Las Vegas Valley Public Land and Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-974
Sponsor: Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV]
Introduced: 2013-05-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Alternative and renewable resources
Aviation and airports
Educational facilities and institutions
Electric power generation and transmission
Higher education
Land transfers
Land use and conservation
Military education and training
Military facilities and property
Monuments and memorials
Motor vehicles
Nevada
Outdoor recreation
Parks, recreation areas, trails
Water use and supply
Wilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-16
text: 
 Las Vegas Valley Public Land and Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument Act of 2013 - Establishes the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument in Nevada. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to provide for interpretation of, and education and scientific research on, the Monument's paleontological resources. 
 
Instructs the Secretary to issue to: (1) a qualified electric utility a 400-foot right-of-way for the construction of high-voltage transmission facilities identified as the Renewable Energy Transmission Corridor on the map entitled &quot;North Las Vegas Valley Overview&quot; (the map); (2) a public water agency a 100-foot right-of-way for the construction and repair of a buried water conveyance pipeline and associated facilities within the Water Conveyance Facilities Corridor and the Renewable Energy Transmission Corridor as identified on the map; and (3) a unit of local government or a public water agency a 100-foot right-of-way for the construction, operation, and repair of a buried water conveyance pipeline to access an existing buried water pipeline turnout facility and surge tank. 
 
Establishes the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument Advisory Council. 
 
Adds specified land to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. 
 
Requires conveyance of land (including the interests in such land) managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) identified as the North Las Vegas Job Creation Zone to the city of North Las Vegas, Nevada. 
 
Amends the Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002 to convey additional land to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
 
Excepts certain lands in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area from withdrawal from all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws. 
 
Permits the county to convey to a unit of local government or regional governmental entity land within the Airport Environs Overlay District if such land is used for a water or wastewater treatment facility or any other public purpose. 
 
Requires specified federal lands to be conveyed for the Nevada System of Higher Education and the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport.
 
Releases the Sunrise Mountain Instant Study Area from further study for designation as wilderness. 
 
 Designates: (1) an Economic Support Area in North Las Vegas, and (2) the Nellis Dunes Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area. 
 
Transfers administrative jurisdiction over specified BLM land to the Air Force for inclusion in Nellis Air Force Base.
 
Prohibits this Act from restricting military overflights, new units of special airspace, or military flight training routes.

action_date: 2014-06-02
text: 
 Las Vegas Valley Public Land and Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument Act of 2013 - (Sec. 2) Establishes the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument consisting of approximately 22,650 acres of public land in Clark County, Nevada, in order to conserve, protect, interpret, and enhance the paleontological, scientific, educational, and recreational resources of such land. 
 
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire lands or interests in land within or adjacent to the boundaries of the Monument. 
Withdraws any land within the Monument from: (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) operation of the mineral leasing laws, geothermal leasing laws, and mineral materials laws. 
 
Requires the Secretary to credit land conserved for the Monument toward the development of additional non-federal land through an amendment to the Clark County Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan. 
 
Terminates the Upper Las Vegas Wash Conservation Transfer Area. 
 
Transfers from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to the National Park Service (NPS) administrative jurisdiction over the Monument land. 
 
Requires the Secretary to develop a management plan that provides for the long-term protection and management of the Monument. 
Directs the Secretary to provide for interpretation of, and education and scientific research on, the Monument's paleontological resources, with priority given to the onsite exhibition and curation of those resources. 
Instructs the Secretary to issue a 400-foot right-of-way to a qualified electric utility for the construction of high-voltage transmission facilities if specified conditions are met. Terminates the right-of-way in 15 years if construction has not been initiated, unless the Secretary determines that it is in the public interest to continue the right-of-way. 
 
Instructs the Secretary to issue a 100-foot right-of-way to a public water agency for the construction, maintenance, repair, and replacement of a buried water conveyance pipeline and associated facilities within the Water Conveyance Facilities Corridor and the Renewable Energy Transmission Corridor. Prohibits a public water right-of-way from being granted along the Moccasin Drive alignment. 
 Instructs the Secretary to issue a 100-foot right-of-way to a unit of local government or a public water agency for the construction, operation, maintenance, repair, and replacement of a buried water conveyance pipeline to access an existing buried water pipeline turnout facility and surge tank. 
 
Establishes the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument Advisory Council to provide guidance for the management of the Monument. Terminates the Council six years after this Act's enactment unless an extension is jointly recommended by the Director of the NPS and the Director of the BLM. 
Withdraws the land identified on the map as BLM Withdrawal Lands from: (1) entry under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) operation of the mineral leasing, geothermal leasing, and mineral materials laws. 
 
(Sec. 3) Adds specified land to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Requires the Secretary to update the management plan to reflect the acquired land. 
 
(Sec. 4) Requires conveyance of land managed by the BLM identified as the North Las Vegas Job Creation Zone to the city of North Las Vegas, Nevada. Allows North Las Vegas to sell any portion of the land for nonresidential development if specified conditions are met. 
 
Requires the gross proceeds from the sale of such land to be distributed in accordance with the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998. 
Permits North Las Vegas to retain a portion of such land for public recreation or other public purposes. 
 
Requires any parcel of land not conveyed for nonresidential development or reserved for recreation or other public purposes to revert to the United States, at the discretion of the Secretary, in 30 years. 
Requires land that North Las Vegas uses in a manner that is inconsistent with this section to revert to the United States, at the Secretary's discretion, or be sold.
 
(Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary to convey land managed by the BLM identified as the Las Vegas Job Creation Zone to the city of Las Vegas. Permits Las Vegas to sell any portion of such land for nonresidential development. 
 
Permits Las Vegas to retain a portion of the land for public recreation or other public purposes. 
 
Requires any parcel of land not conveyed for nonresidential development or reserved for recreation or other public purposes to revert to the United States, at the discretion of the Secretary, in 30 years. 
Requires land that Las Vegas uses in a manner that is inconsistent with this section to revert to the United States, at the Secretary's discretion, or be sold. 
 
(Sec. 6) Amends the Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002 to convey additional land identified as the Las Vegas Police Shooting Range to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. 
 
(Sec. 7) Excludes certain lands in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area from withdrawal from: (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws. 
 
(Sec. 8) Permits Clark County to convey to a unit of local government or regional governmental entity land within the Airport Environs Overlay District if the land is used for a water or wastewater treatment facility or any other public purpose. 
 
(Sec. 9) Requires specified federal lands to be conveyed to the Nevada System of Higher Education for the Great Basin College, the College of Southern Nevada, and the University of Nevada if specified conditions are met. 
 
Requires the federal land conveyed to be used in accordance with a specified agreement between the Board of Regents and the 99th Air Base Wing, Nellis Air Force Base.
 
 
 
(Sec. 10) Directs the Secretary to convey specified land managed by the BLM to Clark County for the development of flood mitigation infrastructure for the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport if specified conditions are met. 
 
 
Requires the Secretary to reserve the mineral estate with respect to the conveyed land, except for purposes related to flood mitigation (including removal from aggregate flood events). 
 
Withdraws the public land to be conveyed from: (1) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (2) operation of the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws. 
 
Requires the land conveyed to revert to the United States, at the option of the Secretary, if the land conveyed to Clark County under the Ivanpah Valley Airport Public Lands Transfer Act reverts to the United States. 
 
Requires all interest of the county in the land shall revert, at the option of the Secretary, to the United States if the county is not using the land conveyed for the withdrawn purpose. 
 
(Sec. 11) Releases the Sunrise Mountain Instant Study Area from further study for designation as wilderness. 
 
 
 (Sec. 12) Directs the Secretary to convey to Clark County all interest of the United States in the Clark County Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Park. 
 
Requires the Secretary to reserve the mineral estate in the conveyed land, except for purposes related to flood mitigation (including removal from aggregate flood events). 
 
Permits the parcels of land conveyed to be used by the Clark County for any public purposes. 
 
Requires the land to revert to the United States, at the option of the Secretary, if Clark County ceases to use the land as intended. 
 
Authorizes the Secretary of the Air Force and Clark County to develop a special management plan for the land. 
 
Amends the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998 to permit amounts in the special account to be expended by the Secretary for the Clark County Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Park. 
 
 
Designates the Nellis Dunes Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area. Authorizes the Secretary to develop a special management plan for the Nellis Dunes Off-Highway Recreation Area to enhance the safe use of off-highway vehicles for recreational purposes. 
 
(Sec. 13) Amends the Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1999 to withdraw and reserve specified additional lands in Clark County for Nellis Air Force Base. 
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-06-02
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 405.
action_date: 2014-06-02
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Landrieu with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-178.
action_date: 2014-06-02
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Landrieu with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-178.
action_date: 2013-12-19
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2013-07-31
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 113-93.
action_date: 2013-05-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3573-3579)
action_date: 2013-05-16
text: Introduced in Senate