Last night, the Senate passed H.R. 837 by unanimous consent. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), will allow Gila County to take ownership of the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site for the continued operation of a veterans center on the property in Young, Arizona, once signed into law by the President.
H.R. 837 is a reintroduction of the first bill Rep. Crane introduced in Congress, and it is now the first of his bills poised to become law. The House of Representatives passed the measure unanimously in two consecutive Congresses, most recently on February 5, 2025. Afterward, it advanced through the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources under the leadership of Chairman Mike Lee (R-UT) before clearing the full Senate.
The legislation directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Forest Service, to convey approximately 232.9 acres of the administrative site in the Tonto National Forest to Gila County. The county will cover all costs tied to the transfer, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will have no effect on the federal budget.
In 2016, the Forest Service moved its Pleasant Valley administrative operations to a new site near Payson, leaving most of the property unused. Since 2021, Gila County has operated the land under a 20-year special use permit and has been developing it into the Pleasant Valley Veterans Retreat. However, the county still needs federal approval for projects under the permit. Rep. Crane’s legislation will replace this arrangement with local ownership, giving the county the certainty it needs to invest in the retreat long-term and avoid overly burdensome regulations.
The center is the first of its kind in the region and primarily serves rural veterans and their families, including the nearly 5,500 veterans who call Gila County home. Transferring ownership to Gila County will preserve the property’s rich history while providing family housing, meeting and activity spaces, resource rooms, Veteran Ceremonial Grounds, and outdoor recreation.
Gila County Supervisor Woody Cline testified before the House Committee on Natural Resources on the significant impacts and outstanding resources the center would provide for veterans and their families.
“This site will only be one of two sites in Arizona. There’s one in the southern part of Arizona and one in the northern part […] It’s huge for our local community as well. We have a local veteran community of about 100 people right there in that small town. And then right there between us and Payson, there’s roughly another 5,000-7,000 more right there. Having this accessible, not only to the local members, the state members, the national members, but also, we’re adjacent to the White Mountain Apache Tribe that is not very far away that has a number of veterans in that reservation as well that have been big supporters of this project. It means everything to these folks,” said Supervisor Woody Cline during hearing questioning.
Speaking to Supervisor Cline about the purpose of the veterans center, Rep. Crane stated, “One of the things I love so much about this project, is that you’re not coming here, Mr. Cline, and asking the federal government for any money. You’re actually trying to take something that’s a beautiful piece of land that’s not being used anymore and revitalize it into something amazing for some of our nation’s finest individuals.”
House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman stated, “America’s veterans and their families have sacrificed so much to defend our freedom, and Congress must do everything in its power to provide our servicemembers with proper care and opportunities. The commonsense, bipartisan land transfer provided by H.R.837 will do just that by opening up new experiences to veterans in the area for recreation and recovery. A veteran himself, Representative Crane has led on these issues this Congress, and I look forward to continuing to work with him to get this bill […] signed into law.”
“Arizona’s veterans deserve a permanent place to recreate, reconnect, and spend time with their families. With last night’s passage in the Senate, this bill is now one signature away from becoming law. None of this would be possible without the dedication of Supervisor Woody Cline, who spent years building bipartisan support for this project. I’m also grateful for the leadership of Chairman Bruce Westerman, Chairman Mike Lee, and Representative Paul Gosar, along with everyone else who worked behind the scenes to get this across the finish line. I look forward to seeing what this retreat will mean for Gila County, and I hope our nation’s heroes will enjoy it for generations to come,” said Rep. Crane.