New Law Transfers 232.9 Acres of Forest Land to Gila County for Veterans Retreat

President Donald Trump has signed H.R. 837, introduced by Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), which lets Gila County, Arizona, take ownership of the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site in Young. The county plans to continue operating a veterans retreat on the property. It is the first of Crane’s bills to become law.

The law directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Forest Service, to convey approximately 232.9 acres of the site in the Tonto National Forest to the county. The county will cover all transfer costs, and the Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would have no effect on the federal budget. Gila County has 180 days to submit a written request for the land, after which the Forest Service will complete the transfer.

The Forest Service moved its Pleasant Valley administrative operations to a new site near Payson in 2016, leaving most of the property unused. Since 2021 the county has operated the land under a 20-year special use permit and has been developing the Pleasant Valley Veterans Retreat, but still needs federal approval for projects under the permit. Crane’s office said local ownership will replace that arrangement and give the county certainty to invest long term.

According to Crane’s office, the center primarily serves rural veterans and their families, including nearly 5,500 veterans in Gila County. Planned uses include family housing, meeting and activity spaces, resource rooms, Veteran Ceremonial Grounds and outdoor recreation. The bill passed the House unanimously in two consecutive Congresses and cleared the Senate by unanimous consent on September 30.

Why it matters

The law shows how federal land no longer used by an agency can be conveyed to a county for a local housing and community project.

Source: Rep. Elijah Crane (R-AZ), October 20, 2026. Read the original release