SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Pershing County Economic Development and Conserva-
tion Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
TITLE I—CHECKERBOARD LAND RESOLUTION 
Sec. 101. Findings. 
Sec. 102. Definitions. 
Sec. 103. Sale or exchange of eligible land. 
Sec. 104. Disposition of proceeds. 
TITLE II—LAND CONVEYANCES AND TRANSFERS 
Sec. 201. Conveyances of covered land. 
Sec. 202. Conveyance of land for use as a public cemetery. 
TITLE III—WILDERNESS AREAS 
Sec. 301. Additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System. 
Sec. 302. Administration. 
Sec. 303. Wildlife management. 
Sec. 304. Release of wilderness study areas. 
Sec. 305. Native American cultural and religious uses. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COUNTY.—The term ‘‘County’’ means Per-
shing County, Nevada. 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of Nevada.
(4) WILDERNESS AREA.—The term ‘‘wilderness 
area’’ means a wilderness area designated by section 
301(a). 
TITLE I—CHECKERBOARD LAND 
RESOLUTION 
SEC. 101. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) since the passage of the Act of July 1, 1862 
(12 Stat. 489, chapter 120) (commonly known as 
the ‘‘Pacific Railway Act of 1862’’), under which 
railroad land grants along the Union Pacific Rail-
road right-of-way created a checkerboard land pat-
tern of alternating public land and privately owned 
land, management of the land in the checkerboard 
area has been a constant source of frustration for 
both private landholders and the Federal Govern-
ment; 
(2) management of Federal land in the checker-
board area has been costly and difficult for the Fed-
eral land management agencies, creating a disincen-
tive to manage the land effectively; 
(3) parcels of land within the checkerboard area 
in the County will not vary significantly in appraised 
value by acre due to the similarity of highest and 
best use in the County; and
(4) consolidation of appropriate land within the 
checkerboard area through sales and as acre-for-acre 
exchanges for development and Federal management 
will— 
(A) help improve the tax base of the Coun-
ty; and 
(B) simplify management for the Federal 
Government. 
SEC. 102. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) ELIGIBLE LAND.—The term ‘‘eligible land’’ 
means— 
(A) any land administered by the Director 
of the Bureau of Land Management that is 
within the area identified on the Map as 
‘‘Checkerboard Lands Resolution Area’’ that is 
designated for disposal by the Secretary 
through— 
(i) the Winnemucca Consolidated Re-
source Management Plan; or 
(ii) any subsequent amendment or re-
vision to the management plan that is un-
dertaken with full public involvement; and 
(B) the land identified on the Map as ‘‘Ad-
ditional Lands Eligible for Disposal’’.
(2) MAP.—The term ‘‘Map’’ means the map en-
titled ‘‘Pershing County Checkerboard Lands Reso-
lution’’ and dated February 9, 2017. 
SEC. 103. SALE OR EXCHANGE OF ELIGIBLE LAND. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION
OF
CONVEYANCE.—Notwith-
standing sections 202 and 203, subsections (b) through 
(i) of section 206, and section 209 of the Federal Land 
Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712, 
1713, 1716, 1719), the Secretary, in cooperation with the 
County, in accordance with this Act and any other applica-
ble law, and subject to valid existing rights, shall conduct 
sales or exchanges of the eligible land. 
(b) JOINT SELECTION REQUIRED.—The Secretary 
and the County shall jointly select which parcels of eligible 
land to offer for sale or exchange under subsection (a). 
(c) COMPLIANCE WITH LOCAL PLANNING AND ZON-
ING LAWS.—Before carrying out a sale or exchange under 
subsection (a), the County shall submit to the Secretary 
a certification that qualified bidders have agreed to comply 
with— 
(1) local zoning ordinances; and 
(2) any master plan for the area approved by 
the County. 
(d) METHOD OF SALE OR EXCHANGE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The sale or exchange of eli-
gible land under subsection (a) shall be— 
(A) consistent with subsections (b), (d), 
and (f) of section 203 and section 206(a) of the 
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1713, 1716(a)); and 
(B) conducted through— 
(i) a sale, which shall be— 
(I) through a competitive bidding 
process, under which adjoining land-
owners are offered the first option, 
unless otherwise determined by the 
Secretary; 
(II) for not less than fair market 
value, based on an appraisal in ac-
cordance with the Uniform Standards 
of Professional Appraisal Practice; 
and 
(III) conducted in accordance 
with subsection (f); or 
(ii) subject to paragraph (3), an acre- 
for-acre exchange for private land located 
within a Management Priority Area identi-
fied under paragraph (4)(A).
(2) MASS APPRAISAL.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 
5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall— 
(A) conduct a mass appraisal of the eligi-
ble land to determine whether any parcel of eli-
gible land is likely valued at equal to or greater 
than $500 per acre (in 2017 constant dollars, 
as measured by the Consumer Price Index); 
and 
(B) make available to the public the results 
of the mass appraisal conducted under subpara-
graph (A). 
(3) EXCLUSION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary deter-
mines that a parcel of eligible land is likely val-
ued at equal to or greater than $500 per acre 
(in 2017 constant dollars, as measured by the 
Consumer 
Price 
Index) 
under 
paragraph 
(2)(A), the Secretary shall exclude that parcel 
from the acre-for-acre exchange described in 
paragraph (1)(B)(ii). 
(B) PUBLICATION
IN
FEDERAL
REG-
ISTER.—If a mass appraisal of eligible land 
under paragraph (2)(A) is not finalized, or up- 
to-date and publicly available, before an acre-
for-acre 
exchange 
described 
in 
paragraph 
(1)(B)(ii) is completed, the Secretary may final-
ize the exchange if the Secretary publishes in 
the Federal Register— 
(i) a determination stating that the 
one or more parcels of eligible land in-
cluded in the exchange are likely valued at 
less than $500 per acre (in 2017 constant 
dollars, as measured by the Consumer 
Price Index); and 
(ii) a description of the methodology 
used to arrive at that determination. 
(4) MANAGEMENT PRIORITY AREAS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, for the purpose of the 
exchanges 
authorized 
under 
paragraph 
(1)(B)(ii), the Secretary— 
(i) shall identify Management Priority 
Areas within the Checkerboard Lands Res-
olution Area, as identified on the Map, 
that are considered by the Secretary to 
be— 
(I) greater sage-grouse habitat;
(II) part of an identified wildlife 
corridor or designated critical habitat; 
(III) of value for outdoor recre-
ation or public access for hunting, 
fishing, and other recreational pur-
poses; 
(IV) of significant cultural, his-
toric, ecological, or scenic value; or 
(V) of value for improving Fed-
eral land management; and 
(ii) as appropriate, may identify addi-
tional management priority areas in the 
County any time after the identification 
under clause (i) is completed. 
(B) LIMITATION.—Management of Federal 
land within any Management Priority Area 
identified under subparagraph (A) shall not be 
changed based solely on that identification. 
(e) WITHDRAWAL.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to valid existing 
rights and mining claims for which the claims main-
tenance fees have been paid in the applicable assess-
ment year, effective on the date on which a parcel 
of eligible land is selected for sale or exchange under 
subsection (b), that parcel is withdrawn from—
(A) all forms of entry and appropriation 
under the public land laws, including the min-
ing laws; 
(B) location, entry, and patent under the 
mining laws; and 
(C) operation of the mineral leasing and 
geothermal leasing laws. 
(2) TERMINATION.—The withdrawal of a parcel 
of eligible land under paragraph (1) shall termi-
nate— 
(A) on the date of sale or, in the case of 
exchange, the conveyance of title of the parcel 
of eligible land under this title; or 
(B) with respect to any parcel of eligible 
land selected for sale or exchange under sub-
section (b) that is not sold or exchanged, not 
later than 2 years after the date on which the 
parcel was offered for sale or exchange under 
this title. 
(f) PARAMETERS FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE.— 
(1) SALES.— 
(A) DEADLINE.—Except as provided in 
paragraph (3), not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, and not less fre-
quently than once per year thereafter until the
date on which the limitation in subparagraph 
(B) has been reached or the date on which the 
County requests a postponement under para-
graph (3), the Secretary shall offer for sale the 
parcels of eligible land jointly selected under 
subsection (b). 
(B) LIMITATION.—The total acreage of eli-
gible land sold under this title shall consist of 
not more than 150,000 acres of eligible land. 
(2) DEADLINE
FOR
EXCHANGES.—Except as 
provided in paragraph (3), not later than 1 year 
after the date on which the Management Priority 
Areas are identified under subsection (d)(4)(A), and 
not less frequently than once per year thereafter 
until the date on which all of the parcels of eligible 
land have been disposed of or the date on which the 
County requests a postponement under paragraph 
(3), the Secretary shall offer for exchange the par-
cels of eligible land jointly selected under subsection 
(b). 
(3) POSTPONEMENT; EXCLUSION FOR SALE OR 
EXCHANGE.— 
(A) REQUEST BY COUNTY FOR POSTPONE-
MENT OR EXCLUSION.—At the request of the 
County, the Secretary shall postpone or exclude
from a sale or exchange all or a portion of the 
eligible land jointly selected under subsection 
(b). 
(B) INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT.—Unless 
specifically requested by the County, a post-
ponement under subparagraph (A) shall not be 
indefinite. 
(C) POSTPONEMENT
OR
EXCLUSION
BY 
THE SECRETARY.—The Secretary may postpone 
or exclude from a sale or exchange all or a por-
tion of the eligible land jointly selected under 
subsection (b) for emergency ecological or safe-
ty reasons. 
SEC. 104. DISPOSITION OF PROCEEDS. 
(a) DISPOSITION OF PROCEEDS.—Of the proceeds 
from the sale of land under section 103 or 201— 
(1) 5 percent shall be disbursed to the State for 
use in the general education program of the State; 
(2) 10 percent shall be disbursed to the County 
for use as determined through normal County budg-
eting procedures; and 
(3) the remainder shall be deposited in a special 
account in the Treasury of the United States, to be 
known as the ‘‘Pershing County Special Account’’,
which shall be available to the Secretary, in con-
sultation with the County, for— 
(A) the reimbursement of costs incurred by 
the Department of the Interior in preparing for 
the sale or exchange of the eligible land, includ-
ing— 
(i) the costs of surveys and appraisals; 
and 
(ii) the costs of compliance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and sec-
tions 202 and 203 of the Federal Land 
Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 
U.S.C. 1712, 1713); 
(B) the conduct of wildlife habitat con-
servation and restoration projects, including 
projects that benefit the greater sage-grouse in 
the County; 
(C) a project or activity carried out in the 
County to address drought conditions; 
(D) 
the 
implementation 
of 
wildfire 
presuppression and restoration projects in the 
County;