H.R. 718: Public Lands in Public Hands Act

This bill, titled the Public Lands in Public Hands Act, aims to restrict the transfer of certain federal lands from government ownership to private entities. Below is a summary of the main provisions outlined in the legislation:

Definition of Public Lands

The bill defines a publicly accessible tract as a piece of federal land that is managed by the Secretary of the Interior or the Chief of the Forest Service and can be accessed via public roads, trails, waterways, easements, or rights-of-way.

Prohibition on Transfer of Federal Land

The bill states that:

• The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture cannot transfer federal land to any non-federal entity if the land in question is:
• A publicly accessible tract, or
• Contiguous to a publicly accessible tract or to state, county, or municipal land that is also publicly accessible.

Exceptions to the Transfer Prohibition

There are specific circumstances under which the transfer of federal land can occur, which include:

• Transfers of land that are:
• Less than 300 acres, or
• Less than 5 acres and accessible via a public waterway.
• Transfers authorized under multiple existing laws including but not limited to:
• The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976
• The Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998
• The Recreation and Public Purposes Act
• Other specified public laws regarding townsites, Alaska Native claims, and veterans' land allotments.
• Transfers explicitly permitted by federal law or completed through federal-authorized land exchanges.

Limitations on Land Subdivision

The bill stipulates that the Secretary of the Interior cannot subdivide federal land to meet the acreage requirements outlined for exceptions.

Legal Interpretation

Finally, the bill clarifies that nothing within it will influence or interpret the legality of actions related to crossing from one parcel of public land to another.

Relevant Companies

None found