Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act
Officially: “Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act” Read the full text
What it does
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1Short title
This section would give the Act a short title: the Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act.
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act .
2Definitions
This section would define two terms used throughout the Act. Conservation Area would mean the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area. Secretary would mean the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management.
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2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Conservation area The term Conservation Area means the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area. (2) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management.
3Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area boundary adjustment
This section would change the boundary, a right-of-way, and certain protections tied to the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, in four parts. First, it would replace the official reference map cited in the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area Act, swapping out the map titled Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act and dated October 1, 2002 for a new map titled Proposed Sloan Canyon Expansion and dated May 20, 2024, and it would change the Conservation Area's stated acreage in that Act from 48,438 acres to 57,728 acres. Second, it would add a new right-of-way provision, called the Horizon lateral pipeline right-of-way, to that Act. Under this new provision, notwithstanding sections 202 and 503 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, and subject to valid existing rights and to the requirements described below, the Secretary would have to grant the Southern Nevada Water Authority, no later than 1 year after this new provision takes effect, rights-of-way for temporary and permanent water pipeline infrastructure, and, outside the boundaries of the Conservation Area, rights-of-way for powerline, facility, and access road infrastructure, all as depicted on the map, without charging any rents or other fees for these rights-of-way. The purpose of these rights-of-way would be to let the Authority perform geotechnical investigations within them and construct and operate water transmission and related facilities. The Authority would also be allowed, without payment, to excavate and use or dispose of sand, gravel, minerals, or other materials produced by tunneling the water pipeline, to the extent necessary to fulfill the purpose of the rights-of-way. Within 30 days after the rights-of-way are granted, the Secretary and the Authority would have to sign a memorandum of understanding identifying federal land where the Authority may dispose of these materials in a way that serves the Bureau of Land Management's interests. Any right-of-way granted under this new provision would have to meet three requirements: the Secretary could attach reasonable terms and conditions, consistent with section 505 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, needed to protect Conservation Area resources; construction of the water pipeline could not permanently harm the Conservation Area's surface resources; and the right-of-way could not run through or under any area designated as wilderness. Third, the section would state that the Conservation Area's boundary expansion does not override existing rights: land within a designated utility transmission corridor, or covered by a transmission line right-of-way grant the Secretary approved in a record of decision issued before this Act's enactment, would keep those rights. The boundary expansion would not block any activity already authorized under such a corridor or right-of-way, including operating, maintaining, repairing, or replacing an authorized utility facility within it, and it would not stop the Secretary from authorizing a new utility facility right-of-way within an existing designated transportation and utility corridor, as long as that new authorization follows the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and other applicable laws and is subject to whatever terms and conditions the Secretary decides are appropriate. Fourth, except for the new pipeline right-of-way provision described above, nothing in this Act would change how the Conservation Area is managed under section 605 of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area Act.
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3. Sloan canyon national conservation area boundary adjustment (a) Boundary adjustment (1) Map Section 603(4) of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area Act ( 16 U.S.C. 460qqq–1(4) ) is amended by striking map entitled Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act and dated October 1, 2002 and inserting map entitled Proposed Sloan Canyon Expansion and dated May 20, 2024 . (2) Acreage 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 . (b) Right-of-Way 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: (h) Horizon lateral pipeline right-of-Way (1) In general 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— (A) performing geotechnical investigations within the rights-of-way; and (B) constructing and operating water transmission and related facilities. (2) Excavation and disposal (A) In general 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). (B) Memorandum of understanding 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. (3) Requirements A right-of-way issued under this subsection shall be subject to the following requirements: (A) 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. (B) Construction of the water pipeline shall not permanently adversely affect conservation area surface resources. (C) The right-of-way shall not be located through or under any area designated as wilderness. . (c) Preservation of transmission and utility corridors and rights-of-Way The expansion of the Conservation Area boundary under the amendment made by subsection (a)— (1) 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; (2) shall not preclude— (A) 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 (B) 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)— (i) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) and other applicable laws; and (ii) subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. (d) Management of the Conservation Area Except as provided in the amendment made by subsection (b), nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this Act shall modify the management of the Conservation Area pursuant to section 605 of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area Act ( 16 U.S.C. 460qqq–3 ).
Where it is
In the House.