[Pages H3482-H3484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

EASTERN NEVADA LAND IMPLEMENTATION IMPROVEMENT ACT

Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 1815) to facilitate certain pinyon-juniper related projects in
Lincoln County, Nevada, to modify the boundaries of certain wilderness
areas in the State of Nevada, and to provide for the implementation of
a conservation plan for the Virgin River, Nevada, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 1815

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Eastern Nevada Land
Implementation Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. FACILITATION OF PINYON-JUNIPER RELATED PROJECTS IN
LINCOLN COUNTY, NEVADA.

(a) Facilitation of Pinyon-Juniper Related Projects.--
(1) Availability of special account under lincoln county
land act of 2000.--Section 5(b) of the Lincoln County Land
Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-298; 114 Stat. 1048) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``and
implementation'' after ``development''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (C)--

(I) in clause (i), by striking ``; and'' at the end and
inserting a semicolon; and
(II) by adding at the end the following:

``(iii) development and implementation of comprehensive,
cost-effective, and multijurisdictional hazardous fuels
reduction projects and wildfire prevention planning
activities (particularly for pinyon-juniper dominated
landscapes) and other rangeland and woodland restoration
projects within the County, consistent with the Ely Resource
Management Plan or a subsequent amendment to the plan; and'';
and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) Cooperative agreements.--Establishment of cooperative
agreements between the Bureau of Land Management and the
County shall be required for any County-provided law
enforcement and planning related activities approved by the
Secretary regarding--
``(A) wilderness in the County designated by the Lincoln
County Conservation, Recreation, and Development Act of 2004
(Public Law 108-424; 118 Stat. 2403);
``(B) cultural resources identified, protected, and managed
pursuant to that Act;
``(C) planning, management, and law enforcement associated
with the Silver State OHV Trail designated by that Act; and
``(D) planning associated with land disposal and related
land use authorizations required for utility corridors and
rights-of-way to serve land that has been, or is to be,
disposed of pursuant to that Act (other than rights-of-way
granted pursuant to that Act) and this Act.''.
(2) Availability of special account under lincoln county
conservation, recreation, and development act of 2004.--
Section 103 of the Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation,
and Development Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-424; 118 Stat.
2406) is amended--
(A) in subsection (b)(3)--
(i) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``; and'' at the end
and inserting a semicolon;
(ii) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(G) development and implementation of comprehensive,
cost-effective, and multijurisdictional hazardous fuels
reduction and wildfire prevention planning activities
(particularly for pinyon-juniper dominated landscapes) and
other rangeland and woodland restoration projects within the
County, consistent with the Ely Resource Management Plan or a
subsequent amendment to the plan.''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Cooperative Agreements.--Establishment of cooperative
agreements between the Bureau of Land Management and the
County shall be required for any County-provided law
enforcement and planning related activities approved by the
Secretary regarding--
``(1) wilderness in the County designated by this Act;
``(2) cultural resources identified, protected, and managed
pursuant to this Act;
``(3) planning, management, and law enforcement associated
with the Silver State OHV Trail designated by this Act; and
``(4) planning associated with land disposal and related
land use authorizations required for utility corridors and
rights-of-way to serve land that has been, or is to be,
disposed of pursuant to this Act (other than rights-of-way
granted pursuant to this Act) and the Lincoln County Land Act
of 2000 (Public Law 106-298; 114 Stat. 1046).''.
(b) Disposition of Proceeds.--
(1) Disposition of proceeds under lincoln county land act
of 2000.--Section 5(a)(2) of the

[[Page H3483]]

Lincoln County Land Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-298; 114
Stat. 1047) is amended by inserting ``and the Lincoln County
Regional Development Authority'' after ``schools''.
(2) Disposition of proceeds under lincoln county
conservation, recreation, and development act of 2004.--
Section 103(b)(2) of the Lincoln County Conservation,
Recreation, and Development Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-424;
118 Stat. 2405) is amended by striking ``and transportation''
and inserting ``transportation, and the Lincoln County
Regional Development Authority or any other County economic
development organization''.
(c) Realign a Portion of the LCCRDA Utility Corridor.--
Section 301(a) of the Lincoln County Conservation,
Recreation, and Development Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-424;
118 Stat. 2413) establishes a 2,640-foot wide utility
corridor as depicted on a map dated October 1, 2004. The
Secretary of the Interior shall realign a portion of the
corridor by removing the designation in sections 5, 6, 7, 8,
9, 10, 11, 14, and 15, T. 7 N., R. 68 E. and realigning the
corridor to sections 31, 32, and 33, T. 8 N., R. 68 E.;
sections 4, 5, and 6, T. 7 N., R. 68 E.; and sections 1 and
12, T. 7 N., 67 E. as shown on the October 1, 2004, map.
(d) Final Corrective Patent in Clark County, Nevada.--
(1) Validation of patent.--Patent number 27-2005-0081
issued by the Bureau of Land Management on February 18, 2005,
is affirmed and validated as having been issued pursuant to,
and in compliance with, the Nevada-Florida Land Exchange
Authorization Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-275; 102 Stat. 52),
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321
et seq.), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) for the benefit of the desert
tortoise, other species, and the habitat of the desert
tortoise and other species to increase the likelihood of the
recovery of the desert tortoise and other species.
(2) Ratification of reconfiguration.--The process used by
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of
Land Management in reconfiguring the land described in
paragraph (1), as depicted on Exhibit 1-4 of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned Development
Project MSHCP, Lincoln County, NV (FWS-R8-ES-2008-N0136) and
the reconfiguration provided for in Special Condition 10 of
the Army Corps of Engineers Permit No. 000005042 are
ratified.
(e) Final Land Reconfiguration in Lincoln County, Nevada.--
(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map prepared by the
Bureau of Land Management entitled ``Proposed Lincoln County
Land Reconfiguration'' and dated January 28, 2016.
(B) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of
Land Management.
(2) Issuance of lincoln county corrective patent.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary may issue a corrective
patent for 7,548 acres of land in Lincoln County, Nevada,
that is depicted on the Map.
(B) Applicable law.--A corrective patent issued under
subparagraph (A) shall be considered to have been issued
pursuant to, and in compliance with, the Nevada-Florida Land
Exchange Authorization Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-275; 102
Stat. 52).

SEC. 3. MT. MORIAH WILDERNESS, HIGH SCHELLS WILDERNESS, AND
ARC DOME WILDERNESS BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS.

(a) Amendments to the Pam White Wilderness Act.--Section
323 of the Pam White Wilderness Act of 2006 (16 U.S.C. 1132
note; Public Law 109-432; 120 Stat. 3031) is amended by
striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:
``(e) Mt. Moriah Wilderness Adjustment.--The boundary of
the Mt. Moriah Wilderness established under section 2(13) of
the Nevada Wilderness Protection Act of 1989 (16 U.S.C. 1132
note; Public Law 101-195) is adjusted to include--
``(1) the land identified as the `Mount Moriah Wilderness
Area' and `Mount Moriah Additions' on the map entitled
`Eastern White Pine County' and dated November 29, 2006; and
``(2) the land identified as `NFS Lands' on the map
entitled `Proposed Wilderness Boundary Adjustment Mt. Moriah
Wilderness Area' and dated June 18, 2014.
``(f) High Schells Wilderness Adjustment.--The boundary of
the High Schells Wilderness established under subsection
(a)(11) is adjusted to include the land identified as
`Include as Wilderness' on the map entitled `McCoy Creek
Adjustment' and dated November 3, 2014, and to exclude the
land identified as `NFS Lands' on the map entitled `Proposed
Wilderness Boundary Adjustment High Schells Wilderness Area'
and dated June 17, 2014.''.
(b) Amendments to the Nevada Wilderness Protection Act of
1989.--The Nevada Wilderness Protection Act of 1989 (16
U.S.C. 1132 note; Public Law 101-195; 103 Stat. 1784) is
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 12. ARC DOME BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.

``The boundary of the Arc Dome Wilderness established under
section 2(2) is adjusted to exclude the land identified as
`Exclude from Wilderness' on the map entitled `Arc Dome
Adjustment' and dated November 3, 2014.''.

SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION OF CONSERVATION PLAN, VIRGIN RIVER,
NEVADA.

Section 3(d)(3)(B) of Public Law 99-548 (100 Stat. 3061;
116 Stat. 2018) is amended by striking ``development of a
multispecies habitat conservation plan for'' and inserting
``development and implementation of a conservation plan to
benefit fish and wildlife species of''.

SEC. 5. TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.

Section 3(f)(2)(B) of Public Law 99-548 (100 Stat. 3061) is
amended by striking ``(v) Sec. 7.''.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Nevada (Mr. Hardy) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nevada.

General Leave

Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Nevada?
There was no objection.
Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 1815, the Eastern Nevada Land Implementation Improvement Act,
which I introduced last year, makes several changes to the existing
Federal land laws. The bill authorizes hazardous fuels reduction
projects and wildfire planning for rangeland and woodland restoration
projects in Lincoln County, Nevada. These projects will help reduce the
risk of catastrophic wildfire and improve and protect habitat for the
greater sage-grouse.
The bill also authorizes the implementation of a conservation plan in
Nevada's Virgin River region. In 2002, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service required the city of Mesquite to create a conservation plan to
protect several species in the Lower Virgin River Basin before moving
ahead with two land acquisitions. The city planned to use these funds
from the Mesquite Lands Act, a law passed by Congress in 1986 that
allowed the city to acquire and develop lands from the Federal
Government, to complete the plan. FWS signed a memorandum of agreement
with the city of Mesquite to carry out the law.
This agreement expired in 2014. The Fish and Wildlife Service refused
to sign a new memorandum of agreement or to allow the city to access
the necessary funding because it didn't feel that the current
legislation enabled them to implement the conservation plan. As a
result, all efforts to advance the conservation plan and expand the
city are at a standstill.
This bill remedies the problem by making a technical correction to
the Mesquite Lands Act of 1988 that will provide the necessary
authority to the Fish and Wildlife Service to implement the
conservation plan, after signing the new agreement with the city of
Mesquite.
Lastly, the bill makes several boundary adjustments that collectively
reduce three wilderness areas to improve public access to the Big
Canyon Trailhead, provide land to the existing Girl Scouts camp, and
release a small dam owned and operated by the Yamba Tribe.
It is important to know that all of the money that would be spent to
execute these programs in this bill would come from special accounts
that already exist. Not a single taxpayer dollar would go to pay for
this bill. These special accounts are funded by the proceeds of the
Federal land sales in Nevada and, in total, have a balance of $270
million in unobligated funds. The $2 million predicted to be used for
the purposes in H.R. 1815--protecting communities from catastrophic
wildfires by reducing hazardous fuels and implementing a habitat
conservation plan--would come directly from those accounts at no cost
to the taxpayer.
This is a well-balanced, bipartisan piece of legislation that will
reduce wildland fire threat and greatly benefit local communities,
wildlife and its habitat, and the future management of public lands in
Nevada.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1815.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 1815 clarifies and updates several laws related to the
management of Federal land in eastern Nevada. This bill is cosponsored
by the entire Nevada delegation, and I recognize its passage is
important to the people of eastern Nevada.
I want to thank the majority and the sponsor for working with the
Bureau of Land Management to address many of their concerns. Resolving
those concerns and working with the BLM turn

[[Page H3484]]

this bill into a proposal we can support.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this
legislation.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of
this legislation also.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Hardy) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 1815, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

____________________