Topic: Government Operations — Property Management
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2013-04-23 00:00:00

Johnson Valley National Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area Establishment Act - (Sec. 2) Designates approximately 188,000 acres of specified public lands and interests administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in San Bernardino County in California as the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area for purposes of public recreation (when the lands are not in use for military training as authorized by this Act) and natural resources conservation.

Withdraws the public lands and interests included in the Area from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including the mining laws and the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws.

(Sec. 3) Authorizes the Secretary of the Navy (the Secretary) to use parts of the Area twice in each year for up to a total of 60 days a year for: (1) sustained, combined arms, live-fire, and maneuver field training for large-scale Marine air-ground task forces; (2) individual and unit live-fire training ranges; (3) equipment and tactics development; and (4) other defense-related purposes.

Requires the Secretary, before requesting the two time periods for military use of the Area, to: (1) consult with the Secretary of the Interior regarding the best times for such use to reduce interference with or interruption of the nonmilitary activities authorized by this Act, and (2) provide for public awareness of and participation in the selection process.

Requires the Secretary to provide advance, wide-spread notice before any closure of the public lands for military use.

Requires military use of the Area during the biannual periods to be conducted in the presence of sufficient range safety officers to ensure the safety of military personnel and civilians.

Prohibits the use of dud-producing ordnance in any such military activity conducted on the Area.

Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a written agreement to implement military use of the Area. Requires such agreement to include a provision for the periodic review of such agreement for its adequacy, effectiveness, and need for revision. Permits such agreement to provide for: (1) the integration of the management plans of the Secretaries, (2) delegation to civilian law enforcement personnel of the Department of the Navy of the Secretary of the Interior's authority to enforce laws relating to protection of natural and cultural resources and of fish and wildlife, and (3) the sharing of resources in order to manage the public lands most effectively.

Terminates any agreement for the military use of such Area by no later than March 31, 2039.

(Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer, without reimbursement, approximately 20,000 acres of specified BLM-administered land in San Bernardino County to the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary.

Includes such transferred land as part of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms in California.

(Sec. 5) 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.