Desert Community Lands Act
Bill: H.R.5355 | Sponsor: Rep. Obernolte, Jay (R-CA)
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Desert Community Lands Act
This bill requires the Department of the Interior to convey specified land to designated communities in California.
Specifically, Interior must convey, at the request of the town of Apple Valley in California, without consideration, the surface estate of specified land, to be known and designated as the Apple Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area. The conveyed land may be used by the town to provide (1) a suitable location for the establishment of a centralized, off-road vehicle recreation park; (2) the public with opportunities for off-road vehicle recreation; and (3) a designated area and facilities that would discourage unauthorized use of off-highway vehicles in areas that have been identified by the federal government, the state of California, or San Bernardino County, California, to contain environmentally sensitive land. Such land may not be disposed of by the town without Interior's approval.
The bill also requires Interior to convey, at the request of the cities of Twentynine Palms, Barstow, or Victorville in California, without consideration, the surface estate of specified lands to those cities.
All land conveyances under this bill are subject to valid existing rights and do not include the mineral estate in the lands conveyed. The conveyance to Victorville is subject to the reservation of a permanent easement and right of way for flood control, utility, pipeline, or telecommunications facilities located within the strips of land described in a right of way grant.

To convey certain Federal land in California to Apple Valley, 
  California, Twentynine Palms, California, Barstow, California, and 
                        Victorville, California.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Desert Community Lands Act''.

SEC. 2. CONVEYANCE FOR APPLE VALLEY OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE RECREATION 
              AREA.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (2) Town.--The term ``Town'' means the town of Apple 
        Valley, California.
    (b) Conveyance of Federal Land to Town.--
            (1) Conveyance required.--At the request of the Town, not 
        later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
        the Secretary shall convey to the Town, without consideration, 
        all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to 
        the surface estate of the approximately 4,630 acres of land 
        generally depicted as ``Proposed Conveyance Area'' on the map 
        entitled ``Conveyance to Town of Apple Valley'' and dated June 
        1, 2015. Such land shall be known and designated as the ``Apple 
        Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area''.
            (2) Existing rights and mineral estate.--The conveyance 
        under this subsection--
                    (A) is subject to valid existing rights; and
                    (B) does not include the mineral estate.
    (c) Use of Conveyed Land.--
            (1) In general.--The land conveyed under subsection (b) may 
        be used by the Town for any public purpose authorized in 
        paragraph (2), consistent with the Act of June 14, 1926 
        (commonly known as the Recreation and Public Purposes Act; 43 
        U.S.C. 869 et seq.).
            (2) Authorized purposes.--The purposes of the conveyance 
        under subsection (b) are to allow the Town to use the conveyed 
        land to provide--
                    (A) a suitable location for the establishment of a 
                centralized off-road vehicle recreation park;
                    (B) the public with opportunities for off-road 
                vehicle recreation, including a location for races, 
                competitive events, training, and other commercial 
                services that directly support a centralized off-road 
                vehicle recreation area and Town park; and
                    (C) a designated area and facilities that would 
                discourage unauthorized use of off-highway vehicles in 
                areas that have been identified by the Federal 
                Government, the State of California, or San Bernardino 
                County as containing environmentally sensitive land.
            (3) Disposal prohibited.--The land conveyed under 
        subsection (b) may not be disposed of by the Town without the 
        approval of the Secretary.

SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE TO CITY OF TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA.

    (a) Conveyance Required.--At the request of the city of Twentynine 
Palms, California, not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall convey to 
the city of Twentynine Palms, California, without consideration, all 
right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the surface 
estate of the land generally depicted as ``Proposed Conveyance to 
Twentynine Palms'' on the map entitled ``Proposed Conveyance to 
Twentynine Palms'' and dated September 18, 2015.
    (b) Existing Rights and Mineral Estate.--The conveyance under this 
section--
            (1) is subject to valid existing rights; and
            (2) does not include the mineral estate.

SEC. 4. CONVEYANCE TO CITY OF BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA.

    (a) Conveyance Required.--At the request of the city of Barstow, 
California, not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall convey to the city of 
Barstow, California, without consideration, all right, title, and 
interest of the United States in and to the surface estate of the land 
generally depicted as ``Proposed Conveyance'' on the map entitled 
``Proposed Conveyance to the City of Barstow'' and dated January 13, 
2017.
    (b) Existing Rights and Mineral Estate.--The conveyance under this 
section--
            (1) is subject to valid existing rights; and
            (2) does not include the mineral estate.

SEC. 5. CONVEYANCE TO CITY OF VICTORVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

    (a) Conveyance Required.--At the request of the city of 
Victorville, California, not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall convey to 
the city of Victorville, California, without consideration, all right, 
title, and interest of the United States in and to the surface estate 
of the land generally depicted as ``Proposed Conveyance'' on the map 
entitled ``Proposed Conveyance to the City of Victorville'' and dated 
April 25, 2017.
    (b) Existing Rights and Mineral Estate.--The conveyance under this 
subsection--
            (1) is subject to valid existing rights;
            (2) does not include the mineral estate; and
            (3) is subject to the reservation of a permanent easement 
        and right of way for flood control, utility, pipeline, or 
        telecommunications facilities located within the strips of land 
        described in the right of way grant from the United States 
        Department of the Interior to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, 
        Serial Number R 06259, dated March 2, 1965, and the easement 
        from J. Harley Long to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, dated 
        February 4, 1957, and recorded in Book 4192, Official Records 
        at page 42, San Bernardino County Records.
These easements include the right, at any time and from time to time, 
to construct, reconstruct, maintain, operate, replace, remove, repair, 
renew, and enlarge facilities for public utility purposes, the right to 
trim and cut down trees and brush that the public utility may deem to 
be a hazard to its facilities, and the requirement that the strips of 
land be kept open and free of buildings, structures, and wells of any 
kind.
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