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Omnibus Public Lands and National Forests Adjustments Act of 1988

Public Law 100-699 · H.R. 3680 · 100th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 19, 1988 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Rep. Ronald Marlenee (R-MT-2)

Cosponsors (6): Rep. Richard Cheney,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Omnibus Public Lands and National Forests Adjustments Act of 1988 - Title I: Phillips County, Montana - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to take necessary actions to exchange specified lands with Phillips County, Montana, if the Secretary determines such exchange to be in the public interest.

Disclaims any intent to enlarge or diminish the responsibility of any party under State or Federal law for proper management of such lands or for management or actions related to hazardous substances or materials located on such lands. Requires the Secretary to advise appropriate Federal, State, and county officials, prior to consummating the exchange, of any information the Secretary has concerning hazardous substances or materials located on such lands.

Title II: Veteran, Wyoming Townsite - Directs the Secretary to: (1) resurvey and prepare a new plat for the townsite of Veteran, Wyoming, to take into account the actual use of streets and alleys on such lands for designation as public reservations; and (2) patent such reservation lands to Goshen County.

Title III: Matters Involving Lands in the State of Utah - Provides for an exchange of forest lands between Farmington City, Utah, and the Secretary of Agriculture. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, within three years of the date of enactment of this Act, to identify city or State lands which are suitable for transfer to the United States for national forest purposes. Specifies that any such lands exchanged shall be of equal value (as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture) or equalized by payment to or by the Secretary of Agriculture, as long as the payment does not exceed 25 percent of the total value of the lands transferred out of Federal ownership.

Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, in lieu of such an exchange, to transfer by sale for fair market value such Federal lands to the city or State of Utah, as appropriate.

Withdraws all public lands within Kanab City, Utah, from all forms of entry and appropriation under the public lands laws, including the mining laws, and from operation of the mineral and geothermal leasing laws. Terminates such withdrawal five years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Directs the Secretary of the Interior to determine which public lands withdrawn meet the disposal criteria specified in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and to notify Kanab City concerning such determination. Grants Kanab City, for the four-year period beginning on the date of enactment, the exclusive right to purchase any such withdrawn lands that the Secretary has determined to be suitable for disposal.

Provides for the public sale of such lands after the expiration of such period, but gives Kanab City the opportunity to meet the high bid offered by any other party.

Specifies that all such sales of public lands shall be for fair market value and subject to valid existing rights, as well as subject to any conditions to (or any patent issued in consequence of) such sale as the Secretary determines necessary or appropriate.

Authorizes the Secretary to release and quitclaim to the city of Riverdale, Utah, for fair market value all right, title, and interest of the United States in specified property, provided that the city requests such action within one year after the enactment of this Act. Provides that all funds received by the United States shall be credited to the land and water conservation fund of the Treasury and shall be available for expenditure under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965.

Provides for the release of certain restrictions now imposed on lands previously transferred to Brigham City, Utah, by the United States.

Title IV: Oregon Trail - Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study to determine the feasibility and desirability of protecting and preserving lands and resources associated with the western terminus of the Oregon Trail in Oregon City, Oregon; (2) consult with interested Federal agencies and State and local bodies; (3) coordinate the study with applicable outdoor recreation plans and related plans for the preservation of historic and natural resources in the area; and (4) report his or her findings and recommendations to specified congressional committees. Authorizes appropriations.

Title V: Clark County, Nevada - Directs the Secretary to convey specified lands to the Catholic Diocese of Reno/Las Vegas, Nevada, for administrative cost. Reserves a right-of-way and construction easement to the United States.

Title VI: Coal Mining Heritage - Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study to determine the feasibility of protecting and preserving certain cultural, historic, and natural resources associated with the coal mining heritage of southern West Virginia; (2) consult with interested Federal agencies, State and local government authorities, and nonprofit organizations; and (3) report to specified congressional committees. Specifies the area to be studied. Authorizes appropriations.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.

  1. Nov 19, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-699.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 10, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 21, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  5. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  6. Sep 16, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  7. Sep 15, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  8. Sep 13, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  9. Aug 11, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Agriculture Committee
  10. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Agriculture Committee
  11. Jul 28, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Forests, Family Farms, and Energy Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  12. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Forests, Family Farms, and Energy Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  13. Jul 12, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Forests, Family Farms, and Energy Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  14. Jul 7, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Forests, Family Farms, and Energy Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  15. Jun 21, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture Committee
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
  17. May 11, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
  18. May 5, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  20. Apr 26, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  21. Jan 26, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  22. Dec 2, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
  23. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.