Yavapai News

The House Committee on Natural Resources has passed H.R.1829, a bill introduced by Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), that would transfer land to Gila County, AZ for the construction of a veterans center in Young, Arizona. This center, the first of its kind in northern Arizona, aims to provide resources and support to primarily rural veterans and their families.

Gila County Supervisor Woody Cline testified before the Committee on the significant impacts and outstanding resources that the center would provide for veterans and their families in the region. In response to Cline's testimony, Rep. Eli Crane expressed his admiration for the project, stating, "One of the things I love so much about this project...is that you're not coming here...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."

The transfer of ownership to Gila County would not only protect and maintain the rich history of the property but also provide family housing, meeting and activity spaces, resource rooms, Veteran Ceremonial Grounds, and outdoor recreation.

The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senator Kelly (D-AZ) and Senator Sinema (I-AZ) in the Senate, would require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site to Gila County, Arizona. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and former Rep. Tom O'Halleran (D-AZ) laid the foundation for this bipartisan effort in the previous Congress.

"I'm grateful that the Committee had the opportunity to hear from Supervisor Cline on why this land transfer and veterans center are so crucial for those in Northern Arizona who selflessly served our nation," said Rep. Crane. "This legislation would give our heroes and their families priceless resources that aren't available elsewhere in the region. I'm grateful to Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman and Subcommittee Chairman Tom Tiffany for their leadership and look forward to the advancement of this bill."

Supervisor Woody Cline highlighted the importance of the veterans center not only for the local community but also for the nearby White Mountain Apache Tribe. He stated, "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...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."

With the passage of H.R.1829 out of the House Committee on Natural Resources, the bill moves one step closer to becoming a reality. This legislation represents a bipartisan effort to support and provide much-needed resources to rural veterans and their families in northern Arizona.