HR 1829: Apache County and Navajo County Conveyance Act of 2026

HR 1829 in plain English: This bill requires the U.S. Forest Service to transfer specific lands within the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest to Navajo County and Apache County in Arizona. The transferred land must be used as cemeteries, and the counties must cover all costs associated with the transfer, including surveys and environmental analyses.

Stated purpose

This bill requires the U.S. Forest Service to transfer ownership of specific parcels of land within the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest to Navajo County and Apache County, Arizona, so those counties can use the land as cemeteries.

Key points

• Directs the Forest Service to convey land in Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest to Navajo and Apache Counties, Arizona.
• Requires the counties to use the conveyed land exclusively as cemeteries.
• Counties must pay all transfer costs, including surveys and environmental analyses.

Arguments supporters make

• Local counties need land for cemeteries that communities already use or need to expand, and transferring federal land for this purpose is a practical, community-focused solution.
• The counties bear all costs of the transfer, so federal taxpayers do not pay for the conveyance, making it fiscally responsible.
• Including a reversion clause ensures the land stays a cemetery and cannot be misused, protecting the public interest even after the transfer.

Arguments opponents make

• Transferring federal public land out of the National Forest System sets a precedent for reducing the public lands held in trust for all Americans, even if the parcels are small.
• The counties must pay all costs including environmental reviews, which could be a financial burden on rural, lower-resource county governments.
• Federal land management ensures consistent environmental oversight; once land is conveyed, the federal government loses long-term control over how the surrounding ecosystem is affected.

Tradeoffs

Local communities gain land for a recognized public need, but the federal government permanently gives up ownership of national forest parcels; the cost burden is shifted entirely to the counties, which keeps federal expenses low but may strain local budgets.

Current status in Congress: Passed House.

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