HR1829-119

What This Bill Does

The Apache County and Navajo County Conveyance Act directs two county-specific land transfers in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. Section 2 covers Navajo County: if the county requests the land within 180 days after enactment, the Agriculture Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, must convey the existing Pinedale Cemetery parcel and the proposed Pinedale Cemetery expansion, about 2.5 acres each, by quitclaim deed and without consideration. Section 3 covers Apache County: if the county requests the land within 365 days, the Secretary must convey the existing Alpine Cemetery parcel of about 2.56 acres and the proposed townsite tract of about 8.06 acres. Each conveyance is subject to valid existing rights, may include terms the Secretary considers necessary to protect the United States, is exempt from CERCLA section 120(h), and requires county-paid surveys, environmental analysis, and resource surveys. Each county must use the conveyed property as a cemetery, and title reverts to the United States if the required cemetery use is not maintained.

Who Benefits and How

Navajo County, Apache County, Pinedale Cemetery users, Alpine Cemetery users, local families seeking burial space, county cemetery administrators, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest offices, and Arizona community planners benefit because the counties can receive specific federal cemetery parcels without paying land consideration, can expand cemetery capacity, and can settle local cemetery use on county-held property.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Navajo County, Apache County, county survey contractors, county environmental-review staff, county attorneys, Forest Service realty staff, Agriculture Secretary staff, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest land managers, title reviewers, and federal map custodians must process county requests, prepare quitclaim deeds, conduct or review surveys, pay or manage environmental analysis and resource surveys, monitor cemetery-use restrictions, and handle reversion if the land is used inconsistently.

Key Provisions

• Requires conveyance of about 5 acres for the existing Pinedale Cemetery and proposed expansion to Navajo County on a 180-day request deadline.
• Requires conveyance of about 10.62 acres for the existing Alpine Cemetery and proposed townsite tract to Apache County on a 365-day request deadline.
• Provides quitclaim deeds without consideration, subject to valid existing rights and protective Forest Service terms.
• Requires each county to pay conveyance, survey, environmental-analysis, and resource-survey costs.
• Requires cemetery use and returns title to the United States if the property is used inconsistently.