I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 763 
To promote conservation and provide for sensible development in Carson 
City, Nevada, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2009 
Mr. HELLER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To promote conservation and provide for sensible 
development in Carson City, Nevada, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Carson City Vital Community Act of 2009’’. 
(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—PUBLIC CONVEYANCES 
Sec. 101. Conveyances of Federal land and City land. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:02 Jan 31, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6211
E:\BILLS\H763.IH
H763
jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
Sec. 102. Transfer of administrative jurisdiction from the Forest Service to the 
Bureau of Land Management. 
TITLE II—LAND DISPOSAL 
Sec. 201. Disposal of Carson City land. 
Sec. 202. Disposition of proceeds. 
Sec. 203. Urban interface. 
Sec. 204. Availability of funds. 
TITLE III—TRANSFER OF LAND TO BE HELD IN TRUST FOR THE 
WASHOE TRIBE, SKUNK HARBOR CONVEYANCE CORRECTION, 
FOREST SERVICE AGREEMENT, AND ARTIFACT COLLECTION 
Sec. 301. Transfer of land to be held in trust for Washoe Tribe. 
Sec. 302. Correction of Skunk Harbor conveyance. 
Sec. 303. Agreement with Forest Service. 
Sec. 304. Artifact collection. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CITY.—The term ‘‘City’’ means Carson City 
Consolidated Municipality, Nevada. 
(2) MAP.—The term ‘‘Map’’ means the map en-
titled ‘‘Carson City, Nevada Area’’, dated September 
12, 2008, and on file and available for public inspec-
tion in the appropriate offices of— 
(A) the Bureau of Land Management; 
(B) the Forest Service; and 
(C) the City. 
(3) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary’’ 
means— 
(A) with respect to land in the National 
Forest System, the Secretary of Agriculture, 
acting through the Chief of the Forest Service; 
and 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:02 Jan 31, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H763.IH
H763
jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
(B) with respect to other Federal land, the 
Secretary of the Interior. 
(4) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ 
means the Secretary of Agriculture and the Sec-
retary of the Interior, acting jointly. 
(5) TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Tribe’’ means the 
Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, which is a 
federally recognized Indian tribe. 
TITLE I—PUBLIC CONVEYANCES 
SEC. 101. CONVEYANCES OF FEDERAL LAND AND CITY 
LAND. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 202 of 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
(43 U.S.C. 1712), if the City offers to convey to the 
United States title to the non-Federal land described in 
subsection (b)(1) that is acceptable to the Secretary of Ag-
riculture— 
(1) the Secretary shall accept the offer; and 
(2) not later than 180 days after the date on 
which the Secretary receive acceptable title to the 
non-Federal land described in subsection (b)(1), the 
Secretaries shall convey to the City, subject to valid 
existing rights and for no consideration, except as 
provided in subsection (c)(1), all right, title, and in-
terest of the United States in and to the Federal 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:02 Jan 31, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H763.IH
H763
jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
land (other than any easement reserved under sub-
section (c)(2)) or interest in land described in sub-
section (b)(2). 
(b) DESCRIPTION OF LAND.— 
(1) NON-FEDERAL
LAND.—The non-Federal 
land referred to in subsection (a) is the approxi-
mately 2,264 acres of land administered by the City 
and identified on the Map as ‘‘To U.S. Forest Serv-
ice’’. 
(2) FEDERAL
LAND.—The Federal land re-
ferred to in subsection (a)(2) is— 
(A) the approximately 935 acres of Forest 
Service land identified on the Map as ‘‘To Car-
son City for Natural Areas’’; 
(B) the approximately 3,604 acres of Bu-
reau of Land Management land identified on 
the Map as ‘‘Silver Saddle Ranch and Carson 
River Area’’; 
(C) the approximately 1,862 acres of Bu-
reau of Land Management land identified on 
the Map as ‘‘To Carson City for Parks and 
Public Purposes’’; and 
(D) the approximately 75 acres of City 
land in which the Bureau of Land Management 
has a reversionary interest that is identified on 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:02 Jan 31, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H763.IH
H763
jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
the Map as ‘‘Reversionary Interest of the 
United States Released’’. 
(c) CONDITIONS.— 
(1) CONSIDERATION.—Before the conveyance of 
the 62-acre Bernhard parcel to the City, the City 
shall deposit in the special account established by 
section 202(b)(1) an amount equal to 25 percent of 
the difference between— 
(A) the amount for which the Bernhard 
parcel was purchased by the City on July 18, 
2001; and 
(B) the amount for which the Bernhard 
parcel was purchased by the Secretary on 
March 24, 2006. 
(2) CONSERVATION EASEMENT.—As a condition 
of the conveyance of the land described in subsection 
(b)(2)(B), the Secretary, in consultation with Carson 
City and affected local interests, shall reserve a per-
petual conservation easement to the land to protect, 
preserve, and enhance the conservation values of the 
land, consistent with subsection (d)(2). 
(3) COSTS.—Any costs relating to the convey-
ance under subsection (a), including any costs for 
surveys and other administrative costs, shall be paid 
by the recipient of the land being conveyed. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:02 Jan 31, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H763.IH
H763
jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
(d) USE OF LAND.— 
(1) NATURAL AREAS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the land described in sub-
section (b)(2)(A) shall be managed by the City 
to maintain undeveloped open space and to pre-
serve the natural characteristics of the land in 
perpetuity. 
(B) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding sub-
paragraph (A), the City may— 
(i) conduct projects on the land to re-
duce fuels; 
(ii) construct and maintain trails, 
trailhead facilities, and any infrastructure 
on the land that is required for municipal 
water and flood management activities; 
and 
(iii) maintain or reconstruct any im-
provements on the land that are in exist-
ence on the date of enactment of this Act. 
(2) SILVER SADDLE RANCH AND CARSON RIVER 
AREA.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the land described in sub-
section (b)(2)(B) shall— 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:02 Jan 31, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H763.IH
H763
jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
(i) be managed by the City to protect 
and enhance the Carson River, the flood-
plain and surrounding upland, and impor-
tant wildlife habitat; and 
(ii) be used for undeveloped open 
space, passive recreation, customary agri-
cultural practices, and wildlife protection. 
(B) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding sub-
paragraph (A), the City may— 
(i) construct and maintain trails and 
trailhead facilities on the land; 
(ii) conduct projects on the land to re-
duce fuels; 
(iii) maintain or reconstruct any im-
provements on the land that are in exist-
ence on the date of enactment of this Act; 
and 
(iv) allow the use of motorized vehi-
cles on designated roads, trails, and areas 
in the south end of Prison Hill. 
(3) PARKS AND PUBLIC PURPOSES.—The land 
described in subsection (b)(2)(C) shall be managed 
by the City for— 
(A) undeveloped open space; and 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:02 Jan 31, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H763.IH
H763
jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
(B) recreation or other public purposes 
consistent with the Act of June 14, 1926 (com-
monly known as the ‘‘Recreation and Public 
Purposes Act’’) (43 U.S.C. 869 et seq.). 
(4) REVERSIONARY INTEREST.— 
(A) RELEASE.—The reversionary interest 
described in subsection (b)(2)(D) shall termi-
nate on the date of enactment of this Act. 
(B) CONVEYANCE BY CITY.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—If the City sells, 
leases, or otherwise conveys any portion of 
the land described in subsection (b)(2)(D), 
the sale, lease, or conveyance of land shall 
be— 
(I) through a competitive bidding 
process; and 
(II) except as provided in clause 
(ii), for not less than fair market 
value. 
(ii) CONVEYANCE
TO
GOVERNMENT 
OR NONPROFIT.—A sale, lease, or convey-
ance of land described in subsection 
(b)(2)(D) to the Federal Government, a 
State government, a unit of local govern-
ment, or a nonprofit organization shall be 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:02 Jan 31, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H763.IH
H763
jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS