Oregon Public Lands Transfer and Protection Act of 1998
Public Law 105-321 · H.R. 4326 · 105th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Oct 30, 1998 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Robert Smith (R-OR-2)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Oregon Public Lands Transfer and Protection Act of 1998 - Provides for the transfer of: (1) specified lands in the Rogue River National Forest System, Oregon, from public domain status to the National Forest; and (2) other lands from the National Forest to public domain status.
Restores the status of certain revested Oregon and California railroad grant lands (O&C lands) and revokes the reservation of such lands as part of the National Forest. Adds certain other revested railroad grant lands to such National Forest.
(Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary of the Interior, in carrying out sales, purchases, and exchanges of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands located within six Oregon districts (the geographic area), to ensure that, upon the expiration of a ten-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and each ten-year period thereafter, the total number of acres of O&C lands, Coos Bay Wagon Road grant lands, and public domain lands in the geographic area that are available for timber harvesting is not less than such number on the date of enactment of this Act.
(Sec. 4) Transfers administrative jurisdiction over certain lands in Lake County, Oregon, located adjacent to or within the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, from BLM to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Includes transferred lands within the Refuge. Withdraws such lands from the public land, mineral leasing, and mining laws. Requires BLM to retain jurisdiction over certain lands located south of the Refuge identified for cooperative management. Requires such lands that are within the Guano Creek Wilderness Study Area to be managed to maintain the values for which the Area was designated. Transfers administrative jurisdiction over other specified lands adjacent to or within the Refuge from the Fish and Wildlife Service to BLM. Removes such lands from the Refuge and designates them as public lands.
(Sec. 5) Increases from 300 to 1,000 acres the area included within the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon.
(Sec. 6) Amends the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 to authorize the Secretary to participate in the design, planning, and construction of the Willow Lake Natural Treatment System Project for the reclamation and reuse of wastewater within and outside of the service area of Salem, Oregon. Limits the Federal share of project costs to 25 percent. Prohibits the Secretary from providing funds for project operation and maintenance.
(Sec. 7) Authorizes the Secretary, acting through BLM, to make available for sale at fair market value to Deschutes County, Oregon, a parcel of land in such County, to be used for private residential development and the provision of community amenities and services. Requires the amount paid to be deposited in a special account and used to purchase environmentally sensitive land to be utilized within the BLM land use planning process.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 12 actions.
- Oct 30, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-321.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 20, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 14, 1998FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Oct 12, 1998FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Hansen asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 29, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 24, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- 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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.