Congress quietly swaps federal land in West Virginia between agencies
S. 2280 — A bill to transfer administrative jurisdiction over certain parcels of Federal land in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and for other purposes. · Filed by Jim Justice (R-WV) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Jul 15, 2025 · Passed chamber
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill swaps administrative control of federal land parcels in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia between the Interior Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP gains ~25 acres to expand its Advanced Training Center; Interior gains ~71.5 acres to add to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. No money changes hands, and if CBP no longer needs its parcel, it reverts to the park.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a straightforward administrative transfer of federal land between two government agencies—Interior and CBP—with no private benefit, no subsidy, and no hidden riders. It is a routine intergovernmental land-management adjustment.
What the text implies
- The reversion clause (if CBP no longer needs the land, it goes back to the park) protects the park's long-term integrity but depends on CBP's future operational decisions—if CBP's training mission expands indefinitely, the land may never revert.
- The acreage-limitation waiver for the park (section 1 of the 1944 Act) removes a statutory cap on park size, which is a minor but permanent expansion of Interior's authority over this specific park.
Who it affects
The bill transfers land to expand a national historical park (public access and preservation) while consolidating CBP's training operations on federal property already in government hands. No private parties are enriched, no public lands are sold, and the reversion clause protects the park if CBP's needs change.