H.R. 2317 — Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act of 2025

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to the State of Nevada, without consideration and subject to valid existing rights, approximately 67 acres of Forest Service land generally depicted as “Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park” on the map, with the State paying all associated costs (including surveys, appraisals, environmental response and restoration, and administrative costs). The conveyed land must be used only for wildlife or natural resource conservation or as a public park (with facilities managed consistently and reversion to the United States at the Secretary's discretion if used otherwise); the Secretary may reserve access easements for roads and trails, make minor boundary adjustments, and impose additional terms to protect U.S. interests; and, for the conveyance, the Secretary must meet hazardous substance disclosure requirements under section 120(h) of CERCLA (42 U.S.C. 9620(h)) but is not required to remediate or abate hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, solid or hazardous wastes or materials, or remove improvements.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the County and other interested parties, to develop and implement a cooperative management agreement for approximately 13 acres of land generally depicted as “Tahoe Rim Trail North Parcel” on the map. The agreement must (1) improve recreation access by providing additional amenities as agreed upon by the Secretary and the County, and (2) conserve natural resources.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to convey, without consideration and upon request by Douglas County, Nevada, approximately 7,777 acres of identified federal land in the county for flood control, recreation, or other public purposes under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act (43 U.S.C. 869 et seq.), subject to valid existing rights, a non-disposal requirement, potential reversion to the United States for inconsistent use, county payment of all conveyance costs (including surveys, appraisals, and environmental response), reserved access easements, survey for exact boundaries, and minor boundary adjustments. For the conveyance, the Secretary of Agriculture must comply with hazardous substance disclosure requirements under CERCLA section 120(h) (42 U.S.C. 9620(h)) but is not required to remediate or abate hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, solid or hazardous waste, or remove improvements. The section further directs revocation of conflicting public land orders; allows the county to later request acquisition of the conveyed land without reversionary interest upon payment of fair market value (as determined by appraisal under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act) plus costs, with proceeds disposed of under section 114(n) of the bill.

This section directs the Secretary concerned to conduct one or more sales, through competitive bidding for not less than fair market value, of (1) approximately 31.5 acres of public land depicted as "Lands for Disposal" on the map and (2) not more than 10,000 acres of additional land in the County identified for disposal under the Carson City Consolidated Resource Management Plan (or subsequent amendment), notwithstanding land use planning and identification requirements under sections 202 and 203 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712, 1713). The section requires joint selection of parcels under (b)(2) with the relevant local government unit; certification of bidder compliance with County zoning and master plans; a survey for exact legal descriptions; possible minor boundary adjustments; reservation of access easements at the Secretary of Agriculture's discretion; and additional terms to protect U.S. interests. For such conveyances, the section requires the Secretary concerned to meet only hazardous substance disclosure requirements under CERCLA section 120(h) (42 U.S.C. 9620(h)) and exempts remediation, abatement, or removal of hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, solid or hazardous wastes or materials, or improvements. The section further allows the State or County to elect, within 30 days before sale offers, to obtain eligible lands under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act (43 U.S.C. 869 et seq.) with potential reversion to the U.S.; withdraws the lands from entry, mining, and leasing until sold or two years after sale offer; and requires sale offers within two years of enactment if qualified bidders exist (with possible County-requested postponement or exclusion).

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to the County, without consideration and not later than 180 days after receiving a request, approximately 1,084 acres of specified federal land depicted as the “Open Space Recreation Area” on the map for recreation purposes, with the County responsible for all related costs (including surveys, appraisals, environmental response and restoration, and administration). The conveyed land may not be disposed of by the County, reverts to the United States if used inconsistently with the section, is subject to a survey for exact legal description and potential minor boundary adjustments, and may include reserved access easements and additional terms to protect U.S. interests; additionally, for the conveyance, the Secretary must meet hazardous substance disclosure requirements under CERCLA section 120(h) (42 U.S.C. 9620(h)) but is not required to remediate or abate hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, materials, or improvements.

This section transfers to the Department of the Interior, to be held in trust for the benefit of the Washoe Tribe and made part of its reservation (subject to valid existing rights), approximately 2,669 acres of federal land depicted as “Washoe Tribe Conveyances” on the map plus any Bureau of Land Management or Forest Service lands depicted as “Section 5 lands.” The section also (1) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to administratively transfer included Forest Service lands; (2) directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete a cadastral survey, legal description, and Federal Register publication of the trust lands; (3) prohibits class II or III gaming (as defined in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act) on the trust lands; (4) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Tribe, to conduct fuel reduction and landscape restoration on the lands (including habitat restoration beneficial to the Tribe and Bureau of Land Management), encompassing conservation for species not federally listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1533(c)) but that are state-listed as threatened or endangered, species of concern or special status, or candidates for federal listing; and (5) preserves existing water rights allocations.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to convey, without consideration, Forest Service land within the boundaries of the area acquired under the Santini-Burton Act (P.L. 96-586)—which consolidated federal land ownership in the Lake Tahoe Basin through exchanges—that is unsuitable for Forest Service administration and necessary for a public purpose, to the relevant state or county upon request and subject to terms satisfactory to the Secretary. Conveyed land must be managed in perpetuity to preserve open space and natural characteristics, protect water quality, stream environment zones, and wildlife habitat, and used for recreation or public purposes (e.g., trails, trailheads, fuel reduction, flood control, infrastructure) consistent with the Santini-Burton Act. (Thus, inconsistent use triggers reversion to the United States at the Secretary's discretion.)

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to process, to the extent practicable and not later than one year after receipt, any proposal and application from the County or a unit of local government for a special use authorization for recreation or other purposes on approximately 188 acres of specified federal land and, if approved, to issue a longer-term permit consistent with applicable law. The Secretary may impose terms and conditions on any such authorization as needed to protect U.S. interests and ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and agency directives.

This section designates approximately 12,392 acres of Bureau of Land Management land, as generally depicted on the map entitled “Burbank Canyons Wilderness,” as the Burbank Canyons Wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. (As background, lands designated as wilderness under the Wilderness Act are preserved in their natural condition, generally prohibiting commercial development, road construction, and motorized use.) The section (1) sets boundaries at least 100 feet from the centerline of any bordering road to allow public access; (2) directs the Secretary to prepare a map and legal description of the wilderness area, which shall have the force of law (with minor errors correctable) and be available for public inspection in Bureau of Land Management offices; and (3) withdraws the area from all forms of entry, appropriation, disposal under public land laws, mining laws, and mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials disposition, subject to valid existing rights.

This section directs the Secretary concerned to administer the designated Wilderness, subject to valid existing rights, in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), with modifications including (1) treating the date of enactment as the effective date under that Act and (2) applying references to the Secretary of Agriculture instead to the Secretary of the Interior. The section further specifies that (1) pre-enactment livestock grazing continues subject to Wilderness Act section 4(d)(4) (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(4)) and House Report 101-405 guidelines; (2) acquired lands are incorporated into the Wilderness; (3) the designation creates no protective perimeter or buffer zone around the Wilderness, and visible or audible nonwilderness activities outside its boundaries are not precluded; (4) military low-level overflights, flight testing, special use airspace, and training routes over the Wilderness are allowed; (5) low-level overflights from existing airstrips within 5 miles of the boundary are allowed; (6) wildfire, insect, and disease control measures are authorized per Wilderness Act section 4(d)(1) (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)), with state or local coordination as appropriate; and (7) installation of hydrologic, meteorologic, or climatological devices is authorized if essential to specified water activities. Additionally, the section addresses water rights by (1) making findings on the Wilderness's location and limited suitability for new water facilities; (2) stating the purpose of protecting wilderness values without a federal reserved water right; (3) clarifying that the subtitle reserves no water rights, affects existing state or U.S. water rights, sets no precedent, or impacts other laws or compacts; (4) requiring the Secretary to follow Nevada water law for any new rights; and (5) prohibiting federal funding, assistance, authorization, or permits for new water resource facilities (i.e., excluding wildlife guzzlers) within the Wilderness on or after enactment.

This section affirms state jurisdiction over fish and wildlife management, including hunting, fishing, and trapping, in the Wilderness, consistent with section 4(d)(7) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(7)). It authorizes the Secretary concerned to conduct activities necessary to maintain or restore fish and wildlife populations and habitats—including occasional, temporary motorized vehicle or aircraft use if minimal impact promotes healthy populations and enhances wilderness values—in accordance with wilderness plans, the Wilderness Act, and policies in House Report 101-405. It permits the state to use aircraft, including helicopters, for wildlife surveys, capture, transplant, monitoring, and water provision, consistent with section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)) and the same policies. It further allows the Secretary to designate no-hunting, fishing, or trapping areas or periods for public safety, administration, or legal compliance after public notice and consultation with the state (except in emergencies). Finally, it authorizes the state to conduct wildlife management under the terms of the 2003 Memorandum of Understanding between the Bureau of Land Management and Nevada Department of Wildlife (Supplement No. 9), with references to Douglas County treated as references to the Wilderness.

This section releases approximately 1,065 acres of public land in the Burbank Canyons Wilderness Study Area not designated as wilderness by this subtitle from the management restrictions of section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)), which requires wilderness study areas to be managed so as not to impair their suitability for preservation as wilderness pending congressional action. Such land is to be managed in accordance with land use plans under FLPMA section 202 (43 U.S.C. 1712) and cooperative conservation agreements in existence on the date of enactment.

This section directs the Secretary, notwithstanding Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) requirements for land use plans (43 U.S.C. 1712), sales (43 U.S.C. 1713), exchanges (43 U.S.C. 1716), and withdrawals (43 U.S.C. 1719), to sell or exchange eligible land jointly selected with the County after public notice, as soon as practicable after enactment of this Act. Sales must be through competitive bidding (with first option for adjoining landowners unless other qualified buyers are available) at not less than fair market value per appraisal, consistent with specified FLPMA sale provisions. Exchanges must be at equal value (equalized via cash payments per FLPMA section 206(b), additional land, or reduced parcels) with priority for adjacent private land or higher-value natural resource areas in the County, consistent with FLPMA exchange provisions. Not later than two years after enactment and every five years thereafter, the Secretary must conduct mass appraisals of eligible land (valid for five years) per Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions and Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, with results publicly available. Selected parcels must be offered for sale or exchange within two years of selection (subject to postponement or exclusion for emergency ecological or safety reasons) and are withdrawn from all public entry, mining, and leasing upon selection until conveyed or two years after offer.

This section authorizes the Secretary, notwithstanding land use planning and other requirements under sections 202, 203, 206, and 209 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712 et seq.), to offer conveyance of the United States' remaining right, title, and interest in encumbered land to qualified entities for fair market value (as determined by appraisal under the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice), subject to valid existing rights, not later than two years after enactment. As a condition of conveyance, the qualified entity must pay all related costs (including surveys and administrative costs); the Secretary must accept a fair market offer within one year of receipt and convey title (via deed, patent, or other instrument) within 180 days after acceptance and sale to the highest qualified bidder; and, upon conveyance, the qualified entity's prior interests in locatable minerals and surface use (under mining claims, millsites, tunnel sites, or other authorizations) merge to provide fee simple title.

This section directs the disposition of proceeds from land sales under this subtitle as follows: (1) 5% to the state for its general education program; (2) 10% to the county for use as determined through normal budgeting procedures; and (3) the remainder to the Pershing County Special Account in the Treasury. Funds in the special account, which earn interest at rates based on comparable Treasury obligations, are available to the Secretary without further appropriation or fiscal year limitation for acquiring land or interests from willing sellers in the county to protect wilderness areas, environmentally significant lands, public access for hunting, fishing, and recreation, or to improve management of the Checkerboard Lands Resolution Area, and for reimbursing costs to prepare for such sales or exchanges. It also requires the Secretary to submit reports every five fiscal years, beginning September 30 of the fifth fiscal year after enactment, to the state, county, and appropriate congressional committees on account deposits, expenditures by purpose, recommendations for additional authorities, and year-end balances.

This section designates approximately 136,072 acres of Bureau of Land Management land as seven new wilderness areas and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Cain Mountain Wilderness (12,339 acres, combining with lands previously designated by Public Law 117-263); (2) Bluewing Wilderness (24,900 acres); (3) Selenite Peak Wilderness (22,822 acres); (4) Mount Limbo Wilderness (11,855 acres); (5) North Sahwave Wilderness (13,875 acres); (6) Grandfathers Wilderness (35,339 acres); and (7) Fencemaker Wilderness (14,942 acres). The section sets wilderness boundaries 100 feet from the centerline of adjacent roads, directs the Secretary to file maps and legal descriptions, and withdraws the areas from entry, appropriation, disposal, mining, and mineral/geothermal leasing under public land laws (subject to valid existing rights).

This section directs the Secretary of the Interior to administer the designated Wilderness Areas in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), subject to valid existing rights, with any reference in that Act to its effective date deemed the date of this Act's enactment and any reference to the Secretary of Agriculture deemed the Secretary of the Interior. The section further (1) allows continuation of livestock grazing established before enactment, subject to reasonable regulations under Wilderness Act §4(d)(4) (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(4)) and specified congressional guidelines; (2) incorporates any post-enactment acquired lands or interests into the applicable Wilderness Area; (3) clarifies that designations create no protective perimeters or buffer zones and do not preclude visible or audible nonwilderness activities outside boundaries; (4) preserves low-level military overflights, flight testing, special use airspace, and training routes over the areas; (5) authorizes wildfire, insect, and disease control measures per Wilderness Act §4(d)(1) (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)), with state or local coordination as appropriate; (6) permits hydrologic, meteorologic, or climatologic data collection devices if essential to flood warning, control, or reservoir operations; (7) disclaims any federal reserved water rights for the areas (generally in Nevada's Great Basin at stream headwaters with limited upstream development), requires adherence to state law for any new rights, preserves existing state and federal water rights, and prohibits federal funding, assistance, or permits for new water resource facilities (i.e., irrigation, reservoirs, pipelines, hydropower, excluding wildlife guzzlers); and (8) authorizes temporary telecommunications devices in the Selenite Peak Wilderness for law enforcement or agency administrative purposes.

This section affirms state jurisdiction over fish and wildlife management, including regulation of hunting, fishing, and trapping, in the Wilderness Areas pursuant to section 4(d)(7) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(7)). The section further (1) authorizes the Secretary to conduct management activities necessary to maintain or restore fish and wildlife populations and habitats, including noxious weed treatment and occasional temporary motorized vehicle use, if consistent with wilderness plans, the Wilderness Act, and policies in Appendix B of House Report 101-405; (2) permits the state to continue using aircraft or helicopters for wildlife survey, capture, transplant, monitoring, and watering pursuant to section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act and those policies; (3) requires the Secretary to authorize wildlife water development projects (e.g., guzzlers) that enhance wilderness values through healthy wildlife populations with minimized visual impacts; (4) authorizes the Secretary to restrict hunting, fishing, or trapping for public safety, administration, or legal compliance after state consultation and public notice (except emergencies); and (5) allows the state or its designee to conduct wildlife management under the terms of the 2003 Memorandum of Understanding between the Bureau of Land Management and Nevada Department of Wildlife (Supplement No. 9, as amended), treating references to Pershing County as references to the Wilderness Areas.

This section releases approximately 48,600 acres of public land in the portions of the China Mountain, Mt. Limbo, Selenite Mountains, and Tobin Range wilderness study areas not designated as wilderness by section 521(a), and the portion of the Augusta Mountains wilderness study area within the county not so designated, from the management requirements of section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA). (Wilderness study areas are BLM public lands managed, until congressional action, to not impair their suitability for preservation as wilderness.) These lands shall be managed in accordance with applicable land use plans under section 202 of FLPMA.

This section provides that nothing in this subtitle (1) alters or diminishes the treaty rights of any Indian tribe (as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304) or (2) precludes the traditional collection of pine nuts in a wilderness area for personal, noncommercial use consistent with the Wilderness Act.