zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Forest Jobs and Recreation Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to select areas on which to carry out, through the use of stewardship contracts or other contracting mechanisms, landscape-scale restoration projects on National Forest System land, and which may include other federal, state, tribal, or private land, in Montana for reclaiming or converting roads into recreational trails, restoring fish and wildlife habitat, replacing or resizing culverts, generating revenue for the investment of funds into fish and wildlife restoration and maintenance initiatives, and maintaining the infrastructure of wood products manufacturing facilities. Provides for specified forest management activities on the stewardship areas selected under this Act. Establishes resource advisory committees for the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest and the Three Rivers Ranger District in Kootenai National Forest. Requires the Secretaries to report every five years on implementation of such projects. Authorizes the use of certain funds for payment of the federal cost share for the installation of combined heat and power biomass system projects. Requires a specified biomass study. Designates specified forest and public lands in Montana as wilderness areas and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Releases specified wilderness study areas from further study for designation as wilderness. Designates or establishes the: (1) Lost Creek Protection Area; (2) West Big Hole National Recreation Area; (3) West Pioneers Recreation Management Area; (4) Thunderbolt Creek Recreation Area; (5) Three Rivers Special Management Area; and (6) Otatsy Recreation Area.

Date: 2009-07-20
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
National Capital Region Land Conservation Act of 2009 - Amends the Capper-Cramton Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service (NPS), to make grants to Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia and their political subdivisions (the covered states and covered local governments) for assistance in acquiring lands and interests therein that affect or are within the National Capital region and will be used for: (1) parks; (2) open space; (3) green space corridors that link public lands, lands subject to conservation restrictions, or a combination of such lands; (4) agriculture; (5) forests; (6) fish and wildlife habitat; (7) watershed protection; (8) historic preservation; (9) sensitive environmental area protection; and (10) public recreation. Bars the use of any land and interest acquired through the assistance of such a grant for a purpose other than a purpose specified above. Limits grant amounts to 50% of the total cost of the acquisition the grant will assist, including costs related to purchase price, appraisal, survey, title clearance, and closing. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to covered states, covered local governments, and nonprofits to plan and evaluate acquisitions eligible for a grant for assistance under this Act.

Date: 2009-07-28
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Box Elder Utah Land Conveyance Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to the town of Mantua, Utah, without consideration, all interest of the United States in and to parcels of National Forest System land in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Box Elder County, Utah, that are labeled as parcels A, B, and C on the map entitled "Box Elder Utah Land Conveyance Act" and dated July 14, 2008. Requires the town to use the land conveyed under this Act for public purposes.

Date: 2009-07-30
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Alaska Adjacent Zone Revenue Sharing Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to require that the state of Alaska receive 37.5% of: (1) any bonus bid paid for leasing rights for any area in the Alaska Adjacent Zone; and (2) specified post-leasing revenues including lease rental payments and lease royalty payments, as well as royalty proceeds from a sale of royalties taken in kind. Sets forth an allocation scheme under which the Secretary of the Interior is directed to pay: (1) 20% of any allocable state share directly to coastal political subdivisions; (2) 33% of any allocable state share to certain Regional Corporations; and (3) 7% of any allocable state share directly to Indian tribes. Instructs the Secretary to distribute 6.25% of certain federal royalty revenues into: (1) a specified land and water conservation fund to provide financial assistance to states; and (2) direct federal deficit reduction.

Date: 2009-08-03
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Energy
Deafy Glade Land Exchange Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to Solano County, California, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the parcel of approximately 82 acres of land in the Mendocino National Forest and known as the Fouts Springs Ranch, as depicted on the map entitled "Fouts Springs-Deafy Glade Federal and Non-Federal Lands" and dated July 17, 2008, if the county conveys to the Secretary all right, title, and interest of the county in and to four parcels of land comprising approximately 160 acres as identified on such map.

Date: 2009-08-04
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Gold Hill-Wakamatsu Preservation Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the Gold Hill Ranch in Coloma, California, including any interest in the Ranch, by purchase from a willing seller with donated or appropriated funds, donation, or exchange. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into a cooperative agreement with public or nonprofit entities to interpret the history of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony and related pioneer history associated with Japanese immigration to the area, including the history of traditional Japanese crops and farming practices and the contribution of those practices to the agricultural economy of California. Permits such agreement to include provisions for the development of a visitor center to further public education and interpretation of the Ranch. Authorizes appropriations.

Date: 2009-08-06
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
New Philadelphia, Illinois, Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the New Philadelphia archaeological site and the land surrounding it in Illinois (the study area). Requires the Secretary to: (1) evaluate the national significance of the study area; (2) determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area as a unit of the National Park System; (3) consider other alternatives for the preservation, protection, and interpretation of the study area and identify the costs associated with such alternatives; and (4) consult with specified public and private entities. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on the study's results, as well as any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.

Date: 2009-08-06
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to modify a land grant patent issued to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, Chippewa County, Michigan. Requires the review of certain modifications and federal or federally assisted undertakings with respect to Whitefish Point. Makes the modification made to the patent effective upon being recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Chippewa County, Michigan.

Date: 2009-09-08
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2009 - Prohibits road construction and road reconstruction in inventoried roadless areas of the National Forest System. Specifies exceptions, including because: (1) there is threat of a catastrophic event; (2) a natural resource restoration action is necessary; or (3) a federal-aid highway project is in the public interest or is consistent with the purposes for which the land was reserved or acquired. Prohibits timber from being cut, sold, or removed in an inventoried roadless area. Permits various exceptions, including for specified environmental reasons, if the responsible official determines that the cutting, sale, or removal of timber is expected to be infrequent. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, to make modifications to roadless area maps to improve their accuracy or inclusiveness. Instructs the Secretary, in order to evaluate the effect of a modification to a roadless area map, to prepare an environmental impact statement or similar analysis required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Declares that this Act does not: (1) revoke, suspend, or modify legal instruments and decisions concerning the use of NFS land made before January 12, 2001; (2) compel the amendment or revision of any land and resource management plan; or (3) apply to specified activities in the Tongass National Forest. States that the prohibitions and restrictions of this Act cannot be reconsidered, modified, or terminated under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974.

Date: 2009-10-01
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Blue Ridge Parkway and Town of Blowing Rock Land Exchange Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to exchange approximately 20 acres of land within the boundary of the Blue Ridge Parkway, identified as Blowing Rock Reservoir, for approximately 192 acres of land owned by the town of Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Permits the equalization of the values of the lands proposed for exchange to be achieved by an adjustment to their acreage if they are found to be not equal in value. Requires the lands acquired by the Secretary through the exchange to be administered as part of the Parkway. Grants the Secretary, if the town wants to dispose of the reservoir property, the right of first refusal to acquire that property for the Parkway.

Date: 2009-10-08
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Pisgah National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act of 2009 - Modifies the boundaries of the Pisgah National Forest in McDowell County, North Carolina, to provide for the inclusion of certain private land and Forest Service land in the Forest. Requires an owner's consent to acquire the private land.

Date: 2009-10-08
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Good Samaritan Cleanup of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2009 - Sets forth provisions to encourage the partial or complete remediation of inactive and abandoned mine sites for the public good by good samaritans (defined as individuals or entities who had no role in the creation of the historic mine residue or any resulting environmental pollution and are not legally responsible for the remediation of the historic mine residue). Defines "inactive or abandoned mine site" as a mine site located in the United States that is no longer actively mined and that was used for the production of a mineral other than coal and has historic mine residue. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to authorize a permitting authority (i.e., the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] or a state or Indian tribe with an approved good samaritan program) to issue good samaritan discharge permits. Sets forth requirements for the issuance of such permits, including the applicant's submission of a detailed remediation plan and a determination by a permitting authority that such plan preserves water quality. Grants a release from liability under such Act to good samaritans who comply with a discharge permit approved under the terms of this Act. Terminates the authority to issue good samaritan discharge permits ten years after enactment of this Act.

Date: 2009-10-13
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Environmental protection
Natural Resources Climate Adaptation Act - Declares as the purposes of this Act to: (1) integrate federal agency activities to respond to ongoing and expected impacts of climate change by protecting, restoring, and conserving the natural resources and associated ecosystem services of the United States; and (2) provide financial support and incentives for authorized programs, strategies, and activities to protect, restore, and conserve natural resources and associated ecosystem services in response to threats and effects of climate change. Requires the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce (Secretaries) to: (1) establish procedures for coordinating among federal agencies the development and dissemination of science and information necessary to address the impacts of climate change on natural resources; and (2) issue, with the Secretary of Agriculture, a climate change impact survey that identifies natural resources likely to be adversely affected by climate change. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to establish the National Fish and Wildlife Habitat and Corridors Information Program to develop a national database regarding fish and wildlife habitat and corridors. Requires the Secretaries and the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a Natural Resources Adaptation Science Advisory Board to advise federal agencies on the impacts of climate change and natural resources adaptation. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to establish the National Climate Change and Wildlife Center within the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Requires the President to establish a Natural Resources Climate Change Adaptation Panel to develop a Natural Resources Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. Requires each federal agency on the Panel to complete a natural resources adaptation plan. Requires each state seeking funds under this Act to prepare a state natural resources adaptation plan to address the ongoing and expected impacts of climate change on natural resources within the state. Establishes in the Treasury the Natural Resources Climate Change Adaptation Fund to provide funding to states to carry out natural resources adaptation activities.

Date: 2009-10-27
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Environmental protection
Heart Mountain Relocation Center Study Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Park County, Wyoming, and report to Congress on the study's results and any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary. Requires the Secretary, in conducting such study, to: (1) evaluate the national significance of the Relocation Center and surrounding area; (2) determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the Relocation Center as a unit of the National Park System; (3) consider other alternatives for preservation, protection, and interpretation of the site; (4) identify cost estimates for any federal acquisition, development, interpretation, operation, and maintenance associated with such alternatives; (5) identify potential impacts on landowners of designation of the site as a System unit; and (6) consult with interested public and private entities and private property owners, or other interested individuals, that may be affected by any such designation.

Date: 2009-11-03
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act of 2009 - Designates specified lands in the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests and the San Juan Resource Area of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Colorado as wilderness areas and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Designates specified lands in such National Forests and San Juan National Forest as the Sheep Mountain Special Management Area. Withdraws lands designated as wilderness or a special management area under this Act, as well as land within the Naturita Canyon Mineral Withdrawal Area, from all forms of: (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under mining laws; and (3) disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials. Sets forth provisions regarding water rights and access to and the operation of water resource facilities in lands designated as wilderness or a special management area by this Act.

Date: 2009-11-10
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Forest Harvest Opportunity Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, within 30 days of a timber purchaser requesting an economy-related contract extension of a qualifying contract for the sale of timber from land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) between the Secretary and the purchaser, to modify the contract to add three years to such contract's expiration date. Defines qualifying contract as a contract, executed on or before December 31, 2008, for the sale of timber from BLM lands: (1) for which there is unharvested volume remaining; (2) for which, within 90 days of enactment of this Act, a timber purchaser makes a written request to the Secretary for an economic related contract extension; and (3) that has not been terminated prior to the request for an extension. Requires the timber purchaser to waive any and all claims its has against the United States involving the qualifying contract that exist on the date such contract is modified. Prohibits anything in this Act from affecting any claim by the United States against any timber purchaser, including those claims that arose under a qualifying contract before the date on which its expiration date was extended.

Date: 2009-11-18
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
National Forest Insect and Disease Emergency Act of 2010 - (Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to identify high-risk areas within the National Forest System in the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming (the affected states). Defines "high-risk area" to mean a road, trail, or other area that poses a high risk to public health or safety due to hazard trees resulting from landscape-scale tree mortality caused by an insect or disease epidemic. Requires the Secretary to develop educational materials describing the risk posed by hazard trees in high-risk areas and the measures that can be taken by the public in avoiding or reducing such risk. Directs the Secretary to identify insect or disease epidemic areas within the National Forest System in the affected states and to include with such information an estimate of the annual mortality caused by the epidemic and a projection of future tree mortality resulting from such epidemic. Requires the information identified pursuant to this section to be made available to affected communities, fire departments, and the public. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into contracts or provide financial assistance through cooperative agreements to help in the collection, development, monitoring, and distribution of such information and materials. (Sec. 5) Authorizes the Secretary to assist state and local governments, Indian tribes, private landowners, and other persons from an insect or disease epidemic area within the National Forest System in an affected state with the collection, harvest, storage, and transportation of eligible material to a biomass conversion facility in accordance with the Business Crop Assistance Program. Authorizes the Secretary to make payments to owners of nonindustrial private forest land in affected states to carry out emergency measures to restore their land after an insect or disease infestation. Directs the Secretary to carry out authorized hazardous fuel reduction projects in affected states on National Forest System land. (Sec. 6) Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior to enter into good neighbor agreements with governors to coordinate the procurement and implementation of authorized restoration services. Defines a "good neighbor agreement" as a nonfunding master cooperative agreement between the Secretary and a governor or a memorandum of agreement or understanding between the Secretary and a governor. Requires contracts and subcontracts for authorized restoration services under this section to be in compliance with small business assistance and protection provisions. Terminates the authority of the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements and contracts under this section on September 30, 2019, and prohibits the termination date of such an agreement from extending beyond September 30, 2020. Repeals separate authorities for cooperative services on National Forest System lands in Colorado and Utah. (Sec. 7) Authorizes appropriations.

Date: 2009-11-18
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, with respect to the allocation of surface mining reclamation funds to states and Indian tribes, to authorize uncertified states and Indian tribes to use certain unexpended and unappropriated balance amounts for: (1) acid mine drainage abatement and treatment; and (2) noncoal abandoned mine land reclamation. Modifies limitations placed upon the allocation of such surface mining reclamation funds to provide for payments for filling voids and sealing tunnels and entryways of noncoal mines as well as coal mines. ("Uncertified states and Indian tribes" are those which have not certified to the Secretary of the Interior completion of their abandoned coal mine reclamation work.)

Date: 2009-12-03
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Oregon Eastside Forests Restoration, Old Growth Protection, and Jobs Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Chief of the Forest Service, to manage certain forest, stream, grassland, wetland, alpine, and other land and water located in a covered area of Oregon to: (1) conserve and restore forest and watershed health; (2) reduce the risk of uncharacteristic natural disturbances from fire, insects, and disease; (3) allow for characteristic natural disturbances; and (4) increase the resistance and resiliency of the covered lands to uncharacteristic events. Requires the Secretary to implement ecological restoration projects in the covered area in order to achieve such goals. Requires the delineation of each riparian habitat conservation area in a watershed for all permanently flowing streams, lakes, wetlands, seeps, springs, and intermittent streams. Requires the conservation and restoration of aquatic and riparian resources within National Forest land in the covered area. Establishes the Eastside Forest Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to periodically advise the Secretary, collaborative groups, and the public about the development and implementation of forest and watershed management goals, the Eastside Landscape Forest Restoration Assessment, and ecological restoration projects. Requires the Restoration Assessment to include a 10-year restoration plan for the comprehensive ecological restoration of forest and watershed health in the covered area. Subjects ecological restoration projects carried out under this Act to an environmental analysis. Provides for expedited judicial review of an action challenging a project developed under this Act. Provides for: (1) the establishment of regional biomass projects; (2) stewardship contracting projects to carry out ecological restoration projects; and (3) the selection of a Deputy Regional Forester to serve as the principal agency contact for implementation of this Act.

Date: 2009-12-17
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Federal Land Avalanche Protection Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, to establish an avalanche protection program to provide information and assistance to users of avalanche-prone National Forest System lands. Includes as objectives of the program: (1) informing and educating the public about the risks posed by avalanches; (2) providing avalanche forecasts for avalanche-prone areas of the National Forest System that are frequented by recreational or other users; (3) providing oversight of activities relating to the prevention and control of avalanches by ski area and other special use permit holders on National Forest System land, including the procurement, control, and use of artillery; and (4) facilitating research on the program's objectives, including research on the development of alternatives to military artillery. Requires the Secretary to: (1) use the resources of the Forest Service's National Avalanche Center and other partners; and (2) work with the Avalanche Artillery Users of North America Committee and other partners to improve coordination among the users of artillery used to prevent and control avalanches. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to further the program's objectives and requires giving priority to grants that enhance public safety. Authorizes appropriations.

Date: 2009-12-18
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Colonel Charles Young Home Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Colonel Charles Young Home, a National Historic Landmark in Xenia, Ohio, to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the Home as a unit of the National Park System. (Colonel Charles Young was a distinguished African-American officer in the U.S. Army, a pioneer of techniques in military intelligence, as well as a commander of troops in combat in the Spanish-American War and the Mexican expedition against Pancho Villa.) Requires the Secretary to: (1) evaluate architectural and archaeological resources of the Home; (2) consider other alternatives for the preservation, protection, and interpretation of the Home, including the use of shared management agreements with the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park or specific units of such Park; (3) consult with the Ohio Historical Society, Central State University, Wilberforce University, and other interested parties; and (4) identify cost estimates for any federal acquisition, development, interpretation, operation, and maintenance associated with the alternatives considered. Requires the Secretary to report study results to Congress, as well as any conclusions and recommendations.

Date: 2010-01-20
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Cathedral Rock and Horse Heaven Wilderness Act of 2010 - Designates specified Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in Oregon, to be known as the Cathedral Rock Wilderness and the Horse Heaven Wilderness, as wilderness and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Sets forth requirements for the administration of the wilderness areas, including with respect to the incorporation of acquired land and interests, domestic livestock grazing, access to non-federal land, state water laws, and tribal rights. Withdraws federal land within the wilderness areas from all forms of: (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials. Authorizes certain land exchanges with specified landowners. Requires appraisals to be conducted of the federal and non-federal land to be exchanged.

Date: 2010-01-28
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Idaho Wilderness Water Facilities Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to issue a special use authorization to each of the 20 owners of a water storage, transport, or diversion facility located on National Forest System land in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness and the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness in Idaho for continued operation, maintenance, and reconstruction of such facility if it is determined that: (1) the facility was in existence on the date on which the land upon which it is located was designated as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System; (2) the facility has been in continuous use to deliver water for beneficial use on the owner's non-federal land since the date of designation; (3) the owner holds a valid water right for use of the water on such land under Idaho state law, with a priority date that predates such date; and (4) it is not practicable or feasible to relocate the facility to land outside of the wilderness and continue the beneficial use of water on the non-federal land. Authorizes the Secretary, in a special use authorization under this Act, to: (1) allow the use of motorized equipment and mechanized transport for operation, maintenance, or reconstruction of a facility, if it is determined that the use is necessary to continue delivery of water to the non-federal land for beneficial uses and, after conducting a minimum tool analysis for a facility, that the use of nonmotorized equipment and nonmechanized transport is impracticable or infeasible; and (2) preclude use of the facility for the storage, diversion, or transport of water in excess of the water right. Authorizes the Secretary, in such an authorization, to: (1) require or allow modification or relocation of a facility in the wilderness, as determined necessary, to reduce impacts to wilderness values if the beneficial use of water on the non-federal land is not diminished; and (2) require that the owner provide a reciprocal right of access across the non-federal property, in which case the owner shall receive market value for any right-of-way or other interest in real property conveyed to the United States. Permits the market value to be paid by the Secretary, in whole or in part, by the grant of a reciprocal right-of-way or by reduction of fees or other costs that may accrue to the owner in obtaining an authorization for water facilities.

Date: 2010-01-28
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to Miami-Dade County, Florida, federally owned land comprising the Subtropical Horticulture Research Station in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Date: 2010-03-01
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to permit the use of moneys in the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to allow transportation and use of dredged materials for abandoned mine reclamation. Requires application of this Act to permit use of the Fund to allow dredged materials derived from the Delaware River Deepening Project, and from annual Delaware River maintenance dredging, to be used for reclamation of abandoned mines in Northeast, Pennsylvania.

Date: 2010-03-01
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Soledad Canyon High Desert, California Public Lands Conservation and Management Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) cancel Bureau of Land Management (BLM) mineral contracts CA-20139 and CA-22901; and (2) withdraw the areas that were subject to such contracts from further mineral entry under all mineral leasing and sales authorities available to the Secretary. Requires the holder of such contracts to receive specified compensation for the cancellation. Deems: (1) any negotiated agreement between the Secretary and the contract holder as to the amount of compensation to be a compromise settlement of imminent litigation; and (2) judgment by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to be final. Directs the Secretary to offer for sale by competitive bidding specified lands identified for disposition near Victorville, California, and provides for the acquisition of environmentally sensitive land and interests with the proceeds of such sale.

Date: 2010-03-02
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Invasive Species Emergency Response Fund Act - Establishes the Invasive Species Emergency Response Fund to provide loans to qualified organizations to prevent and remediate the impacts of invasive species on habitats and ecosystems. Requires the submission of specified reports.

Date: 2010-03-03
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Environmental protection
Florida National Forest Land Adjustment Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to release, convey, and quitclaim to the state of Florida, without monetary consideration, all interest of the United States in and to those lands within or adjacent to the Blackwater River and Withlacoochee State Forests that were conveyed to the state under the authority of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act or under any other law authorizing conveyance subject to restrictions or reversionary interests retained by the United States. Requires the state to cover or reimburse the Secretary for reasonable costs incurred to make the conveyances. Bars the Secretary from seeking reimbursement for administrative overhead costs. Requires the state to agree: (1) that all net proceeds from any sale, exchange, or other disposition of the real property subject to deed restrictions be used by the state for the acquisition of lands or interests within or adjacent to units of Florida's forest and park systems; (2) to address and resolve boundary encroachments for the affected state forests; and (3) to indemnify and hold the United States harmless with regard to any boundary disputes related to any released parcel. Provides for an interchange of certain state lands and National Forest System lands in the Ocala and Apalachicola National Forests in Florida. Authorizes the Secretary to convey by sale or exchange tract W-1979 within Leon County, Florida.

Date: 2010-03-03
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
North Fork Watershed Protection Act of 2010 - Withdraws federally owned lands and interests in the North Fork Federal Lands Withdrawal Area (located in Montana) from: (1) all forms of location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (2) disposition under all laws relating to mineral or geothermal leasing.

Date: 2010-03-04
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Silence Helps Us Hear Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary), through the Director of the National Park Service (NPS), to conduct a study to identify NPS natural soundscape values and resources. Instructs the Secretary to analyze and identify NPS natural soundscapes that have been the least degraded by unnatural sounds and undesirable sounds caused by humans. Instructs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT), through the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to provide technical assistance to the Secretary in carrying out such study to the extent that aviation or aircraft noise has been identified as one of the sources of natural soundscapes degradation. Requires the Secretary, in coordination with the DOT Secretary, to the extent aviation or aircraft noise has been identified as one of the sources of NPS natural soundscapes degradation, to conduct a study identifying methods of preserving the natural soundscapes that have been the least degraded by unnatural sounds and undesirable sounds caused by humans.

Date: 2010-03-04
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Fort Necessity National Battlefield Land Acquisition Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire, by donation or purchase, approximately 157 acres of land owned by Marie Rush in Farmington, Pennsylvania, for inclusion in the Fort Necessity National Battlefield.

Date: 2010-03-25
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Amends the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 regarding waivers of small miner claim maintenance fees to extend the allowance of a certain period to cure a defect in the waiver application to a failure to timely file either a waiver application or an affidavit of annual labor associated with the application and the required application fees. Considers specified claimholder claims as: (1) having received a first half final certificate for application before September 30, 1994; and/or (2) qualifying for specified relief under the Act, including opportunity to cure.

Date: 2010-03-25
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to extend a state's shield from federal liability (except for gross negligence or intentional misconduct) for costs or damages incurred as a result of actions taken or omitted while implementing a state abandoned mine reclamation plan to include a state's own reclamation activities conducted pursuant to an approved plan.

Date: 2010-04-22
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act - Designates specified parcels of federal land in central Idaho as wilderness areas and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS). Repeals existing law requiring review of portions of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) for possible inclusion in the NWPS. Provides for the use of an appropriate site in the vicinity of the Smiley Creek community in Blaine County in central Idaho for construction and use of a fire station for the Smiley Creek Rural Fire Protection District. Authorizes: (1) the use of such site through a special use permit or conveyance to the District; and (2) the issuance of a special use permit to the District for development of a well for fire protection and other public purposes. Requires the conveyance of specified parcels of federal land to Blaine and Custer Counties and the cities of Challis and Clayton in central Idaho. Sets forth requirements regarding travel management in Germania Creek Trail, Forest Service Trails 109 and 671, and Frog Lake Loop Trail. Authorizes such improvements as may be necessary for maintainance of the first mile of the Murdock Creek Trail as a primitive, nonpaved, and wheel-chair accessible trail.

Date: 2010-04-30
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Tony Dean Cheyenne River Valley Conservation Act of 2010 - Designates specified lands in South Dakota as wilderness areas and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Sets forth requirements for the administration of the wilderness areas, including with respect to military overflight activities, fish and wildlife management, access to private property, U.S. acquisition of lands and interests, protective perimeters and buffer zones, and nonwilderness activities and uses outside of the wilderness areas. Withdraws such areas from specified public land laws, mining laws, and mineral leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws. Permits livestock grazing and the maintenance of related facilities to continue in the wilderness areas in which grazing is established. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to undertake necessary measures for the control and prevention of fire, insects, invasive species, and diseases. Prohibits anything in this Act from: (1) diminishing the rights of Indian tribes to access federal land for tribal activities; or (2) enhancing or diminishing the authority of the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior to manage prairie dog populations and habitats.

Date: 2010-05-05
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Sloan Hills Withdrawal Act - Withdraws certain federal land located in the Sloan Hills area of Clark County, Nevada, from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws and disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials. Identifies such land as the "Withdrawal Zone" on the map entitled "Sloan Hills Area," dated June 24, 2010.

Date: 2010-05-05
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act Amendments Act of 2010 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to increase from $20,000 per day to $75,000 per day the maximum civil liability for a person's failure to comply with such Act or any term of a lease, license, or permit issued pursuant to it, or any regulation or order issued under it, after expiration of any reasonable period allowed for corrective action. Requires a civil penalty of up to $150,000 per day for any such failure which constitutes a threat of serious, irreparable, or immediate harm or damage to life (including fish and other aquatic life), property, any mineral deposit, or the marine, coastal, or human environment. Increases from $100,000 to $10 million the criminal fine for violations under such Act.

Date: 2010-05-11
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Energy
West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2010 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit Secretary of the Interior from issuing a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas in any area of the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, or Washington.

Date: 2010-05-13
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Energy
Connell Lake Watershed Protection and Recreation Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) and the Secretary of the Interior to convey specified federal land and interests (approximately 880 acres of federal land and interests in land in the Connell Lake area) to the Ketchikan Gateway Borough in Alaska. Requires the conveyed land to be managed in accordance with the terms of the Recreation and Public Purposes Act.

Date: 2010-05-13
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to evaluate the significance of the Newtown Battlefield in Chemung County, New York (where the Battle of Newtown was fought on August 29, 1779, during the Revolutionary War), as well as the suitability and feasibility of the Battlefield's inclusion in the National Park System.

Date: 2010-05-20
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Nevada Mining Townsite Conveyance Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), to carry out an expedited program to examine and determine the validity of each unpatented mining claim (including each claim for which a patent application has been filed) within specified mining townsites (federally owned real property in the Gold Point and Ione townsites within Esmeralda and Nye Counties, Nevada, on which improvements were constructed based on the belief that: (1) the property had been or would be acquired from the federal government by the entity that operated the mine; or (2) the individual or entity that made the improvement had a valid claim for acquiring the property from the federal government). Directs the Secretary of the Interior, after completing the validity review, to convey to the appropriate county, without consideration, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to any such mining townsites (including improvements) which are not subject to valid mining claims. Requires the Secretary to reserve the mineral rights in each parcel of land subject to a valid mining claim, but convey, without consideration, the remaining U.S. right, title, and interest. Requires the county receiving such a site, if one or more individuals (occupants, for instance) prove a valid interest under Nevada law, to reconvey the property to such individual or individuals. Withdraws the mining townsites 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) disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials. Requires withdrawal and conveyance to the owner of the surface rights of any mining claim determined valid which is abandoned, invalidated, or otherwise returned to the BLM.

Date: 2010-05-25
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to repeal the requirement that the Secretary of the Interior approve plans for geological and geophysical (including oil and natural gas) explorations in the outer Continental Shelf within 30 days after submission.

Date: 2010-05-27
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Energy
Valles Caldera National Preserve Management Act - (Sec. 3) Designates the Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico as a unit of the National Park System for the protection, preservation, and restoration of the fish, wildlife, watershed, natural, scientific, scenic, geologic, historic, cultural, archaeological, and recreational values of the area. Authorizes coordination of the management and operations of the Preserve with the Bandelier National Monument. Requires the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) to prepare a management plan for the Preserve. Authorizes the United States to acquire by purchase with donated or appropriated funds, donation, or transfer from another federal agency, land and interests within the boundaries of the Preserve. Requires acquired lands and interests to be administered as part of the Preserve. Directs the Secretary to establish a new science and education program for the Preserve. Authorizes the establishment of a science and education center outside of the Preserve. Permits the continuation of livestock grazing and hunting and fishing on land and water within the Preserve. Allows zones and periods to be established when hunting or fishing shall not be permitted. Directs the Secretary to undertake activities for improving the health of forest, grassland, and riparian areas within the Preserve. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements with adjacent pueblos to coordinate such activities on the Preserve and adjacent public land. Withdraws lands and interests within the Preserve from specified public land, mining, mineral leasing, geothermal leasing, and mineral materials laws. Prohibits road or building construction and motorized access within the area of volcanic domes and other peaks in the Preserve, except for administrative purposes. Ensures the protection of, and access to, traditional cultural and religious sites. Directs the Secretary to study the feasibility of establishing a hiking trail along the rim of the Valles Caldera. Requires the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to seek to enter into an agreement with the Indian tribe or pueblo respecting the establishment of a Caldera Rim Trail that will provide for the protection of cultural and religious sites. (Sec. 4) Transfers administrative jurisdiction over the Preserve from the Secretary of Agriculture and the Valles Caldera Trust to the Secretary. Modifies the boundaries of Santa Fe National Forest to exclude the Preserve. Terminates the Valles Caldera Trust and sets forth provisions concerning its assets and liabilities, personnel, records, and funds. (Sec. 5) Repeals the Valles Caldera Preservation Act and sets forth provisions concerning the effects of the repeal, including transfers of authority and boundaries. (Sec. 6) Authorizes appropriations.

Date: 2010-05-27
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Tennessee Wilderness Act of 2010 - Designates specified federal lands in Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee as wilderness and as additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS).

Date: 2010-06-09
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources