Topic: Public Lands — Public Lands
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2013-04-23 00:00:00

Limestone Hills Training Area Withdrawal Act - (Sec. 2) Withdraws from all forms of appropriation under public land laws, including the mining laws and the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, 18,644 acres of public lands and interests in Broadwater County, Montana, identified on the map titled the "Limestone Hills Training Area Land Withdrawal."

Reserves the withdrawn lands for use for: (1) training for active and reserve components of the Armed Forces; (2) construction and operation of support and maintenance facilities for such components; (3) training by the Montana Department of Military Affairs; (4) training by state and local law enforcement agencies, civil defense organizations, and public education institutions; and (5) other defense-related purposes.

Prohibits anything in this Act from being construed as altering any rights reserved for an Indian tribe for tribal use of lands within the military land withdrawal area by treaty or federal law. Requires the Secretary of the Army (the Secretary) to consult with any Indian tribes in the vicinity of the withdrawal area before taking action affecting tribal rights or cultural resources protected by treaty or federal law.

(Sec. 4) Sets forth special rules regarding: (1) mining the Indian Creek Mine and the removal of unexploded ordnance, and (2) grazing permits and leases on withdrawn lands.

Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a specified agreement regarding coordination of defense-related uses and mining and the on-going removal of unexploded ordnance.

(Sec.6) Terminates the military land withdrawal and reservation on March 31, 2039.

(Sec. 7) Declares the withdrawn lands to remain eligible as entitlement land for purposes of the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Program.

(Sec. 8) Permits hunting, fishing, and trapping on the withdrawn lands.

(Sec. 9) Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) establish a reservation in favor of the United States with respect to any water or water right on withdrawn lands, or (2) authorize the appropriation of water on such lands except in accordance with applicable state law.

(Sec. 10) Requires the Secretary to take necessary precautions to prevent and suppress brush and range fires resulting from military activities on the withdrawn and reserved lands.

Requires the Secretary of the Interior, at the Secretary's request, to assist in the suppression of such fires, and be reimbursed by the Secretary.

(Sec. 11) Directs the Secretary to maintain a program of decontamination of contamination caused by defense-related uses on the withdrawn and reserved lands.

(Sec. 12) Prescribes a procedure for application for renewal of a withdrawal and reservation.

(Sec. 13) Declares that, upon termination of a withdrawal and reservation under this Act, the previously withdrawn lands shall not be open to any form of appropriation under the public land laws, including the mining laws and the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, until the Secretary of the Interior publishes an appropriate order specifying when such lands shall be restored to the public domain and opened for such purposes.

(Sec. 14) Prescribes a procedure, during the period of withdrawal and reservation, for relinquishment to the Secretary of the Interior of any or all of the lands withdrawn and reserved, if the Secretary decides to relinquish them.

Requires the Secretary to decontaminate any contaminated land if practicable and economically feasible.

Absolves the Secretary of the Interior of any obligation to accept: (1) contaminated lands if their decontamination is not practicable and economically feasible, or (2) any lands determined not suitable for return to the public domain.