HR 972
Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act
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Bill overview
This bill expands the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada by approximately 9,290 acres and grants the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) the rights to build a water pipeline and related facilities across the area. The expansion is subject to existing rights and must not negatively impact conservation area resources. The bill also establishes a process for SNWA to excavate and dispose of materials related to the pipeline construction, requiring a memorandum of understanding between the Bureau of Land Management and SNWA.
Key provisions
- Expands the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area by 9,290 acres.
- Grants the Southern Nevada Water Authority rights-of-way for a water pipeline and related facilities.
- Allows SNWA to excavate and dispose of materials during pipeline construction.
- Requires a memorandum of understanding between the BLM and SNWA regarding material disposal.
- Specifies that pipeline construction cannot permanently harm conservation area resources.
- Prohibits pipeline rights-of-way from being located in wilderness areas.
- Preserves existing utility corridors and rights-of-way within the expanded conservation area.
- Establishes a timeline for the BLM to grant the necessary rights-of-way.
Who is affected
- Southern Nevada Water Authority
- Bureau of Land Management
- Residents of Nevada
- Environmental Conservation Groups
- Landowners near the Conservation Area
Notable changes
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Primary sponsor
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 972
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area Act to adjust the boundary of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act
.
In this Act:
The term Conservation Area
means the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area.
The term Secretary
means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management.
Section 603(4) of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area Act (16 U.S.C. 460qqq–1(4)) is amended by striking map entitled
and inserting Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act
and dated October 1, 2002map entitled
.Proposed Sloan Canyon Expansion
and dated May 20, 2024
Section 604(b) of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area Act (16 U.S.C. 460qqq–2(b)) is amended by striking 48,438
and inserting 57,728
.
Section 605 of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area Act (16 U.S.C. 460qqq–3) is amended by adding at the end the following:
Notwithstanding sections 202 and 503 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712, 1763) and subject to valid existing rights and paragraph (3), the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (referred to in this subsection as the Secretary
), shall, not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this subsection, grant to the Southern Nevada Water Authority (referred to in this subsection as the Authority
), not subject to the payment of rents or other charges, the temporary and permanent water pipeline infrastructure, and outside the boundaries of the Conservation Area, powerline, facility, and access road rights-of-way depicted on the map for the purposes of—
performing geotechnical investigations within the rights-of-way; and
constructing and operating water transmission and related facilities.
The Authority may, without consideration, excavate and use or dispose of sand, gravel, minerals, or other materials from the tunneling of the water pipeline necessary to fulfill the purpose of the rights-of-way granted under paragraph (1).
Not later than 30 days after the date on which the rights-of-way are granted under paragraph (1), the Secretary and the Authority shall enter into a memorandum of understanding identifying Federal land on which the Authority may dispose of materials under subparagraph (A) to further the interests of the Bureau of Land Management.
A right-of-way issued under this subsection shall be subject to the following requirements:
The Secretary may include reasonable terms and conditions, consistent with section 505 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1765), as are necessary to protect Conservation Area resources.
Construction of the water pipeline shall not permanently adversely affect conservation area surface resources.
The right-of-way shall not be located through or under any area designated as wilderness.
The expansion of the Conservation Area boundary under the amendment made by subsection (a)—
shall be subject to valid existing rights, including land within a designated utility transmission corridor or a transmission line right-of-way grant approved by the Secretary in a record of decision issued before the date of the enactment of this Act;
shall not preclude—
any activity authorized in accordance with a designated corridor or right-of-way referred to in paragraph (1), including the operation, maintenance, repair, or replacement of any authorized utility facility within the corridor or right-of-way; or
the Secretary from authorizing the establishment of a new utility facility right-of-way within an existing designated transportation and utility corridor referred to in paragraph (1)—
subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.