Arizona county gets 233 acres of federal forest land free—for veteran services
S. 700 — A bill to require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site to Gila County, Arizona. · Filed by Mark Kelly (D-AZ) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Feb 25, 2025 · Reported out
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What it does
This bill requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to transfer ownership of a 232.9-acre federal property (the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site in Arizona's Tonto National Forest) to Gila County, Arizona at no cost to the county. The county must use the land exclusively to serve and support military veterans; if it violates this restriction, the land reverts to federal ownership. The county pays all survey, environmental analysis, and legal compliance costs.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is a straightforward conveyance of federal real property to a county government with use restrictions tied to veteran services. It is not a tax provision, subsidy program, or regulatory change—it is a one-time property transfer.
What the text implies
- Environmental liability waiver under CERCLA § 120(3) means the federal government will not warrant the land's environmental condition or provide cleanup covenants, potentially leaving Gila County responsible for any contamination discovered post-transfer.
- The 180-day window for the county to request conveyance creates a hard deadline; if missed, the bill's mandate lapses and the land remains federal property, creating uncertainty for county planning.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Gila County, Arizona (receives ~233 acres of federal land at no cost)