Dalles Watershed Development Act
Click any stage to learn more about the legislative process.
The bill would direct the Forest Service to transfer approximately 150 acres of Mount Hood National Forest land to the City of The Dalles, Oregon, at no cost, for use in municipal water supply and related public infrastructure.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would require the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Forest Service, to convey roughly 150 acres of National Forest System land in the Mount Hood National Forest to the City of The Dalles, Oregon, if the city submits a written request within one year of enactment. The transfer would be made by quitclaim deed, without monetary consideration, and subject to valid existing rights and any additional conditions the Forest Service finds appropriate to protect the United States' interests. The exact acreage and legal boundaries would be determined by a survey at the city's expense.
Once transferred, the land must be used for public purposes, specifically including municipal water supply, water use, and related infrastructure needs or expansions. If the city uses the land in a way inconsistent with those public purposes, title would automatically revert to the federal government.
Key provisions
- 1Would require the Forest Service to convey approximately 150 acres of Mount Hood National Forest land to the City of The Dalles if the city submits a written request within one year of enactment.
- 2Would transfer the land by quitclaim deed, without monetary consideration, subject to valid existing rights and Forest Service-determined conditions.
- 3Would require the city to pay all administrative and survey costs associated with the conveyance as a condition of the transfer.
- 4Would restrict use of the conveyed land to public purposes, including municipal water supply and related infrastructure, with automatic reversion to the United States if that condition is violated.
Who would be affected
The City of The Dalles, Oregon, which would receive the land and assume responsibility for all conveyance and survey costs. Residents of The Dalles who rely on or would benefit from expanded municipal water supply and related infrastructure would be the ultimate end beneficiaries. The Forest Service would administer the conveyance process.
Why it matters
For The Dalles, acquiring this land could enable expansion of its municipal water system on property it currently cannot own or develop. The reversion clause means the city would need to maintain the land in public-purpose use indefinitely or risk losing it back to federal ownership — shaping how the city plans any long-term infrastructure investment there.
What would change
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- City must submit a written conveyance request to the Forest Service by this deadline
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 655, the Dalles Watershed Development Act, would have no effect on the federal budget.
CBO estimates the bill would have no effect on direct spending, revenues, or the deficit in any scoring window (2025, 2025–2030, or 2025–2035). H.R. 655 would direct the Forest Service to convey 150 acres of land in the Mount Hood National Forest to the city of The Dalles, Oregon, at no cost to the federal government; the city would be required to pay all costs associated with the conveyance, and the land currently generates no federal receipts. CBO found no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill, and statutory pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
How implementation would work
The city must submit a written conveyance request to the Forest Service within one year of enactment. Upon receiving that request, the Forest Service must act as soon as practicable to complete the transfer. The agency would commission or accept a survey to establish the exact legal description of the parcel, with survey costs borne by the city. The Forest Service retains authority to set additional terms and conditions to protect federal interests. No rulemaking is required, but the agency must keep a copy of the reference map available for public inspection in its offices.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill provides for the conveyance of approximately 150 acres of National Forest System land located in the Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon from the Forest Service to the City of The Dalles, Oregon. If the city requests Interior to convey the land within a year of this bill's enactment, then the Forest Service must convey the land to the city as soon as practicable.
The exact acreage and legal description of the National Forest System land to be conveyed must be determined by a survey satisfactory to the Forest Service.
The conveyance must be (1) subject to valid existing rights; (2) made without consideration (i.e., made without the transfer of value, such as money); (3) made by a quitclaim deed; and (4) subject to such additional terms and conditions as the Forest Service determines to be appropriate to protect the interests of the United States.
As a condition of the conveyance, the city must pay the costs associated with the conveyance, including the cost of a survey.
Legislative subjects
Geography and mapping; Land transfers; Oregon; Public Lands and Natural Resources; Watersheds
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-277