Desert Community Lands Act

Desert Community Lands Act

This bill requires the Department of the Interior to convey specified land to designated communities in California.

Specifically, Interior must convey, at the request of the town of Apple Valley in California, without consideration, the surface estate of specified land, to be known and designated as the Apple Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area. The conveyed land may be used by the town to provide (1) a suitable location for the establishment of a centralized, off-road vehicle recreation park; (2) the public with opportunities for off-road vehicle recreation; and (3) a designated area and facilities that would discourage unauthorized use of off-highway vehicles in areas that have been identified by the federal government, the state of California, or San Bernardino County, California, to contain environmentally sensitive land. Such land may not be disposed of by the town without Interior's approval.

The bill also requires Interior to convey, at the request of the cities of Twentynine Palms, Barstow, or Victorville in California, without consideration, the surface estate of specified lands to those cities.

All land conveyances under this bill are subject to valid existing rights and do not include the mineral estate in the lands conveyed. The conveyance to Victorville is subject to the reservation of a permanent easement and right of way for flood control, utility, pipeline, or telecommunications facilities located within the strips of land described in a right of way grant.