Southern Utah Open OHV Areas Act

Bill: 115-hr-1961
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Stewart, Chris [R-UT-2]
Introduced: 2017-04-05
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Land transfers

Motor vehicles

Outdoor recreation

Utah
Latest action: action_date: 2017-04-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-04-05
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Southern Utah Open OHV Areas Act</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of the Interior to convey specified land owned and managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Washington County, Utah, to the state of Utah in exchange for specified state lands.</p> <p>Upon the conveyance of the nonfederal land to Interior, such land shall be used only: (1) as an open riding area for the use of off-highway vehicles; or (2) for any other public purpose consistent with uses allowed under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act.</p> <p>Interior shall convey, without consideration, specified Open OHV Areas managed by the BLM to Washington County. </p> <p>Interior shall convey to the county, without consideration, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the (Open OHV Areas) land managed by the BLM and identified as Hurricane Sand Dunes (NRA). </p> <p>Such conveyed land shall be used only as: (1) an open riding area for the use of off-highway vehicles, or (2) for any other public purpose consistent with uses allowed under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act.</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1961 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 5, 2017 Mr. Stewart introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To provide for the conveyance of certain land to Washington County, Utah, to authorize the exchange of Federal land and non-Federal land in the State of Utah, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Southern Utah Open OHV Areas Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) County The term County means Washington County, Utah. (2) Federal land The term Federal land means land owned and managed by the Bureau of Land Management in the County that is identified on the map as Federal Lands Proposed to Transfer to SITLA . (3) Map The term map means the map prepared by the State of Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration entitled Sand Mountain Exchange Washington County, Utah and dated June 19, 2015. (4) Non-Federal land The term non-Federal land means the State land identified on the map as SITLA Lands Proposed to Transfer to Federal . (5) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. (6) State The term State means the State of Utah. 3. Exchange of Federal land and non-Federal land (a) In General If the State offers to convey to the United States title to the non-Federal land, the Secretary shall— (1) accept the offer; and (2) on receipt of all right, title, and interest in and to the non-Federal land, convey to the State all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the Federal land. (b) Valid Existing Rights The exchange authorized under subsection (a) shall be subject to valid existing rights. (c) Title approval Title to the Federal land and non-Federal land to be exchanged under this section shall be in a format acceptable to the Secretary and the State. (d) Appraisals (1) In general The value of the Federal land and the non-Federal land to be exchanged under this section shall be determined by appraisals conducted by one or more independent appraisers retained by the State, with the consent of the Secretary. (2) Applicable law The appraisals under paragraph (1) shall be conducted in accordance with nationally recognized appraisal standards, including, as appropriate, the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions. (3) Approval The appraisals conducted under paragraph (1) shall be submitted to the Secretary and the State for approval. (4) Reimbursement of State costs The Secretary shall reimburse the State in an amount equal to 50 percent of the costs incurred by the State in retaining independent appraisers under paragraph (1). (e) Equal value exchange (1) In general The value of the Federal land and non-Federal land to be exchanged under this section— (A) shall be equal; or (B) shall be made equal in accordance with paragraph (2). (2) Equalization (A) Surplus of Federal land If the value of the Federal land exceeds the value of the non-Federal land, the value of the Federal land and non-Federal land shall be equalized, as determined to be appropriate and acceptable by the Secretary and the State— (i) by reducing the acreage of the Federal land to be conveyed; (ii) by adding additional State land to the non-Federal land to be conveyed; or (iii) by the State making a cash payment to the United States. (B) Surplus of non-Federal land If the value of the non-Federal land exceeds the value of the Federal land, the value of the Federal land and non-Federal land shall be equalized, as determined to be appropriate and acceptable by the Secretary and the State— (i) by reducing the acreage of the non-Federal land to be conveyed; or (ii) by the United States making a cash payment to the State. (f) Use of non-Federal land On the conveyance of the non-Federal land to the Secretary under this section, the non-Federal land shall be used only— (1) as an open riding area for the use of off-highway vehicles; or (2) for any other public purpose consistent with uses allowed under the Act of June 14, 1926 (commonly known as the Recreation and Public Purposes Act ) ( 43 U.S.C. 869 et seq.). 4. Conveyance of land to Washington County, Utah (a) In general As soon as practicable after notification by the County and subject to valid existing rights, the Secretary shall convey to the County, without consideration, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the land described in subsection (b). (b) Description of land The land referred to in subsection (a) consists of the land managed by the Bureau of Land Management that is generally depicted on the map as Hurricane Sand Dunes (NRA) . (c) Map and legal description (1) In general As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall finalize the legal description of the land to be conveyed to the County under this section. (2) Minor errors The Secretary may correct any minor error in— (A) the map; or (B) the legal description. (3) Availability The map and legal description shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Bureau of Land Management. (d) Use of conveyed land The land conveyed under this section shall be used only— (1) as an open riding area for the use of off-highway vehicles; or (2) for any other public purpose consistent with uses allowed under the Act of June 14, 1926 (commonly known as the Recreation and Public Purposes Act ) ( 43 U.S.C. 869 et seq.). (e) Administrative costs The Secretary shall require the County to pay all survey costs and other administrative costs necessary for the preparation and completion of any patents for, and transfers of title to, the land described in subsection (b). (f) Conditions As a condition of the conveyance under subsection (a), the County shall agree— (1) to pay any administrative costs associated with the conveyance including the costs of any environmental, wildlife, cultural, or historical resources studies; (2) to release and indemnify the United States from any claims or liabilities that may arise from uses carried out on the land described in subsection (b) on or before the date of enactment of this Act by the United States or any person; and (3) to accept such reasonable terms and conditions as the Secretary determines necessary. (g) Reversion If the land conveyed under this section ceases to be used for a public purpose in accordance with subsection (d), the land shall, at the discretion of the Secretary, revert to the United States.