Rep. Crane’s First Law Secures Continued Operation of Gila County Veterans Retreat

Today, President Donald J. Trump signed H.R. 837 into law. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) , allows 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. H.R. 837 is a reintroduction of the first bill Rep. Crane introduced in Congress, and it is the first of his bills signed into law. The new law caps an effort Gila County Supervisor Woody Cline began in 2017 to turn the former ranger station into a retreat for veterans and their families. The bill passed the House unanimously in two consecutive Congresses before clearing the Senate by unanimous consent on September 30 . 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 estimated the bill would have no effect on the federal budget. Gila County now has 180 days to submit a written request for the land. Afterward, the Forest Service will complete the transfer. 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 new law 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 the county will preserve the property’s rich history while providing family housing, meeting and activity spaces, resource rooms, Veteran Ceremonial Grounds, and outdoor recreation. Supervisor Cline testified before the House Committee on Natural Resources in 2023 on the significant impacts and outstanding resources the center would provide for the region’s veterans. “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 previously 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.” “I’m grateful to President Donald J. Trump for signing H.R. 837 into law and giving Arizona’s veterans a permanent place to recreate, reconnect, and spend time with their families. None of this would have been possible without Supervisor Woody Cline, whose vision and tireless work helped build bipartisan buy-in for this effort. With local ownership on the way, Gila County will have the stability to expand and improve this facility for the veterans it serves. I’m honored to have played a role in this process, and I appreciate Chairman Bruce Westerman, Chairman Mike Lee, Representative Paul Gosar, and many others who helped deliver this critical win. As my first bill signed into law, this one means a great deal to me. I look forward to future generations of our nation’s heroes enjoying this retreat,” said Rep. Crane .