§ 2684a. Agreements to limit encroachments and other constraints on military training, testing, and operations

(a) Agreements Authorized.— The Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of a military department may enter into an agreement with an eligible entity or entities described in subsection (b) to address the use or development of real property in the vicinity of, or ecologically related to, a military installation or military airspace for purposes of—

(1) limiting any development or use of the property that would be incompatible with the mission of the installation; or

(2) preserving habitat on the property in a manner that—

(A) is compatible with environmental requirements; and

(B) may eliminate or relieve current or anticipated environmental restrictions that would or might otherwise restrict, impede, or otherwise interfere, whether directly or indirectly, with current or anticipated military training, testing, or operations on the installation.

(b) Eligible Entities.— An agreement under this section may be entered into with any of the following:

(1) A State or political subdivision of a State.

(2) A private entity that has as its stated principal organizational purpose or goal the conservation, restoration, or preservation of land and natural resources, or a similar purpose or goal, as determined by the Secretary concerned.

(c) Inapplicability of Certain Contract Requirements.— Chapter 63 of title 31 shall not apply to any agreement entered into under this section.

(d) Acquisition and Acceptance of Property and Interests.—

(1) An agreement with an eligible entity or entities under this section shall provide for—

(A) the acquisition by the entity or entities of all right, title, and interest in and to any real property, or any lesser interest in the property, as may be appropriate for purposes of this section; and

(B) the sharing by the United States and the entity or entities of the acquisition costs in accordance with paragraph (3).

(2) Property or interests may not be acquired pursuant to the agreement unless the owner of the property or interests consents to the acquisition.

(3) An agreement with an eligible entity under this section may provide for the management of natural resources on real property in which the Secretary concerned acquires any right, title, or interest in accordance with this subsection and for the payment by the United States of all or a portion of the costs of such natural resource management if the Secretary concerned determines that there is a demonstrated need to preserve or restore habitat for the purpose described in subsection (a)(2).

(4)

(A) The Secretary concerned shall determine the appropriate portion of the acquisition costs to be borne by the United States in the sharing of acquisition costs of real property, or an interest in real property, under paragraph (1)(B).

(B) In lieu of or in addition to making a monetary contribution toward the cost of acquiring a parcel of real property, or an interest therein, pursuant to an agreement under this section, the Secretary concerned may convey, using the authority provided by section 2869 of this title, real property described in paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of such section, subject to the limitation in paragraph (3) of such subsection.

(C) The portion of acquisition costs borne by the United States under subparagraph (A), either through the contribution of funds or excess real property, or both, may not exceed an amount equal to, at the discretion of the Secretary concerned—

(i) the fair market value of any property or interest in property to be transferred to the United States upon the request of the Secretary concerned under paragraph (5); or

(ii) the cumulative fair market value of all properties or interests to be transferred to the United States under paragraph (5) pursuant to an agreement under subsection (a).

(D) The portion of acquisition costs borne by the United States under subparagraph (A) may exceed the amount determined under subparagraph (C), but only if—

(i) the Secretary concerned provides written notice to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives containing—

(I) a certification by the Secretary that the military value to the United States of the property or interest to be acquired justifies a payment in excess of the fair market value of the property or interest; and

(II) a description of the military value to be obtained; and

(ii) the contribution toward the acquisition costs of the property or interest is not made until at least 14 days after the date on which the notice is submitted under clause (i) or, if earlier, at least 10 days after the date on which a copy of the notice is provided in an electronic medium pursuant to section 480 of this title.

(E) The contribution of an entity or entities to the acquisition costs of real property, or an interest in real property, under paragraph (1)(B) may include, with the approval of the Secretary concerned, the following or any combination of the following:

(i) The provision of funds, including funds received by such entity or entities from a Federal agency outside the Department of Defense or a State or local government in connection with a Federal, State, or local program.

(ii) The provision of in-kind services, including services related to the acquisition or maintenance of such real property or interest in real property.

(iii) The exchange or donation of real property or any interest in real property.

(5) The agreement shall require the entity or entities to transfer to the United States, upon the request of the Secretary concerned, all or a portion of the property or interest acquired under the agreement or a lesser interest therein. The Secretary shall limit such transfer request to the minimum property or interests necessary to ensure that the property concerned is developed and used in a manner appropriate for purposes of this section.

(6) The Secretary concerned may accept on behalf of the United States any property or interest to be transferred to the United States under the agreement.

(7) For purposes of the acceptance of property or interests under the agreement, the Secretary concerned may accept an appraisal or title documents prepared or adopted by a non-Federal entity as satisfying the applicable requirements of section 301 of the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 4651) or section 3111 of title 40, if the Secretary concerned finds that the appraisal or title documents substantially comply with the requirements.

(e) Acquisition of Water Rights.— The authority of the Secretary concerned to enter into an agreement under this section for the acquisition of real property (or an interest therein) includes the authority to support the purchase of water rights from any available source when necessary to support or protect the mission of a military installation.

(f) Additional Terms and Conditions.— The Secretary concerned may require such additional terms and conditions in an agreement under this section as the Secretary considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United States.

(g) Annual Reports.—

(1) Not later than March 1 each year, the Secretary of Defense shall, in coordination with the Secretaries of the military departments and the Director of the Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center, submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the projects undertaken under agreements under this section.

(2) Each report under paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(A) A description of the status of the projects undertaken under agreements under this section.

(B) An assessment of the effectiveness of such projects, and other actions taken pursuant to this section, as part of a long-term strategy to ensure the sustainability of military test and training ranges, military installations, and associated airspace.

(C) An evaluation of the methodology and criteria used to select, and to establish priorities, for projects undertaken under agreements under this section.

(D) A description of any sharing of costs by the United States and eligible entities under subsection (d) during the preceding year, including a description of each agreement under this section providing for the sharing of such costs and a statement of the eligible entity or entities with which the United States is sharing such costs.

(E) Such recommendations as the Secretary of Defense considers appropriate for legislative or administrative action in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of actions taken pursuant to agreements under this section.

(h) Funding.—

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), funds authorized to be appropriated for operation and maintenance of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Defense-wide activities may be used to enter into agreements under this section.

(2) In the case of a military installation operated primarily with funds authorized to be appropriated for research, development, test, and evaluation, funds authorized to be appropriated for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Defense-wide activities for research, development, test, and evaluation may be used to enter into agreements under this section with respect to the installation.

(i) Definitions.— In this section:

(1) The term “Secretary concerned” means the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of a military department.

(2) The term “State” includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, and the territories and possessions of the United States.

U.S. Code

§ 2684a. Agreements to limit encroachments and other constraints on military training, testing, and operations