HR-8686-119
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
Sponsored by Paul Gosar (R-AZ)
What it does
This bill would amend the Military Land Withdrawals Act of 2013 to withdraw approximately 22,032 acres of federal public land near Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona from public use, mining, and mineral leasing. The land would be reserved for exclusive use by the Secretary of the Army for military purposes, with the withdrawal lasting indefinitely or until the Army determines it no longer needs the land. A carve-out would allow the Bureau of Land Management to issue utility rights-of-way through a designated corridor without requiring Army consent.
Who benefits
The U.S. Army and Department of Defense, which would gain a larger, more secure testing and training buffer around Yuma Proving Ground. Defense contractors and personnel who operate at the proving ground. Local communities that depend on the military installation economically. Wildlife and conservation interests, as the bill explicitly permits wildlife habitat conservation and cultural property preservation on the withdrawn land. Utility companies and regional grid operators, who retain the ability to obtain rights-of-way through the designated Parker-Blaisdell Utility Corridor.
Who is hurt
Recreational users — hunters, off-road vehicle enthusiasts, hikers, and campers — who currently access the public land and may face restrictions. Prospectors and mining companies who would lose the ability to file new mining claims or mineral leases on the affected acreage. Ranchers or grazing permit holders whose access would become subject to Army and Interior Department approval. The State of Arizona retains subsurface rights to approximately 800 acres, but surface access to those areas would be controlled by the federal government. Taxpayers who bear the cost of managing the withdrawn land under dual Interior/Army oversight.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that Yuma Proving Ground is one of the Army's premier weapons testing facilities, and that encroachment by mining, development, and public activity along Highway 95 directly threatens the safety and effectiveness of military testing operations. They contend that securing a defined buffer zone is a proven, congressionally authorized method for protecting military readiness — consistent with dozens of similar withdrawals under the Military Land Withdrawals Act of 2013 — and that the bill preserves public access for hunting and recreation to the extent compatible with defense needs.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that an indefinite withdrawal of over 22,000 acres of public land — with no sunset date and no mandatory congressional reauthorization — removes a significant tract from public use and resource development without a built-in accountability mechanism. They contend that the open-ended duration, combined with the Army's unilateral authority to determine when the military need ends, effectively transfers permanent control of federal land to the Department of Defense with minimal ongoing oversight from Congress or the public.