An act to withdraw certain public lands in Lincoln County, Nevada, and for other purposes.
PL 98-485 (H.R.4932), enacted 10/17/1984

PUBLIC LAW 98-485—OCT. 17, 1984 
98 STAT. 2261 
Public Law 98-485 
98th Congress 
An Act 
To withdraw certain public lands in Lincoln County, Nevada, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. (a) Subject to valid existing rights, the lands depicted 
on the map entitled "Groom Mountain Addition to Nellis Air Force 
Range", dated September 1984, and aggregating approximately 
89,600 acres in Lincoln County, Nevada, are hereby withdrawn from 
all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including the 
mining laws but not the mineral and geothermal leasing laws. Such 
lands are reserved for use by the Secretary of the Air Force— 
(1) for training for electronic warfare, tactical maneuvering, 
and air support, and 
(2) for other defense-related purposes consistent with, and 
involving no greater adverse impact on the withdrawn lands 
and their resources than, such training. 
(b) The withdrawal provided by subsection (a) with regard to the 
lands described in subsection (a), and the right of their use by the 
Secretary of the Air Force for the purposes specified in that subsec-
tion, terminates on December 31,1987. 
SEC. 2. As soon as possible after the date of the enactment of this 
Act but no later than January 1, 1987, the Secretary of the Interior 
and the Secretary of the Air Force shall issue an environmental 
impact statement, consistent with requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, concerning continued or renewed 
withdrawal of the lands described in section 1(a) after December 31, 
1987. Such statement shall include a description of and recommen-
dations concerning measures to mitigate the impact of such contin-
ued or renewed withdrawal on opportunities for outdoor recreation, 
mineral exploration and development, and agriculture in Nevada. 
Such measures shall include possible aquisition by the Secretary of 
the Interior (through exchanges or otherwise) of lands in Nevada 
suitable for outdoor recreational uses and possible increased min-
eral, agricultural, or recreational use of lands in Nevada withdrawn 
for military purposes. 
SEC. 3. (a) During the period of the withdrawal of the lands 
described in section 1(a), the Secretary of the Interior shall manage 
such lands pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976 and other applicable law, including this Act. All use of 
such lands, and the issuance of any lease, easement, right-of-way, or 
other authorization with regard to such lands— 
(1) shall be secondary to the military use of such lands for the 
purposes specified in section 1, and 
(2) may be authorized by the Secretary of the Interior only 
with the concurrence of the Secretary of the Air Force. 
(b) When military operations, public safety, or national security, 
as determined by the Secretary of the Air Force, require the closure 
to public use of any road, any trail, or any other portion of the lands 
Oct. 17, 1984 
[H.R. 4932] 
Defense and 
national 
security. 
Termination 
date. 
Conservation. 
42 u s e 4321 
note. 
43 u s e 1701 
note. 
98 STAT. 2262 
PUBLIC LAW 98-485—OCT. 17, 1984 
Federal 
Register, 
publication. 
Public 
availability. 
withdrawn by this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force may take such 
action as the Secretary of the Air Force determines necessary or 
desirable to effect and maintain such closure. Such closures shall be 
limited to the minimum areas and periods which the Secretary of 
the Air Force determines are required for the purposes specified in 
this subsection. During such closures appropriate warning notices 
shall be kept posted and the Secretary of the Air Force shall take 
appropriate steps to notify the public concerning such closures. 
(c)(1) As soon as possible after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall prepare and publish in the 
Federal Register a legal description of the lands withdrawn by this 
Act. The Secretary of the Air Force shall reimburse the Secretary of 
the Interior for the costs of preparing and publishing such descrip-
tion. 
(2) The map referred to in section 1(a) shall be on file and 
available for public inspection in the Offices of the Secretary of the 
Interior and the Secretary of the Air Force in Washington, District 
of Columbia, and Las Vegas and Carson City, Nevada. 
(3) The withdrawal provided by this Act is not intended to— 
(A) reserve or otherwise withdraw any water for use in con-
nection with the purposes specified in section 1; 
(B) affect in any manner the future appropriation, under 
State law, by the United States or others, of waters in, under, or 
upon the lands withdrawn by this Act; or 
(C) affect any water rights acquired by the Secretary of the 
Air Force or any other person or entity before the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
(4) The withdrawal established by this Act may not be extended or 
renewed except by Act of Congress. 
Approved October 17, 1984. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 4932: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 98-1046, Pt. 1 (Comm. on Interior and Insular Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 130 (1984): 
Sept. 24, considered and passed House. 
Oct. 2, considered and passed Senate.