H.R. 8686 — To amend the Military Land Withdrawals Act of 2013 to withdraw and reserve certain public land in the vicinity of Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.

This section withdraws and reserves approximately 21,782.981 acres of federal land (excluding 800 acres of subsurface estate owned by the State of Arizona) generally depicted as the “Highway 95 - Requested Withdrawal Area” and 249.29 acres generally depicted as the “Howard Cantonment - Requested Withdrawal Area” on maps dated March 12, 2025, at the Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. The withdrawal removes the land from all forms of entry, appropriation, disposal, mining location and patent, and mineral and geothermal leasing, subject to valid existing rights. The land is reserved for use by the Secretary of the Army for the military purposes specified in Public Land Order No. 848 of July 1, 1952, and section 2914 of the Military Land Withdrawals Act of 2013. The Secretary of the Interior manages the withdrawn land under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and other applicable laws, while permitting specified non-defense activities such as wildlife conservation, cultural preservation, wild horse and burro management, recreation, and hunting, subject to joint conditions imposed by the Secretaries of the Interior and the Army. The Secretary of the Interior may assign management responsibility to the Secretary of the Army, who must then manage the land under the Sikes Act and other applicable authorities. The section also authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to issue rights-of-way for critical utility infrastructure within the Parker-Blaisdell Utility Corridor without Army consent, though conditions may be incorporated after consultation with the Army, with authority non-delegable below the Bureau of Land Management State Director level.