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Union Calendar No. 459 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4285 

[Report No. 108–741] 

To provide for the conveyance of certain public land in Clark County, Nevada, 

for use as a heliport. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 5, 2004 

Mr. GIBBONS (for himself, Mr. PORTER, and Ms. BERKLEY) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources 

OCTOBER 6, 2004 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 

A BILL 

To provide for the conveyance of certain public land in Clark 

County, Nevada, for use as a heliport. 

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

3 SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE OF PROPERTY TO CLARK COUN4 TY, NEVADA. 

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
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1 (1) the Las Vegas Valley in the State of Ne2 vada is the fastest growing community in the United 

3 States; 

4 (2) helicopter tour operations are conflicting 

5 with the needs of long-established residential com6 munities in the Valley; and 

7 (3) the designation of a public heliport in the 

8 Valley that would reduce conflicts between helicopter 

9 tour operators and residential communities is in the 

10 public interest. 

11 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to provide 

12 a suitable location for the establishment of a commercial 

13 service heliport facility to serve the Las Vegas Valley in 

14 the State of Nevada while minimizing and mitigating the 

15 impact of air tours on the Sloan Canyon National Con16 servation Area and North McCullough Mountains Wilder17 ness. 

18 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

19 (1) CONSERVATION AREA.—The term ‘‘Con20 servation Area’’ means the Sloan Canyon National 

21 Conservation Area established by section 604(a) of 

22 the Clark County Conservation of Public Land and 

23 Natural Resources Act of 2002 (116 Stat. 2010). 

24 (2) COUNTY.—The term ‘‘County’’ means Clark 

25 County, Nevada. 
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1 (3) HELICOPTER TOUR.— 

2 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘helicopter 

3 tour’’ means a commercial helicopter tour oper4 ated for profit. 

5 (B) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘‘helicopter 

6 tour’’ does not include a helicopter tour that is 

7 carried out to assist a Federal, State, or local 

8 agency. 

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

10 the Secretary of the Interior. 

11 (5) WILDERNESS.—The term ‘‘Wilderness’’ 

12 means the North McCullough Mountains Wilderness 

13 established by section 202(a)(13) of the Clark Coun14 ty Conservation of Public Land and Natural Re15 sources Act of 2002 (116 Stat. 2000). 

16 (d) CONVEYANCE.—As soon as practicable after the 

17 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall convey 

18 to the County, subject to valid existing rights, for no con19 sideration, all right, title, and interest of the United States 

20 in and to the parcel of land described in subsection (e). 

21 (e) DESCRIPTION OF LAND.—The parcel of land to 

22 be conveyed under subsection (d) is the parcel of approxi23 mately 229 acres of land depicted as tract A on the map 

24 entitled ‘‘Clark County Public Heliport Facility’’ and 

25 dated May 3, 2004. 
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1 (f) USE OF LAND.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—The parcel of land conveyed 

3 under subsection (d)— 

4 (A) shall be used by the County for the op5 eration of a heliport facility under the condi6 tions stated in paragraphs (2) and (3); and 

7 (B) shall not be disposed of by the County. 

8 (2) IMPOSITION OF FEES.— 

9 (A) IN GENERAL.—Any operator of a heli10 copter tour originating from or concluding at 

11 the parcel of land described in subsection (e) 

12 shall pay to the Clark County Department of 

13 Aviation a $3 conservation fee for each pas14 senger on the helicopter tour if any portion of 

15 the helicopter tour occurs over the Conservation 

16 Area. 

17 (B) DISPOSITION OF FUNDS.—Any 

18 amounts collected under subparagraph (A) shall 

19 be deposited in a special account in the Treas20 ury of the United States, which shall be avail21 able to the Secretary, without further appro22 priation, for the management of cultural, wild23 life, and wilderness resources on public land in 

24 the State of Nevada. 
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1 (3) FLIGHT PATH.—Except for safety reasons, 

2 any helicopter tour originating or concluding at the 

3 parcel of land described in subsection (e) that flies 

4 over the Conservation Area shall not fly— 

5 (A) over any area in the Conservation Area 

6 except the area that is between 3 and 5 miles 

7 north of the latitude of the southernmost 

8 boundary of the Conservation Area; 

9 (B) lower than 1,000 feet over the eastern 

10 segments of the boundary of the Conservation 

11 Area; or 

12 (C) lower than 500 feet over the western 

13 segments of the boundary of the Conservation 

14 Area. 

15 (4) REVERSION.—If the County ceases to use 

16 any of the land described in subsection (d) for the 

17 purpose described in paragraph (1)(A) and under 

18 the conditions stated in paragraphs (2) and (3)— 

19 (A) title to the parcel shall revert to the 

20 United States, at the option of the United 

21 States; and 

22 (B) the County shall be responsible for any 

23 reclamation necessary to revert the parcel to 

24 the United States. 
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1 (g) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—The Secretary shall 

2 require, as a condition of the conveyance under subsection 

3 (d), that the County pay the administrative costs of the 

4 conveyance, including survey costs and any other costs as5 sociated with the transfer of title. 

Union Calendar No. 459 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4285 

[Report No. 108–741] 

A BILL 

To provide for the conveyance of certain public land 

in Clark County, Nevada, for use as a heliport. 

OCTOBER 6, 2004 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed