This bill updates the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area by replacing the area map with a new "Proposed Sloan Canyon Expansion" map (dated May 20, 2024) and increasing the listed acreage from 48,438 acres to 57,728 acres. It adds a new provision allowing the Secretary of the Interior to grant, within one year, temporary and permanent rights-of-way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) outside the Conservation Area for geotechnical investigations and construction and operation of the Horizon Lateral water pipeline and related facilities.
The bill allows SNWA to excavate and use or dispose of sand, gravel, minerals, or other materials removed while tunneling the pipeline without payment. The Secretary and SNWA must sign a memorandum of understanding within 30 days of the rights-of-way grant to identify federal land where those materials may be disposed. Rights-of-way may include reasonable terms to protect Conservation Area resources, must not be located through or under designated wilderness, and construction must not permanently adversely affect surface resources. The boundary expansion is subject to valid existing utility transmission corridor rights and does not prevent ongoing operation or future authorizations of utility facilities within existing corridors, following applicable environmental laws.
Except for the changes above, the bill does not change other management of the Conservation Area.
No publicly available information on total federal costs or budget effects is included in the bill text or metadata. The bill specifies that the granted rights-of-way to the Authority are "not subject to the payment of rents or other charges" and allows disposal of tunneling materials "without consideration," but it does not provide dollar amounts or broader fiscal estimates.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.