H.R. 4716

To transfer administrative jurisdiction of certain Federal land in Saratoga Springs, Utah, from the Secretary of the Interior to the United States Postal Service for construction of a post office

 

Statement for the Record 
Bureau of Land Management
U.S. Department of the Interior

House Committee on Natural Resources 
Subcommittee on Federal Lands

H.R. 4716, A bill to transfer administrative jurisdiction of certain Federal
land in Saratoga Springs, Utah, from the Secretary of the Interior to the 
United States Postal Service for construction of a post office, 
and for other purposes

March 18, 2026

Thank you for the opportunity to provide this Statement for the Record on H.R. 4716. The bill would transfer administrative jurisdiction of approximately 20 acres of public lands currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Saratoga Springs, Utah, to the United States Postal Service (USPS) for the construction of a post office. The bill also requires that construction and operation of the post office occur within two years of enactment. The BLM supports the goals of H.R. 4716, and we would like to work with the Sponsor on the minor modifications discussed below.

The BLM notes that the lands proposed for transfer are currently encumbered by a number of road, telephone, and transmission rights-of-way, as well as an oil and gas pipeline. In addition, we note that the lands proposed for transfer are not identified for disposal in the BLM’s current resource management plan covering the area. The BLM would like to work with the Sponsor and the Subcommittee on a few technical modifications that would facilitate implementation, including the addition of language referencing a legislative map, ensuring that the transfer would be subject to valid existing rights, withdrawing the lands from the operation of the public land laws and the mining laws, and eliminating the need to conduct additional land use planning prior to the transfer. In addition, we would like to work with the Sponsor to refine the proposed transfer boundary so that it includes only the acreage needed by USPS for a post office. The BLM defers to the USPS regarding any potential impacts to that agency regarding the bill.

Thank you again for the opportunity to provide this Statement for the Record.

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