zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act - Designates certain land in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in the state of Washington comprising approximately 22,173 acres within the proposed Alpine Lakes Wilderness additions boundary, which shall be considered to become a part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, as wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Makes any land and interests within the proposed additions boundary which are acquired by the United States part of such Wilderness. Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate the Middle Fork Snoqualmie and Pratt Rivers in Washington state as scenic and/or wild rivers.

Date: 2009-03-26
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Fast Track Shale Act - Repeals the prohibition under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 on the use of funds to: (1) prepare or publish final regulations regarding a commercial leasing program for oil shale (and tar sands) resources on public lands; or (2) conduct an oil shale lease sale pursuant to such Act. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to issue all regulations necessary to implement the Oil Share, Tar Sands, and Other Strategic Unconventional Fuels Act of 2005 with respect to oil shale. Directs the Secretary, immediately after issuing such regulations, to offer for leasing: (1) additional 160-acre tracts of lands the Secretary considers necessary for research and development of oil shale resources; and (2) public lands, for commercial exploration, development, and production of oil shale resources, in states for which the Secretary finds sufficient support and interest.

Date: 2009-03-31
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Modifies the boundaries of Roosevelt National Forest, Colorado, to exclude from it a parcel of real property consisting of approximately seven acres that was erroneously included within the Crystal Lakes Subdivision, North Filing, as a result of the failure of a 1975 survey of the Subdivision to correctly locate the original quarter corners as specified. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to use the authority provided by the Small Tracts Act to convey all interest of the United States in and to the real property excluded from the boundaries of Roosevelt National Forest under this Act to the landowners whose real property adjoins the excluded land and who have occupied the excluded land in good faith reliance on the erroneous survey. Reduces by a specified amount, and cancels the amount so reduced, the amount available for obligation from the unobligated balance in the special account for the deposit and expenditure of fees and revenues established for the Forest Service under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

Date: 2009-04-01
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Backcountry Landing Strip Access Act - Prohibits the Secretaries of the Interior or Agriculture from taking any action that would permanently close, restrict, or render or declare unserviceable any aircraft landing strip located on land under their jurisdiction unless: (1) the action has been approved by the head of the aviation department of the state in which the landing strip is located; (2) the Secretary publishes notice of the proposed action and provides for a 90-day public comment thereafter; and (3) the Secretary and appropriate state aviation department head have taken into consideration any comments received. Requires the Secretaries to: (1) establish a nationwide policy for governing backcountry aviation issues relating to the management of federal land under the jurisdiction of the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture; and (2) require officials with jurisdiction over such land to adhere to such policy. Requires private and publicly-owned aircraft landing strips acquired by the government to be made available to the public for unrestricted use.

Date: 2009-04-22
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretary), for any film crew of five persons or fewer, to require a permit and assess an annual fee of $200 for commercial filming activities or similar projects on federal lands and waterways administered by the Secretary. Makes such a permit valid for such activities or projects that occur in areas designated for public use during public hours on all federal lands and waterways administered by the Secretary for a 12-month period. Prohibits the Secretary, for persons holding such a permit, from assessing any additional fee for commercial filming activities and similar projects that occur in those areas during those hours. Bars the Secretary from prohibiting, as a motorized vehicle or under any other purposes, the use of cameras or related equipment used for commercial filming activities or similar projects in accordance with this Act on federal lands and waterways administered by the Secretary.

Date: 2009-04-22
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Honouliuli Internment Camp Special Resources Study Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the national significance, suitability, and feasibility of including the Honouliuli Gulch and associated sites within Hawaii in the National Park System. Requires such study to evaluate the Honouliuli Gulch, associated sites on Oahu, and other islands in Hawaii respecting: (1) their significance as a component of World War II; (2) their significance as related to the forcible internment of Japanese Americans, European Americans, and other individuals; and (3) historic resources at those sites.

Date: 2009-04-23
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Southern Nevada Higher Education Land Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey three parcels of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land to: (1) the Nevada System of Higher Education for the Great Basin College and the College of Southern Nevada; and (2) the System for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Authorizes the Nevada System of Higher Education to use the conveyed federal land for: (1) any purpose related to the establishment, operation, growth, and maintenance of the System; and (2) other related uses, including residential and commercial development that would generally be associated with an institution of higher education.

Date: 2009-04-30
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act of 2010 - Amends the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 to require the term and acreage of permits for the operation of ski areas and associated facilities (under current law, for the operation of nordic and alpine ski areas and facilities) on National Forest System lands to be governed by provisions under the Act relating to such permits and other applicable law. Provides for the issuance of permits for the use and occupancy of suitable lands within the National Forest System for skiing and other snow-sports and such other seasonal or year-round recreational activities associated with mountain resorts as the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) may authorize pursuant to this Act. Requires any authorized activity, facility, or improvement other than skiing and other snow-sports to: (1) encourage outdoor recreation and enjoyment of nature; (2) harmonize with the natural environment of the National Forest System land on which it is located; (3) be located within the parts of the ski permit area that are developed to support skiing and other snow sports; and (4) be consistent with the applicable forest management plan and all other applicable laws. Prohibits the Secretary from authorizing an activity, facility, or improvement under this Act if its authorization would result in the primary recreational purpose of the National Forest System land with a ski area permit being a purpose other than skiing or any other snow-sport. Allows the Secretary to authorize such an activity, facility, or improvement only to the extent that the majority of the ski area's revenue is generated by the sale of lift tickets and related fees for skiing and other snow-sport activities. Bars the Secretary from considering the need for activities other than skiing and snow-sports when determining the boundary of a ski area permit. Requires the Secretary to: (1) promulgate new rules and regulations for the implementation of this Act; and (2) convert all ski area permits or leases on National Forest System lands into ski area permits which conform to the provisions of this Act.

Date: 2009-05-19
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) accept a conveyance of non-federal land in Gila, Yavapai, Maricopa, Pinal, and Coconino Counties, Arizona, from Resolution Copper Mining, LLC (Resolution Copper); (2) convey to Resolution Copper certain federal land located in Pinal County, Arizona; (3) convey specified land in Pinal County to the town of Superior, Arizona; and (4) appraise lands exchanged or conveyed under this Act. Instructs Resolution Copper to surrender, without compensation, the rights held by it under mining and other U.S. laws to: (1) commercially extract minerals under Apache Leap or certain of the non-federal land in Pinal County (the Pond); and (2) disturb the surface of Apache Leap. Requires the Secretary to: (1) determine whether the land exchange with Resolution Copper is subject to the requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; and (2) if the exchange is subject to such requirements, prepare an environmental impact statement pursuant to those requirements, except as specified in this Act. Permits Resolution Copper to carry out mineral exploration activities under the Oak Flat withdrawal area by any method that will not disturb the surface of the area. Requires implementation of a management plan for Apache Leap. Makes lands acquired by the Secretary under this Act part of the National Forest within which the land is located. Requires Resolution Copper to make a specified payment to the Secretary to be used to promote and enhance outdoor recreational opportunities in the upper Pond area or the areas commonly known as "Inconceivables" and "Chill Hill." Directs the Secretary to construct in the Global Ranger District of the Tonto National Forest, Arizona, one or more replacement campgrounds for the Oak Flat Campground. Requires Resolution Copper to make value adjustment payments to the United States based upon locatable minerals produced from the federal land in Pinal County, Arizona.

Date: 2009-05-20
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Ka'u Coast Preservation Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study and report on the suitability and feasibility of designating the Ka'u Coast from Kapaoo Point to Kahuku Point, Hawaii, as a unit of the National Park System.

Date: 2009-05-21
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
North Maui Coastal Preservation Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of designating certain lands on the northern coast of Maui, Hawaii, as a National Seashore, National Historical Park, National Recreation Area, National Monument, National Preserve, or other unit of the National Park System.

Date: 2009-05-21
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Amends the Washington Park Wilderness Act of 1988 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to adjust the boundaries of the North Cascades National Park and the Stephen Mather Wilderness in Washington state in order to provide a corridor of up to 100-feet in width along which the Stehekin Valley Road may be rebuilt: (1) outside of the floodplain between mileposts 12.9 and 22.8; (2) within one mile of the route for such Road; (3) within the boundaries of the Park; and (4) outside of the boundaries of the Wilderness. Requires that the boundary adjustments be such that equal federally owned acreage amounts are exchanged between the Wilderness and the Park. Requires lands in the newly designated wilderness to include lands along the route of the Steheken Valley Road that are replaced by the reconstruction. Authorizes the Secretary, if such lands contain fewer acres than the corridor, to designate additional federal lands in the Park as wilderness, but bars such designation from exceeding the acreage amount needed to equalize the exchange. Instructs that these additional lands must be selected from lands that qualify as wilderness. Prohibits anything in this Act from: (1) authorizing the sale or acquisition of any land or interest in land; and (2) being construed as requiring the Secretary to give this project precedence over the construction or repair of other similarly damaged roads in units of the National Park System.

Date: 2009-06-10
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Amends the Wilderness Act to grant members of recreation organizations the right to cross wilderness areas on established trails without restriction as part of a journey along a connecting system of trails across public, private, or wilderness area lands, so long as such travel is conducted within a day and is completed without unreasonable delay. Defines a "recreation organization." Authorizes agencies administering wilderness areas to limit the exercise of such right within any specific area to not more than 10 wilderness crossings annually.

Date: 2009-06-10
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to solicit proposals to procure a new lease for the continued operation and maintenance of Rock Creek, Langston, and East Potomac golf courses. Requires the lease to include the three golf courses in one lease agreement and mandate that the courses be operated and maintained in a manner that: (1) retains the historic nature of the courses, including an appropriate commemoration of the Langston Golf Course's historic place in African American golf history; (2) ensures that at least two of the courses maintain fees related to use that are affordable; (3) allows fees collected at one course to subsidize the maintenance and operation of one or more of the others; and (4) allows for a long-term ground lease on the three courses. Directs the Secretary to solicit the request for proposals in a manner that ensures the participation of disadvantaged business enterprises among the equity partners of the sponsors of the proposals. Makes the National Park Service Concessions Management Improvement Act of 1998 inapplicable to requests for proposals submitted and leases and agreements entered into under this Act.

Date: 2009-06-11
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Southern Arizona Public Lands Protection Act of 2009 - Withdraws federal lands and interests located in Pima and Santa Cruz Counties, Arizona, as well as all federally owned subsurface interests under the administrative jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in lands in Pima County, from: (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, and disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) operation of the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, and the mineral materials laws. Withdraws all federally owned interests in BLM lands in Pima County from entry, location, or patent under the general mining laws.

Date: 2009-06-18
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to offer to, and if the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) agrees, to enter into an agreement with NAS to conduct a study to help ensure the scientific basis of plans for management of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, to help maintain and restore the estuary while enhancing the quality and reliability of California's water supply. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Bureau, to commission additional studies by NAS to provide more strategic advice on water and environmental management challenges facing the Delta.

Date: 2009-06-19
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Fair Allocation of Internal Revenue Credit for Renewable Electricity Distribution by Indian Tribes Act of 2009 or the FAIR CREDIT Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an Indian tribe, in the case of a facility that uses a renewable energy resource to produce electricity in which such tribe has an ownership interest in the gross sales from such facility, to assign to any other person who has such an ownership interest in such facility any portion of the production from the facility that would, but for this Act, be allocated to such tribe for purposes of the renewable electricity production tax credit.

Date: 2009-06-19
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Taxation
Hunting Heritage Protection Act - Requires that federal public land be open to access and use for hunting except as limited by: (1) the federal agency with jurisdiction over the land for national security or public safety reasons or for other reasons authorized by applicable federal law for limiting access; and (2) any law of the state in which the land is located that is applicable to hunting. Directs the head of each federal agency with authority to manage a natural resource or federal public land to exercise that authority in a manner so as to support, promote, and enhance access to hunting. Instructs the head of each federal agency to ensure that federal land management decisions and actions result in no net loss of land area accessible for hunting on federal public land. Requires the heads of federal agencies with authority to manage federal public land on which hunting occurs to report annually on areas administered in which access for hunting was limited and the reasons for the limitations and on areas that were opened to hunting to compensate for areas in which there were such limitations. Prohibits a withdrawal, change of classification, or change of management status that effectively closes or limits access to 5,000 or more acres of federal public land for hunting from occurring unless the head of the federal agency that has jurisdiction over the land has submitted written notice of the action to specified congressional committees. Grants states the right to file civil actions in district courts in cases where federal agencies fail to comply with state authority to manage or regulate fish and wildlife.

Date: 2009-06-25
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Pine River Indian Irrigation Project Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study the irrigation infrastructure of the Pine River Indian Irrigation Project, Colorado, and develop a list of activities that are recommended to be implemented over a 10-year period to repair, rehabilitate, or reconstruct that infrastructure. Requires the Secretary to prioritize activities based on: (1) a review of specified priority factors (i.e., threats to health and safety; the extent of disrepair and its effect on the ability of Project users to irrigate agricultural land; the extent to which infrastructure repair would provide an opportunity to conserve water; the economic and cultural impacts the disrepair has, and benefits the repair would have, on the Tribe; the opportunity to address water supply or environmental conflicts through repair; and overall benefits of the activity to efficient water operations on the land of the Tribe); (2) recommendations of the Tribe; and (3) a consideration of projected benefits on Project completion. Authorizes the Secretary to provide grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements with, the Tribe to repair, rehabilitate, reconstruct, or replace the Project's irrigation infrastructure. Prohibits such assistance from being used for on-farm improvements. Requires the Secretary, in providing assistance, to coordinate the activity with any work being conducted under the irrigation operations and maintenance program of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Caps the federal share of the total cost at 75%, subject to a waiver or limitation on the nonfederal share, at the Tribe's request.

Date: 2009-06-25
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Native Americans
Upper Elk River Wild and Scenic Study Act - Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a specified segment of the Elk River in West Virginia from the confluence of the Old Field Fork and the Big Spring Fork in Pocahontas County to the Pocahontas and Randolph County line for study as a potential addition to the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to complete the study of such segment within a specified time period and report results to Congress. Requires the report to include an analysis of the potential impact of the designation on private lands within a five-mile segment of the Elk River or abutting that area. Specifies this Act's effect on: (1) access for recreational activities, including hunting, fishing, and trapping; and (2) state authority to regulate fish and wildlife under state law or regulations.

Date: 2009-07-07
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. Directs the County to pay specified costs.

Date: 2009-07-10
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
National Home Mortgage and Loan Performance Registry Act of 2009 - Amends the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 to require certain additional itemized mortgage loan data disclosures by depository institutions and mortgage servicers. Directs the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to establish a National Home Mortgage and Loan Performance Registry to compile and make available information regarding the making of mortgage loans and their performance, including information regarding default and foreclosure occurrences and rates, for mortgage loans for single-family housing, multifamily housing, and small farms. Requires the Board to report quarterly to Congress, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regarding the performance of outstanding mortgage loans. Directs the Board and the Secretaries to report jointly to Congress regarding any additional actions or authority necessary to improve the Registry.

Date: 2009-07-14
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Housing and community development
Locatable Mineral Royalty and Reclamation Act of 2009 - Sets forth requirements for the issuance of patents for mining claims and mill sites. Requires claimants to pay: (1) location fees; (2) abandoned locatable mine land fees; and (3) annual maintenance fees. Subjects the production of locatable minerals from any mining claim located on federal lands to a royalty of 2% of the net proceeds from such production. Establishes the Abandoned Locatable Mine Reclamation Fund. Establishes the Abandoned Locatable Minerals Mine Reclamation Program administered by the Secretary of the Interior acting through the Director of the Office of Surface Mining. Requires each state and each Indian tribe that receives a grant pursuant to a program approved under this Act to establish an abandoned mine reclamation fund. Directs the Secretary to establish the Office of Economic Geology, supervised by the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, with responsibility for all policy, planning, and program direction for all of the activities of the energy and mineral resource programs, including research, within the Survey. Requires the Secretary to conduct a national cooperative mineral resource inventory and assessment program. National Uranium Summit Act - Instructs the Secretary to convene a national summit on uranium and report to Congress an assessment of the nation's uranium resources, with policy recommendations to ensure access to these resources for private sector development.

Date: 2009-07-14
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Cleanup of Inactive and Abandoned Mines Act - 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 persons who had no role in the creation of the historic mine residue or the resulting environmental pollution and who are not legally responsible for such remediation). Authorizes 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 a permit to a good samaritan for a mine remediation project if it is determined that: (1) the project will improve the environment on or in the area of the mine site to a significant degree; (2) the project will meet applicable water quality standards; (3) the permittee has the financial and other resources to complete, and will complete, the permitted work; and (4) the relevant governmental entities concur with the issuance of the permit. Terminates the authority to issue permits under this Act on September 30, 2019. Exempts permits from requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 relating to environmental assessments and impact statements. Requires a permitting authority to: (1) consult with permit applicants; (2) maintain all records relating to the permit and the permit process; (3) allow cooperating agencies and the public to participate in the permit process; and (4) monitor remediation projects. Establishes civil penalties for violations of permit requirements and authorizes injunctions to require compliance with a permit.

Date: 2009-07-14
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Environmental protection
Community Gardens Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants to eligible entities to establish, build, or operate community gardens.

Date: 2009-07-15
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Amends Public Law 100-573 (relating to the establishment of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Citizens Advisory Commission) to terminate the Commission 30 years after the enactment of such law. Deems this Act to have taken effect on October 30, 2008.

Date: 2009-07-31
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Idaho Wilderness Water Facilities Act - Directs 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 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. Requires 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. Allows 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: 2009-09-08
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.

Date: 2009-09-08
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Indian School Bus Route Safety Reauthorization Act of 2009 - Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to authorize appropriations for FY2010-FY2015 for allocations to states for Indian reservation roads.

Date: 2009-09-24
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Transportation and public works
National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act - Identifies roadless areas within the National Forest System set forth in specified maps as National Forest Inventoried Roadless Areas, and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to manage such Areas to maintain their roadless character. Authorizes the Forest Service to modify such maps for the sole purpose of improving their accuracy or inclusiveness. Requires any substantial modification of those maps to be made through the national forest management planning process and documented in an environmental impact statement.

Date: 2009-10-01
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Geothermal Production Expansion Act - Amends competitive lease provisions of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to set forth conditions under which areas that adjoin federal lands for which a qualified lessee holds a legal right to develop geothermal resources may be made available to the lessee for noncompetitive lease at the fair market value per acre. Includes as such conditions that sufficient data has been submitted by a qualified geothermal professional to the relevant federal land management agency to engender a belief that: (1) there is a valid discovery of geothermal or geothermal steam resources on the lands for which the lessee holds the right to develop the resources; and (2) the thermal feature extends into the adjoining areas.

Date: 2009-10-01
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), upon a written request from a timber purchaser, to make a one-time modification to the term of the purchaser's qualifying contract by adding three years to the contract expiration date if the request: (1) is received within 90 days of enactment of this Act; and (2) contains a provision releasing the United States from all liability, including further consideration or compensation, as a result of the modification made to the contract. Defines qualifying contract as a contract that was awarded during the period beginning on January 1, 2005, and ending on December 31, 2008, that has not been terminated by BLM for the sale of timber from BLM lands for which there is unharvested volume remaining, for which the contract is not a salvage sale, and for which there is not an urgent need to harvest because of deteriorating timber conditions that developed after the contract was awarded. Requires the Secretary to submit to Congress a report on a plan and timeline for the promulgation of new regulations authorizing BLM to extend and renegotiate timber contracts because of changes in market conditions. Bars this Act from having the effect of surrendering any claim by the United States against any timber purchaser arising under a timber sale contract, including a qualifying contract, before the date on which the contract's term is adjusted as described in this Act.

Date: 2009-10-08
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Sugar Loaf Fire Protection District Land Exchange Act - Requires the Secretary of Agriculture, if the Sugar Loaf Fire Protection District of Boulder, Colorado, offers to convey non-federal land that is located in unincorporated Boulder County and the offer is acceptable, to accept the offer and, on receipt of acceptable title to the non-federal land, to convey federal land in the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado. Applies provisions of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 relating to the exchange of public lands and interests within the National Forest System to the land exchange authorized under this Act, except that: (1) the Secretary may accept a cash equalization payment in excess of 25% of the value of the federal land; and (2) the District shall pay costs relating to any land surveys and appraisals of the federal and non-federal lands and enter into an agreement that allocates any other administrative costs between the Secretary and the District. Expresses the intent of Congress that such land exchange be completed within one year of enactment of this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to offer to sell the federal land to the District if the exchange is not completed by such deadline. Permits the Secretary to offer to sell such land to the District for its fair market value. Sets forth requirements for the disposition and use of the proceeds received as the result of any cash equalization payment or any sale specified above. Requires the acquired non-federal land to become part of the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests. Revokes any public orders withdrawing the federal land from entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws to the extent necessary to permit the conveyance of the federal land to the District. Withdraws such land on the date of enactment, if it is not already withdrawn or segregated from entry and appropriation under the public land laws and the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970, until it is conveyed to the District.

Date: 2009-10-23
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Heart Mountain Relocation Center Study Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct and report to Congress on a special resource study of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Park County, Wyoming. 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 that may be affected by any such designation or other interested individuals.

Date: 2009-11-03
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Big Sur Forest Service Management Unit Act of 2009 - Establishes the Big Sur Management Unit of Los Padres National Forest in California to replace the Monterey Ranger District in the Forest. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer to the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretary) all Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered public lands within the boundaries of the Unit for inclusion in the Unit. Authorizes the lease or issuance of permits for the use of all or a part of Brazil Ranch. Designates the Unit as a Wildland Urban Interface Special Study Area. Requires the Secretary to: (1) make use of existing authority and resources to pioneer innovative fire pre-suppression methods consistent with public safety and wilderness values; (2) create and annually update a fire management plan applicable to the Unit; and (3) establish agency approval procedures for responding to fire emergencies in the Unit. Adjusts the boundaries of the Ventana Wilderness Area. Designates the Horse Canyon and Horse Pasture proposed wilderness additions as wilderness and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Adjusts the boundaries of the Silver Peak Wilderness Area. Designates the Alder Creek proposed wilderness addition as wilderness and a component of such System. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to take measures in the wilderness areas and wilderness additions designated by this Act necessary for the control of fire, insects, and diseases. Designates: (1) specified segments of the Arroyo Seco River, Big Creek, Carmel River, San Antonio River, and San Carpoforo Creek and their tributaries in Big Sur, California, as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; (2) Forest Service Road 19S09, to be known as the Arroyo Seco-Indians Trail, as a National Recreation Trail; and (3) the Jeff Norman Botanical Area.

Date: 2009-11-06
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Gold Hill-Wakamatsu Preservation Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), to acquire the Gold Hill Ranch in Coloma, California, that was the location of the founding of Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony in 1869, in exchange for consideration not to exceed a specified amount. Instructs that acquisition of Gold Hill Ranch be only from willing sellers and not through eminent domain. Requires the American River Conservancy and the Gold Hill Wakamatsu Colony Foundation, for the consideration required by this Act, to contribute any private funds or state or federal grants received by the Conservancy and the Foundation to acquire the Ranch. Allows the Secretary, upon acquiring the Wakamatsu Colony site, to work with the Conservancy and the Foundation to develop a visitor center that provides for the interpretation of: (1) the Wakamatsu Colony; (2) early pioneer history; and (3) the contribution of traditional Japanese crops and practices to California's extensive agricultural economy. Requires the costs of construction of the visitor center and the conduct of restoration activities at the Ranch to be leveraged by amounts received by the Conservancy and the Foundation as private funds and state or federal grants provided for such purposes.

Date: 2009-11-18
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Haiti Reforestation Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to offer to enter into agreements with the government of Haiti to provide financial assistance, technology transfers, or capacity building assistance to reduce deforestation and increase reforestation in Haiti. Directs the Secretary to establish a grant program to carry out such activities. Amends the the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to: (1) direct the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to invite the government of Haiti to submit a list of areas in which tropical forests are seriously degraded or threatened; and (2) authorize USAID to make grants to nongovernmental organizations to purchase discounted commercial debt of the government of Haiti in exchange for government commitments to restore identified forests or to develop plans for their sustainable use.

Date: 2009-12-03
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: International affairs
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Chief of the Forest Service, to require Forest Service personnel, in the implementation of off-road vehicle management under the Forest Service Travel Management Rule, to endeavor to accommodate individuals with mobility disabilities who would need to use a power-driven mobility device for access to such lands. Requires Forest Service personnel to provide an individual with mobility disabilities who uses a power-driven mobility device to access specific National Forest System lands, who seeks permission to access such lands, and who is denied such access, with an explanation for the denial of access to such lands.

Date: 2009-12-08
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Colorado Wilderness Act of 2009 - Designates specified lands in Colorado, administered by the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service, as wilderness and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Authorizes the Colorado Army National Guard, through the High Altitude ARNG Aviation Training Site, to conduct aerial navigation training maneuver exercises over and upon the lands designated as potential wilderness by this Act. Provides for the obtaining, exercise, and protection of U.S. water rights for the wilderness and potential wilderness areas. Designates specified lands (proposed as Deep Creek Wilderness and Pisgah Mountain Wilderness) as potential wilderness areas. Requires such lands to be designated as wilderness upon publication of a notice that all nonconforming uses of those lands have ceased.

Date: 2009-12-11
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Beauty Mountain and Agua Tibia Wilderness Act of 2009 - Designates the Agua Tibia proposed wilderness additions in Cleveland National Forest in San Diego County, California, as wilderness and incorporates them into the Agua Tibia Wilderness. Designates the Beauty Mountain wilderness additions in San Diego County, California, as wilderness and incorporates them into the Beauty Mountain Wilderness.

Date: 2009-12-14
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Soledad Canyon High Desert, California Public Lands Conservation and Management Act of 2009 - 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: 2009-12-16
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
National Forest Insect and Disease Emergency Act of 2009 - Designates certain areas of National Forest System land in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming as insect and disease emergency areas. Allows the designation of an area of System land as an additional insect and disease emergency area if the land: (1) is located in an affected state; and (2) is subject to an insect and disease infestation emergency. Excludes certain lands from inclusion in an insect and disease emergency area. Sets forth requirements for the duration of insect and disease emergency areas designated under this Act. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretary), in implementing the emergency forest restoration program, to make payments to owners of nonindustrial private forest land to carry out emergency measures in response to an insect and disease infestation emergency under this Act. Authorizes the: (1) Secretary to offer to enter into any contracts or other agreements with the state of Colorado to perform watershed restoration and protection services on System land in the state when similar and complementary restoration and protection services are being carried out on adjacent state or private land; and (2) Secretary of the Interior to carry out such activities on public land located in Colorado. Extends permanently the authority under which the Forest Service may enter into such contracts with private persons and entities to perform services to achieve land management goals for the national forests that meet local and rural communities' needs. Bars the Forest Service from obligating funds to cover the costs of canceling Forest Service multiyear stewardship end result contracts until the date on which they are canceled.

Date: 2009-12-16
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Boundary Expansion Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study lands within Bexar and Wilson Counties, Texas, to identify lands that would be suitable for inclusion in the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Requires the study to examine the natural, cultural, recreational, and scenic values and characteristics of lands within such counties. Permits the assignment of Park employees to provide interpretive services, including visitor information and education, at facilities outside the Park boundary. Modifies the Park's boundary to include approximately 151 acres of additional land, as identified on the map entitled "San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Proposed Boundary Addition 2009," dated November 2009. Prohibits the Secretary from using condemnation authority for the acquisition of lands or interests under this Act.

Date: 2010-01-13
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: 2010-01-13
Topic: Public Lands (Public Lands)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources