La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act
La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act would direct the Secretary of the Interior to transfer about 3,400 acres of federal land in La Paz County, Arizona, to La Paz County. The conveyance would occur after the county requests it and would be subject to valid existing rights, terms the Secretary sets, and protections for cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources. The land would be sold at fair market value based on appraisals conducted under standard federal appraisal rules, with the county paying the land’s appraised value plus related costs. The bill requires protections for tribal cultural artifacts (including coordination with the Colorado River Indian Tribes and allowing reburying artifacts) and withdraws the land from mining and mineral leasing. Proceeds from any sale would go to a federal disposal account for use under existing federal law. The map showing the land is public, and minor boundary corrections or corrections to the map can be made by mutual agreement. In short, the measure would transfer a defined block of federal land to the county (likely for development, including potential solar projects), while embedding protections for cultural resources and tribal interests and ensuring a formal, market-based payment and a controlled use of any sale proceeds.
Key Points
- 1Transfer of federal land: The Secretary of the Interior must convey about 3,400 acres of federal land in La Paz County to the County upon request, bypassing some standard planning requirements but subject to rights and conditions the Secretary deems necessary.
- 2Land protections: The conveyance excludes any land with significant cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources.
- 3Valuation and costs: The county must pay the fair market value determined by a federally compliant appraisal, plus all costs associated with the conveyance (surveys, appraisals, administrative costs).
- 4Tribal artifact protections: The county and any future owner must make efforts to avoid disturbing tribal artifacts, minimize impacts if disturbed, coordinate with the Colorado River Indian Tribes Tribal Historic Preservation Office, and allow tribal representatives to rebury unearthed artifacts near where found.
- 5Mining and mineral rights: The land is withdrawn from mining and mineral leasing laws, preventing mineral exploration or extraction under federal mining law in the conveyed area.
- 6Use of sale proceeds: If land is sold, proceeds go to the Federal Land Disposal Account and are used consistent with the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA).