Federal land managers are being directed to sell approximately 3,400 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in Arizona to La Paz County at fair market value, specifically so the county can develop it for solar energy projects. The county pays the full appraised value plus all conveyance costs, and land with significant cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources is excluded from the sale. The transferred land will no longer be available for mining or mineral extraction. As a condition of the sale, any owner must work with the Colorado River Indian Tribes to protect Tribal cultural artifacts and allow their reburial.
Environmental Concerns
- FLPMA land-use planning requirements — Sections 202 and 203 bypassed to expedite this federal-to-county land conveyance
- Mineral extraction restriction — 3,400 acres withdrawn from all mining and mineral leasing laws upon transfer
Congressional Summary
La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation ActThis act directs the Department of the Interior, after receiving a request from La Paz County, Arizona, to convey approximately 3,400 acres of identified land managed by the Bureau of Land Management to the county for fair market value.Interior must exclude from the conveyance any federal land that contains significant cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources.As a condition of the conveyance, La Paz County and any subsequent owner mustmake good faith efforts to avoid disturbing tribal artifacts;minimize impacts on tribal artifacts if they are disturbed;coordinate with the Colorado River Indian Tribes Tribal Historic Preservation Office to identify artifacts of cultural and historic significance; andallow tribal representatives to rebury unearthed artifacts at, or near, where they were discovered.The federal land is withdrawn from the operation of U.S. mining and mineral leasing laws, and thus the land is not available for new mining claims, new mineral or geothermal leases, nor sales of mineral materials.The county must pay all costs related to the conveyance.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Public Law
- Action Date
- 2025-12-29
- Date Added
- 2026-06-19
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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