Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “White Sands Missile Range Security Enhancement Act”.
White Sands Missile Range Security Enhancement Act
A BILL
To provide for the transfer of certain public land currently administered by the Bureau of Land Management to the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Army for inclusion in White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Transfer of administrative jurisdiction, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico
Transfer required— Not later than September 30, 2014, the Secretary of the Interior shall transfer to the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Army certain public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Dona Ana County, New Mexico, consisting of approximately 5,100 acres depicted as “Parcel 1” on the map titled “White Sands Missile Range Land Reservation” and dated January 4, 2013.
Use of transferred land— Upon the receipt of the land under subsection (a), the Secretary of the Army shall include the land as part of White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, and authorize use of the land for military purposes.
Legal description and map—
Preparation and publication— The Secretary of the Interior shall publish in the Federal Register a legal description and map of the public land to be transferred under subsection (a).
Force of law— The legal description and map filed under paragraph (1) shall have the same force and effect as if included in this Act, except that the Secretary of the Interior may correct errors in the legal description.
Reimbursement of costs— The transfer required by subsection (a) shall be made without reimbursement, except that the Secretary of the Army shall reimburse the Secretary of the Interior for any costs incurred by the Secretary of the Interior to prepare the legal description and map under subsection (c).
Treatment of grazing leases— If a grazing permit or lease exists on the date of the enactment of this Act for any portion of the public land to be transferred under subsection (a), the Secretary of the Interior shall transfer or relocate the grazing allotments associated with the permit or lease to other public land, acceptable to the permit or lease holder, so that the grazing continues to have the same value to the holder.
Sec. 3 Water rights
Water rights— Nothing in this Act shall be construed—
to establish a reservation in favor of the United States with respect to any water or water right on lands transferred by this Act; or
to authorize the appropriation of water on lands transferred by this Act except in accordance with applicable State law.
Effect on previously acquired or reserved water rights— This section shall not be construed to affect any water rights acquired or reserved by the United States before the date of the enactment of this Act.
Sec. 4 Withdrawal
Subject to valid existing rights, the public land to be transferred under section 2 is withdrawn from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including the mining laws and geothermal leasing laws, so long as the lands remain under the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Army.