The Dalles Watershed Development Act would require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to the City of The Dalles, Oregon, approximately 150 acres of National Forest System land in the Mount Hood National Forest. The conveyance would occur after the City submits a written request within one year of enactment.
The transfer would be by quitclaim deed, without monetary consideration, and subject to valid existing rights and terms the Secretary deems appropriate to protect federal interests. The City would pay all costs associated with the conveyance, including a required land survey.
The land must be used for public purposes, specifically municipal water supply and related infrastructure, with a reversion mechanism if the land is used in a manner inconsistent with that use.
At a Glance
What It Does
The act requires a one-time conveyance of a defined land parcel from the United States (Mount Hood NF) to the City of The Dalles upon a timely written request, using a quitclaim deed and with costs borne by the City. It also imposes a use-and-reversion framework tied to municipal water purposes.
Who It Affects
The City of The Dalles and its public works/utilities entities gain land for water-related infrastructure; the Forest Service and federal ownership retain oversight until conveyance; map and survey processes involve the Forest Service.
Why It Matters
Transfers land ownership to enable watershed development and municipal water planning, while preserving federal rights and ensuring misuse triggers reversion. This has implications for local infrastructure, land management, and public access considerations.
More articles like this one.
A weekly email with all the latest developments on this topic.
What This Bill Actually Does
The bill instructs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to The Dalles, Oregon, about 150 acres of National Forest land located in Mount Hood National Forest. The transfer is conditioned on the City submitting a written request within one year, after which the land will be conveyed as a quitclaim deed and without payment.
The City must cover all conveyance costs, including a survey to determine exact acreage and legal description. The land is to be used for public purposes, notably municipal water supply and related infrastructure, and if the city uses the land in a way that conflicts with this purpose, ownership reverts to the United States.
The map identifying Parcel A already exists, with allowances for minor corrections, and the map must be publicly accessible.
Definitions set who the “City” is (The Dalles) and who is the “Secretary” (the Secretary of Agriculture acting via the Forest Service). The conveyance is subject to any valid existing rights and attached terms the Secretary finds appropriate to protect federal interests.
The City bears all conveyance costs and must ensure compliance with the land’s intended public-use purpose to avoid reversion.Overall, this is a targeted land transfer designed to support watershed development and municipal water infrastructure by placing a defined federal parcel under city stewardship while preserving the U.S. government’s interest through rights and reversion protections.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill compels the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the parcel upon a written request from The Dalles within one year of enactment.
The conveyance is by quitclaim deed and without monetary consideration, subject to valid existing rights.
The City must pay all costs of the conveyance, including the required land survey.
The land must be used for municipal water supply and related infrastructure, with reversion to the United States if used inconsistently.
A map titled The Dalles Conveyance Parcel A and dated November 4, 2024 governs the land description, with allowances for minor corrections and public availability of the map.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
Every bill we cover gets an analysis of its key sections.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Dalles Watershed Development Act. The short title provides a formal reference for future administration and implementation.
Definitions
Key terms define the City as The Dalles, Oregon, and the Secretary as the Secretary of Agriculture acting through the Forest Service. These definitions set the scope of who conducts the conveyance and who receives the land.
Conveyance to City
The conveyance to the City is triggered when the City submits a written request within one year of enactment. The transfer occurs as soon as practicable thereafter and transfers all right, title, and interest to the parcel described in subsection (b)(1), subject to existing rights and appropriate protective terms.
Description of land
The land consists of approximately 150 acres of National Forest System land described as Parcel A, located in Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon. This precise acreage will be confirmed by a survey to be satisfactory to the Secretary.
Map and minor corrections
The map entitled The Dalles Conveyance Parcel A, dated November 4, 2024, defines the parcel. The Secretary may correct minor map errors, and a copy must be available for public inspection in the Forest Service offices.
Survey
The exact acreage and legal description will be determined by a survey satisfactory to the Secretary, ensuring the conveyance matches real-world boundaries and rights.
Terms and conditions
Conveyance is subject to valid existing rights and is done by quitclaim deed. The Secretary may impose additional terms and conditions as necessary to protect federal interests.
Administrative costs
As a condition of conveyance, the City must pay all costs associated with the conveyance, including the survey, aligning financial responsibilities with the transfer.
Use of conveyed land
The City must use the land for public purposes, including municipal water supply and related infrastructure. If the land is used in a way inconsistent with this purpose, all rights revert to the United States.
This bill is one of many.
Codify tracks hundreds of bills on Infrastructure across all five countries.
Explore Infrastructure in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- The City of The Dalles government gains control of land for municipal water-related infrastructure and planning.
- The City’s Public Works/Water Utility gains operational latitude to design and implement water infrastructure improvements.
- Residents and businesses in The Dalles benefit from potential enhanced water security and infrastructure capacity.
Who Bears the Cost
- The City of The Dalles bears all conveyance costs, including the required survey.
- The United States foregoes the land asset without monetary compensation, reflecting an opportunity cost to the federal government.
- There could be indirect costs to local land management and environmental stewardship if transfer changes baseline land-use practices.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The core tension is between transferring a finite federal land asset to a city for immediate watershed and infrastructure needs and preserving federal land rights and public access with a reversion mechanism that could undermine long-term development if misused.
The transfer hinges on a one-time, voluntary relocation of a federal land parcel to a city government for watershed development answers. The central policy tension is balancing the public benefits of improving municipal water infrastructure with the need to preserve federal land as a public asset and to maintain environmental and access protections.
The reversion clause ensures that if the land is not used for the designated public purposes, ownership can revert, creating a leverage point for accountability but also a potential delay in long-term projects. Minor map corrections and a formal survey pose practical implementation questions, including how disputes over exact acreage will be resolved and how existing rights are protected.
Overall, the bill concentrates authority in a single city for a defined parcel, while keeping federal oversight through terms, rights, and reversion provisions.
Try it yourself.
Ask a question in plain English, or pick a topic below. Results in seconds.