I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4060 

To establish certain conservation and recreation areas in the State of 

California, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 18, 2015 

Mr. VARGAS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To establish certain conservation and recreation areas in 

the State of California, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Imperial Valley Desert 

5 Conservation and Recreation Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. LAND CONVEYANCE, ANZA-BORREGO DESERT 

7 STATE PARK, CALIFORNIA. 

8 (a) CONVEYANCE REQUIRED.—The Secretary, with9 out consideration, to the State, all right, title, and interest 

10 of the United States in and to a parcel of public lands 


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1 administered by the Bureau of Land Management in San 

2 Diego County, California, comprising approximately 934 

3 acres and generally depicted as ‘‘Table Mountain Wilder4 ness Study Area Proposed Transfer’’ on the map prepared 

5 at the request of Representative Juan Vargas entitled 

6 ‘‘Table Mountain Wilderness Study Area Proposed Trans7 fer to the State’’ and dated October 8, 2015, for the pur8 pose of allowing the State to include that land as part 

9 of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. 

10 (b) TIME FOR CONVEYANCE.—The Secretary shall 

11 complete the conveyance of the parcel under subsection (a) 

12 as soon as practicable after the termination of all mining 

13 claims related to the parcel. 

14 (c) MANAGEMENT.—The parcel conveyed under sub15 section (a) shall be managed by the State in accordance 

16 with the provisions of the California Wilderness Act (Cali17 fornia Public Resources Code sections 5093.30–5093.40). 

18 (d) WITHDRAWAL.—Subject to valid existing rights, 

19 the parcel to be conveyed under subsection (a) is with20 drawn from— 

21 (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal 

22 under the public land laws; 

23 (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining 

24 laws; and 


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1 (3) disposition under all laws relating to min2 eral and geothermal leasing. 

3 (e) REVERSION.—If the State ceases to manage the 

4 parcel conveyed under subsection (a) as part of the State 

5 Park System or in a manner inconsistent with the Cali6 fornia Wilderness Act (California Public Resources Code 

7 sections 5093.30–5093.40), the land shall revert to the 

8 Secretary, at the discretion of the Secretary, to be man9 aged as a Wilderness Study Area. 

10 SEC. 3. LAND CONVEYANCE, HOLTVILLE AIRPORT, IMPE11 RIAL COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 

12 (a) CONVEYANCE AUTHORITY.—On the submission 

13 of an application by Imperial County, California, the Sec14 retary of Transportation shall seek, in accordance with 

15 section 47125 of title 49, United States Code, and section 

16 2641.1 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (or suc17 cessor regulation), a conveyance from the Secretary of a 

18 parcel of Federal land administered by the Bureau of 

19 Land Management comprising approximately 3,500 acres 

20 adjacent to the Imperial County Holtville Airport (L04) 

21 for the purposes allowing the County to expand the air22 port. 

23 (b) SEGREGATION.—With respect to the parcel de24 scribed in subsection (a), the Secretary, acting through 

25 the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, shall— 


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1 (1) segregate the parcel; and 

2 (2) prohibit the appropriation of the parcel 

3 until the earlier of the following: 

4 (A) The date on which a notice of realty 

5 action terminates the application referred to in 

6 subsection (a). 

7 (B) The date on which a document of con8 veyance with regard to the parcel is published. 

9 SEC. 4. VINAGRE WASH SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA. 

10 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

11 (1) MANAGEMENT AREA.—The term ‘‘Manage12 ment Area’’ means the Vinagre Wash Special Man13 agement Area. 

14 (2) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map 

15 prepared at the request of Representative Juan 

16 Vargas entitled ‘‘Vinagre Wash Proposed Special 

17 Management Area; Indian Pass Mountains and Palo 

18 Verde Mountains Potential Wilderness Additions, 

19 and Buzzards Peak, Milpitas Wash Potential Wil20 derness’’ and dated October 8, 2015. 

21 (3) PUBLIC LANDS.—The term ‘‘public lands’’ 

22 has the meaning given that term in section 103 of 

23 the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 

24 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702). 

25 (b) VINAGRE WASH SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA.— 


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1 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in 

2 the State the Vinagre Wash Special Management 

3 Area, to be managed by the El Centro Field Office 

4 and the Yuma Field Office of the Bureau of Land 

5 Management. 

6 (2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Manage7 ment Area is to conserve, protect, and enhance— 

8 (A) the plants and wildlife of the Manage9 ment Area; and 

10 (B) the outstanding and nationally signifi11 cant ecological, geological, scenic, archae12 ological, cultural, historic, recreational, and 

13 other resources of the Management Area. 

14 (3) BOUNDARIES.—The Management Area shall 

15 consist of the public lands in Imperial County, Cali16 fornia, comprising approximately 81,880 acres, as 

17 generally depicted as ‘‘Proposed Special Manage18 ment Area’’ on the map. 

19 (4) MAP; LEGAL DESCRIPTION.— 

20 (A) IN GENERAL.—As soon as practicable, 

21 but not later than three years after the date of 

22 enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall sub23 mit a map and legal description of the Manage24 ment Area to— 


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1 (i) the Committee on Natural Re2 sources of the House of Representatives; 

3 and 

4 (ii) the Committee on Energy and 

5 Natural Resources of the Senate. 

6 (B) EFFECT.—The map and legal descrip7 tion submitted under subparagraph (A) shall 

8 have the same force and effect as if included in 

9 this Act, except that the Secretary may correct 

10 any errors in the map and legal description. 

11 (C) AVAILABILITY.—Copies of the map 

12 submitted under subparagraph (A) shall be on 

13 file and available for public inspection in— 

14 (i) the Office of the Director of the 

15 Bureau of Land Management; and 

16 (ii) the appropriate office of the Bu17 reau of Land Management in the State. 

18 (c) MANAGEMENT.— 

19 (1) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES AUTHORIZED.—The 

20 Secretary shall allow hiking, camping, hunting, and 

21 sightseeing and the use of motorized vehicles, moun22 tain bikes, and horses on designated routes in the 

23 Management Area in a manner that— 

24 (A) is consistent with the purpose of the 

25 Management Area; 


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1 (B) ensures public health and safety; and 

2 (C) is consistent with applicable law. 

3 (2) OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE USE.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise 

5 provided in this subsection and subject to all 

6 other applicable laws, the use of off-highway ve7 hicles shall be permitted on routes in the Man8 agement Area generally depicted on the map. 

9 (B) CLOSURE.—Subject to subparagraph 

10 (C), the Secretary may temporarily close or per11 manently reroute a portion of a route described 

12 in subparagraph (A) or opened pursuant to 

13 subparagraph (D)— 

14 (i) to prevent, or allow for restoration 

15 of, resource damage; 

16 (ii) to protect tribal cultural re17 sources, including the resources identified 

18 in the tribal cultural resources manage19 ment survey conducted under paragraph 

20 (7); 

21 (iii) to address public safety concerns; 

22 or 

23 (iv) as otherwise required by law. 

24 (C) DESIGNATION OF ADDITIONAL

25 ROUTES.—During the 3-year period beginning 


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1 on the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec2 retary— 

3 (i) shall accept petitions from the 

4 public regarding additional routes for off5 highway vehicles in the Management Area; 

6 and 

7 (ii) may designate additional routes 

8 that the Secretary determines— 

9 (I) would provide significant or 

10 unique recreational opportunities; and 

11 (II) are consistent with the pur12 poses of the Management Area. 

13 (3) WITHDRAWAL.—Subject to valid existing 

14 rights, all Federal land within the Management Area 

15 is withdrawn from— 

16 (A) all forms of entry, appropriation, or 

17 disposal under the public land laws; 

18 (B) location, entry, and patent under the 

19 mining laws; and 

20 (C) right-of-way, leasing, or disposition 

21 under all laws relating to— 

22 (i) minerals; or 

23 (ii) solar, wind, and geothermal en24 ergy. 


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1 (4) NO BUFFERS.—The establishment of the 

2 Management Area shall not— 

3 (A) create a protective perimeter or buffer 

4 zone around the Management Area; or 

5 (B) restrict, preclude, limit, or prevent 

6 uses or activities outside the Management Area 

7 that are permitted under other applicable laws, 

8 even if the uses or activities are prohibited 

9 within the Management Area. 

10 (5) NOTICE OF AVAILABLE ROUTES.—The Sec11 retary shall ensure that visitors to the Management 

12 Area have access to adequate notice relating to the 

13 availability of designated routes in the Management 

14 Area through— 

15 (A) the placement of appropriate signage 

16 along the designated routes; 

17 (B) the distribution of maps, safety edu18 cation materials, and other information that the 

19 Secretary determines to be appropriate; and 

20 (C) restoration of areas that are not des21 ignated as open routes, including vertical 

22 mulching. 

23 (6) STEWARDSHIP.—In consultation with In24 dian tribes and other interested persons, the Sec25 retary shall develop a program to provide opportuniVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:09 Nov 21, 2015 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4060.IH H4060

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1 ties for monitoring and stewardship of the Manage2 ment Area to minimize environmental impacts and 

3 prevent resource damage from recreational use, in4 cluding volunteer assistance with— 

5 (A) route signage; 

6 (B) restoration of closed routes; 

7 (C) protection of Management Area re8 sources; and 

9 (D) recreation education. 

10 (7) PROTECTION OF TRIBAL CULTURAL RE11 SOURCES.—Not later than 2 years after the date of 

12 enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in accordance 

13 with chapter 2003 of title 54, United States Code, 

14 and any other applicable law, shall— 

15 (A) prepare and complete a tribal cultural 

16 resources survey of the Management Area; and 

17 (B) consult with the Quechan Indian Na18 tion and other Indian tribes demonstrating an19 cestral, cultural, or other ties to the resources 

20 within the Management Area on the develop21 ment and implementation of the tribal cultural 

22 resources survey under subparagraph (A). 

23 (d) POTENTIAL WILDERNESS.— 

24 (1) PROTECTION OF WILDERNESS CHAR25 ACTER.—The Secretary shall manage the public 


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1 lands in the Management Area described in para2 graph (2) in a manner that preserves the character 

3 of the land for the eventual inclusion of the land in 

4 the National Wilderness Preservation System. 

5 (2) COVERED LANDS.—The public lands cov6 ered by this section are— 

7 (A) the approximately 10,860 acres of 

8 land, as generally depicted as the ‘‘Indian Pass 

9 Additions’’ on the map; 

10 (B) the approximately 17,250 acres of 

11 land, as generally depicted as ‘‘Milpitas Wash 

12 Potential Wilderness’’ on the map; 

13 (C) the approximately 11,840 acres of 

14 land, as generally depicted as ‘‘Buzzards Peak 

15 Potential Wilderness’’ on the map; and 

16 (D) the approximately 9,350 acres of land, 

17 as generally depicted as ‘‘Palo Verde Mountains 

18 Potential Wilderness’’ on the map. 

19 (3) MILITARY USES OF LANDS.—The Secretary 

20 shall manage the public lands covered by this section 

21 in a manner that is consistent with the Wilderness 

22 Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), except that the Sec23 retary may authorize use of the land by the Sec24 retary of the Navy for Naval Special Warfare Tac25 tical Training, including long-range small unit trainVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:09 Nov 21, 2015 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4060.IH H4060

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1 ing and navigation, vehicle concealment, and vehicle 

2 sustainment training, in accordance with applicable 

3 Federal laws. 

4 (4) PROHIBITED USES.—The following uses are 

5 prohibited on the public lands covered by this sec6 tion: 

7 (A) Permanent roads. 

8 (B) Commercial enterprises. 

9 (C) Except as necessary to meet the min10 imum requirements for the administration of 

11 the land and to protect public health and safe12 ty— 

13 (i) the use of mechanized vehicles; and 

14 (ii) the establishment of temporary 

15 roads. 

16 (5) WILDERNESS DESIGNATION.— 

17 (A) EVENTUAL DESIGNATION.—The public 

18 lands covered by this section shall be designated 

19 as wilderness and either included as part of an 

20 existing wilderness area or made a new compo21 nent of the National Wilderness Preservation 

22 System on the date on which the Secretary, in 

23 consultation with the Secretary of Defense, 

24 publishes a notice in the Federal Register that 

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1 compatible with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 

2 1131 et seq.) have terminated. 

3 (B) DESIGNATION.—On designation of the 

4 public lands as wilderness under paragraph 

5 (1)— 

6 (i) the land described in paragraph 

7 (2)(A) shall be incorporated in, and shall 

8 be considered to be a part of, the Indian 

9 Pass Wilderness designated by section 

10 102(27) of the California Desert Protec11 tion Act of 1994 (Public Law 104–433; 16 

12 U.S.C. 1132 note); 

13 (ii) the land described in paragraph 

14 (2)(B) shall be designated as the Milpitas 

15 Wash Wilderness; 

16 (iii) the land described in paragraph 

17 (2)(C) shall be designated as the Buzzard 

18 Peak Wilderness; and 

19 (iv) the land described in paragraph 

20 (2)(D) shall be incorporated in, and shall 

21 be considered to be a part of, the Palo 

22 Verde Mountains Wilderness designated by 

23 section 102(48) of the California Desert 

24 Protection Act of 1994 (Public Law 104– 

25 433; 16 U.S.C. 1132 note). 


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1 (6) ADMINISTRATION OF WILDERNESS.—Sub2 ject to valid existing rights, the land designated as 

3 wilderness or as a wilderness addition by paragraph 

4 (5)(B) shall be administered by the Secretary in ac5 cordance with this Act and the Wilderness Act (16 

6 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.). 

7 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

8 In this Act: 

9 (1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

10 the Secretary of the Interior. 

11 (2) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

12 of California. 

Æ 


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