Bills
| 3.23.22

Land Swapping Between California and Arizona (H.R. 3006)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is H.R. 3006?

(Updated October 9, 2016)

H.R. 3006 would require the Secretary of the Interior to exchange 80 acres of federal land in California for 40 acres of private land in Arizona. The private land in Arizona shares a border with the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge (Cibola NWR). The federal land under the control of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is in Riverside County, California. This exchange would require that the non-federal land in Arizona become a part of the Cibola NWR.

Argument in favor

Would promote the protection of migratory birds and other wildlife in Arizona's Cibola National Wildlife Refuge.

Argument opposed

Schindler Brothers Inc., has farmed 80 acres on the California property for the past 30 years. If this trade goes through, they won't have a chance to acquire the property.

Impact

Migratory birds and wildlife in California and Arizona, Secretary of the Interior, Schindler Brothers Inc. and River Bottom Farms.

Cost of H.R. 3006

Based on the value of similar lands in southern California, the CBO estimates that the value of the BLM lands would total less than $300,000. The money the agency would receive from the private party would be less than $75,000. Proceeds from the payment would be deposited in the U.S. Treasury. Typically the costs associated with exchanges such as these are born e equally between the Federal government and the private party.

Additional Info

In Depth:

Cibola NWR is on a floodplain in the lower Colorado River between Arizona and
California. It offers a winter haven for migratory birds and other wildlife.
River Bottom Farms is the owner of the land that comes up on Cibola NWR's border. It was the owners of River Bottom Farms who first expressed interest in facilitating an exchange of land.

River Bottom Farms lands are currently used for goose hunting and farming. The land is high in resources and has a lot of potential for protecting the wildlife that frequent it. If the trade is successful, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has expressed an interest in using the land to better protect migratory bird populations.

As for those who would be very upset about the trade, Ned Farquhar explains:
"We feel it is important to recognize the impact of this legislation on
Schindler Brothers Inc., who for the past 30 years has farmed the 80 acres in Riverside County identified for conveyance to River Bottom Farms under H.R. 3006. They also have expressed a desire to acquire the property."

Media:

CBO Cost Analysis

Ned Farquhar to the House Natural Resources Committee Statement 

Cibola Webpage — U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)