S. 3004: Upper Price River Watershed Project Act of 2026

This bill directs the federal government to transfer approximately 124 acres of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management to the city of Price, Utah, so the city can use it for public purposes.

Summary

S. 3004, the "Upper Price River Watershed Project Act of 2025," is a federal bill introduced in the U.S. Senate. Its primary purpose is to authorize and direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey approximately 124.23 acres of federal land, currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), to the city of Price, Utah. Under the bill, the city would assume ownership of this land to use for municipal and public purposes.

Key Provisions

• Direct Land Transfer: Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to convey all federal right, title, and interest in approximately 124.23 acres of BLM land to the city of Price, Utah, upon the city's request.
• Exemption from Standard Regulations: Bypasses sections 202 and 203 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA). These sections typically govern land-use planning and the strict sales/conveyance criteria for federal public lands, thereby streamlining the transfer.
• Protection of Existing Rights: Ensures the conveyance is subject to any valid, pre-existing rights (such as existing utility easements, rights-of-way, or leases).
• Broad Public Use Definition: Stipulates that the land must be used for "public purposes," explicitly allowing the city of Price to define what constitutes a public purpose.
• Map Corrections: Identifies the specific parcels using a BLM map dated May 8, 2025, and authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to correct any minor errors on the map.

Impact Analysis

• Impact on the City of Price, Utah: By acquiring these 124.23 acres, the city gains direct administrative control over the land. This allows local officials to develop municipal infrastructure, protect local water resources, or pursue watershed management projects (as indicated by the bill's title) without the administrative delays and restrictions associated with federal land management.
• Impact on Federal Land Policy: The bill circumvents standard FLPMA regulations. While this speeds up the land transfer for the city, it bypasses the standard federal public-scoping, environmental-review, and appraisal processes normally required when public land is sold or transferred to non-federal entities.
• Impact on the Public and Existing Land Users: Because the transfer is subject to "valid existing rights," current legal users of the land (such as holders of rights-of-way) are legally protected. However, future management, public access, and development decisions will shift entirely from federal BLM oversight to the jurisdiction of the Price city government.