--There is established in the State the 
        Vinagre Wash Special Management Area, to be managed by the El 
        Centro Field Office and the Yuma Field Office of the Bureau of 
        Land Management.
            (2) Purpose.--The purpose of the Management Area is to 
        conserve, protect, and enhance--
                    (A) the plants and wildlife of the Management Area; 
                and
                    (B) the outstanding and nationally significant 
                ecological, geological, scenic, archaeological, 
                cultural, historic, recreational, and other resources 
                of the Management Area.
            (3) Boundaries.--The Management Area shall consist of the 
        public lands in Imperial County, California, comprising 
        approximately 81,880 acres, as generally depicted as ``Proposed 
        Special Management Area'' on the map.
            (4) Map; legal description.--
                    (A) In general.--As soon as practicable, but not 
                later than three years after the date of enactment of 
                this Act, the Secretary shall submit a map and legal 
                description of the Management Area to--
                            (i) the Committee on Natural Resources of 
                        the House of Representatives; and
                            (ii) the Committee on Energy and Natural 
                        Resources of the Senate.
                    (B) Effect.--The map and legal description 
                submitted under subparagraph (A) shall have the same 
                force and effect as if included in this Act, except 
                that the Secretary may correct any errors in the map 
                and legal description.
                    (C) Availability.--Copies of the map submitted 
                under subparagraph (A) shall be on file and available 
                for public inspection in--
                            (i) the Office of the Director of the 
                        Bureau of Land Management; and
                            (ii) the appropriate office of the Bureau 
                        of Land Management in the State.
    (c) Management.--
            (1) Certain activities authorized.--The Secretary shall 
        allow hiking, camping, hunting, and sightseeing and the use of 
        motorized vehicles, mountain bikes, and horses on designated 
        routes in the Management Area in a manner that--
                    (A) is consistent with the purpose of the 
                Management Area;
                    (B) ensures public health and safety; and
                    (C) is consistent with applicable law.
            (2) Off-highway vehicle use.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as otherwise provided in 
                this subsection and subject to all other applicable 
                laws, the use of off-highway vehicles shall be 
                permitted on routes in the Management Area generally 
                depicted on the map.
                    (B) Closure.--Subject to subparagraph (C), the 
                Secretary may temporarily close or permanently reroute 
                a portion of a route described in subparagraph (A) or 
                opened pursuant to subparagraph (D)--
                            (i) to prevent, or allow for restoration 
                        of, resource damage;
                            (ii) to protect tribal cultural resources, 
                        including the resources identified in the 
                        tribal cultural resources management survey 
                        conducted under paragraph (7);
                            (iii) to address public safety concerns; or
                            (iv) as otherwise required by law.
                    (C) Designation of additional routes.--During the 
                3-year period beginning on the date of enactment of 
                this Act, the Secretary--
                            (i) shall accept petitions from the public 
                        regarding additional routes for off-highway 
                        vehicles in the Management Area; and
                            (ii) may designate additional routes that 
                        the Secretary determines--
                                    (I) would provide significant or 
                                unique recreational opportunities; and
                                    (II) are consistent with the 
                                purposes of the Management Area.
            (3) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, all 
        Federal land within the Management Area is withdrawn from--
                    (A) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal 
                under the public land laws;
                    (B) location, entry, and patent under the mining 
                laws; and
                    (C) right-of-way, leasing, or disposition under all 
                laws relating to--
                            (i) minerals; or
                            (ii) solar, wind, and geothermal energy.
            (4) No buffers.--The establishment of the Management Area 
        shall not--
                    (A) create a protective perimeter or buffer zone 
                around the Management Area; or
                    (B) restrict, preclude, limit, or prevent uses or 
                activities outside the Management Area that are 
                permitted under other applicable laws, even if the uses 
                or activities are prohibited within the Management 
                Area.
            (5) Notice of available routes.--The Secretary shall ensure 
        that visitors to the Management Area have access to adequate 
        notice relating to the availability of designated routes in the 
        Management Area through--
                    (A) the placement of appropriate signage along the 
                designated routes;
                    (B) the distribution of maps, safety education 
                materials, and other information that the Secretary 
                determines to be appropriate; and
                    (C) restoration of areas that are not designated as 
                open routes, including vertical mulching.
            (6) Stewardship.--In consultation with Indian tribes and 
        other interested persons, the Secretary shall develop a program 
        to provide opportunities for monitoring and stewardship of the 
        Management Area to minimize environmental impacts and prevent 
        resource damage from recreational use, including volunteer 
        assistance with--
                    (A) route signage;
                    (B) restoration of closed routes;
                    (C) protection of Management Area resources; and
                    (D) recreation education.
            (7) Protection of tribal cultural resources.--Not later 
        than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
        Secretary, in accordance with chapter 2003 of title 54, United 
        States Code, and any other applicable law, shall--
                    (A) prepare and complete a tribal cultural 
                resources survey of the Management Area; and
                    (B) consult with the Quechan Indian Nation and 
                other Indian tribes demonstrating ancestral, cultural, 
                or other ties to the resources within the Management 
                Area on the development and implementation of the 
                tribal cultural resources survey under subparagraph 
                (A).
    (d) Potential Wilderness.--
            (1) Protection of wilderness character.--The Secretary 
        shall manage the public lands in the Management Area described 
        in paragraph (2) in a manner that preserves the character of 
        the land for the eventual inclusion of the land in the National 
        Wilderness Preservation System.
            (2) Covered lands.--The public lands covered by this 
        section are--
                    (A) the approximately 10,860 acres of land, as 
                generally depicted as the ``Indian Pass Additions'' on 
                the map;
                    (B) the approximately 17,250 acres of land, as 
                generally depicted as ``Milpitas Wash Potential 
                Wilderness'' on the map;
                    (C) the approximately 11,840 acres of land, as 
                generally depicted as ``Buzzards Peak Potential 
                Wilderness'' on the map; and
                    (D) the approximately 9,350 acres of land, as 
                generally depicted as ``Palo Verde Mountains Potential 
                Wilderness'' on the map.
            (3) Military uses of lands.--The Secretary shall manage the 
        public lands covered by this section in a manner that is 
        consistent with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), 
        except that the Secretary may authorize use of the land by the 
        Secretary of the Navy for Naval Special Warfare Tactical 
        Training, including long-range small unit training and 
        navigation, vehicle concealment, and vehicle sustainment 
        training, in accordance with applicable Federal laws.
            (4) Prohibited uses.--The following uses are prohibited on 
        the public lands covered by this section:
                    (A) Permanent roads.
                    (B) Commercial enterprises.
                    (C) Except as necessary to meet the minimum 
                requirements for the administration of the land and to 
                protect public health and safety--
                            (i) the use of mechanized vehicles; and
                            (ii) the establishment of temporary roads.
            (5) Wilderness designation.--
                    (A) Eventual designation.--The public lands covered 
                by this section shall be designated as wilderness and 
                either included as part of an existing wilderness area 
                or made a new component of the National Wilderness 
                Preservation System on the date on which the Secretary, 
                in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, 
                publishes a notice in the Federal Register that all 
                activities on the Federal land that are incompatible 
                with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) have 
                terminated.
                    (B) Designation.--On designation of the public 
                lands as wilderness under paragraph (1)--
                            (i) the land described in paragraph (2)(A) 
                        shall be incorporated in, and shall be 
                        considered to be a part of, the Indian Pass 
                        Wilderness designated by section 102(27) of the 
                        California Desert Protection Act of 1994 
                        (Public Law 104-433; 16 U.S.C. 1132 note);
                            (ii) the land described in paragraph (2)(B) 
                        shall be designated as the Milpitas Wash 
                        Wilderness;
                            (iii) the land described in paragraph 
                        (2)(C) shall be designated as the Buzzard Peak 
                        Wilderness; and
                            (iv) the land described in paragraph (2)(D) 
                        shall be incorporated in, and shall be 
                        considered to be a part of, the Palo Verde 
                        Mountains Wilderness designated by section 
                        102(48) of the California Desert Protection Act 
                        of 1994 (Public Law 104-433; 16 U.S.C. 1132 
                        note).
            (6) Administration of wilderness.--Subject to valid 
        existing rights, the land designated as wilderness or as a 
        wilderness addition by paragraph (5)(B) shall be administered 
        by the Secretary in accordance with this Act and the Wilderness 
        Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.).

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (2) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of 
        California.