To grant to Crook County, Oregon, a right-of-way for the construction of a new road in Juniper Canyon, and for other purposes.
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8958
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-21: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-23T17:37:36Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation directs the Secretary of the Interior to grant Crook County, Oregon, a permanent right-of-way for road construction and to convey specific federal land parcels to the county for use as fire safe zones.
Key Provisions
- Right-of-way grant: The Secretary must issue an 80-foot-wide permanent right-of-way from Oregon Route 380 to Juniper Canyon Road, as shown on the referenced map, for construction of a new road and ongoing public access.
- Land conveyance: Four approximately 40-acre parcels are transferred to the county at no cost and without reservation, primarily for establishing and maintaining fire safe zones.
- Conditions on conveyance: The transfer is subject to existing valid rights and requires the county to pay all associated costs.
- Reversionary clause: If the conveyed land is no longer maintained as fire safe zones, ownership reverts to the United States.
- Definitions: The bill defines key terms including "County," "fire safe zone," "Map," and "Secretary."
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill overrides general federal land management statutes by authorizing a specific right-of-way and land conveyance without standard competitive processes or consideration payments, while adding a reversion mechanism tied to ongoing maintenance.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Directs the Bureau of Land Management to transfer land and rights, potentially reducing federal holdings in the area while shifting maintenance responsibilities to the county.
- Citizens: Enables improved road access and enhanced wildfire response infrastructure in Juniper Canyon.
- International relations: No direct effects identified.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Crook County, Oregon (primary recipient of the right-of-way and land).
- Bureau of Land Management and the Department of the Interior (responsible for granting and conveying federal property).
- Local residents and emergency responders who may benefit from the new road and fire safe zones.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The legislation exercises congressional authority over federal public lands under Article IV of the Constitution, creating a tailored exception to broader land disposal rules and including a conditional reversion to retain federal oversight if the stated public safety purpose is not met.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-21: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- 2026-05-21: Introduced in House
- 2026-05-21: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- To grant to Crook County, Oregon, a right-of-way for the construction of a new road in Juniper Canyon, and for other purposes. — issued 2026-05-21 — PDF (3 pages)