McSally’s plan to create conservation service group passes Senate as part of larger package

A bipartisan legislative provision championed by U.S. Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) on Feb. 12 received U.S. Senate approval as part of a larger public lands package.

The Senate passed, 92-8, the bipartisan Natural Resources Management Act, S. 47, which includes a provision to expand opportunities for Public Lands Corps participants by establishing a larger 21st Century Conservation Service Corps. The measure is now being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives.

“We’ve got a large backlog of maintenance projects on public lands awaiting completion, particularly in Arizona,” said Sen. McSally this week, noting that her included provision “would expand the Public Lands Corps by many thousands of volunteers, including young Americans, Native Americans, and returning veterans and make it easier for civic-minded individuals to serve in the great outdoors on a variety of public lands projects, including tackling this backlog.”

S. 47 includes language from the previously introduced 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Act, H.R. 2987, which Sen. McSally introduced in June 2017 while serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The late U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) introduced the same-named S. 1403 in his chamber at the same time. The bill proposed to amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to replace provisions that established the Public Lands Corps with provisions establishing the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC), according to the congressional record summary.

“During my years in the House, I was honored to have the opportunity to partner with Senator McCain on the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Act to improve and expand conservation efforts and help tackle these outstanding projects,” Sen. McSally said on Tuesday.

She added that the Senate passage of the larger S. 47, which includes this legislation, “is a tribute to Sen. McCain who inspired so many young Americans to celebrate their love of country through service.”

Additionally, S. 47 includes multiple land exchange bills introduced this year by Sen. McSally that would restore local control of Arizona lands and also includes provisions to modernize wildfire technology and give more tribes access to Bureau of Reclamation conservation grants, according to her office.

Some of the five land exchange bills introduced during the 116th Congress by Sen. McSally that passed as a part of S. 47 include the bipartisan Udall Park Land Exchange Completion Act, S. 55, which the senator introduced on Jan. 8 to complete a 28-year-old land exchange between the City of Tucson and the Bureau of Land Management.

Other land exchange and management provisions passed as part of S. 47 that have Sen. McSally’s support included not only a wildfire technology modernization provision – which would improve firefighter safety by requiring federal land agencies to research and test using aerial drones to spot wildfires and evaluate fire behavior – but also a WaterSMART amendment to provide more tribes access to Bureau of Reclamation conservation grants, among other provisions, according to her office.