Fort Stanton and Rio Bonito Corridor Vegetation Management Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Fort Stanton and Rio Bonito Corridor 
Vegetation Management Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary 
        surrounding Fort Stanton, New Mexico, contain historic and 
        natural resources that warrant special management 
        considerations by the Bureau of Land Management;
            (2) the adjudication process for establishing grazing 
        preferences under the Act of June 28, 1934 (commonly known as 
        the ``Taylor Grazing Act'') (43 U.S.C. 315 et seq.) and other 
        applicable laws has not been conducted on lands acquired by the 
        Secretary at and near Fort Stanton, New Mexico, including lands 
        along the Rio Bonito in Lincoln County, New Mexico;
            (3) in the management of renewable forage resources on 
        lands surrounding Fort Stanton, New Mexico, vegetation sales 
        contracts would be a beneficial tool for the Bureau of Land 
        Management to use to maintain and enhance the condition of the 
        forage and other natural resources of the area;
            (4) the management of grazing animals under vegetation 
        sales contracts requires fiscal resources and personnel that 
        exceed that of the grazing preference system in place on other 
        public domain lands; and
            (5) disputes over the legal description of lands acquired 
        by the Secretary along the Rio Bonito in Lincoln County, New 
        Mexico, make it necessary for the Bureau of Land Management to 
        pursue reasonable legal remedies under existing authorities to 
        resolve such disputes with adjacent landowners.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Fort Stanton.--The term ``Fort Stanton'' means land under the 
administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary at Fort Stanton, New 
Mexico, as depicted on the map entitled ``Fort Stanton and Rio Bonito 
Corridor, NM'', dated May 13, 1997.
    (b) Rio Bonito Corridor.--The term ``Rio Bonito Corridor'' means 
land under the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary near Fort 
Stanton, New Mexico, within the area identified as the ``Rio Bonito 
Corridor'', as depicted on the map entitled ``Fort Stanton and Rio 
Bonito Corridor, NM'', dated May 13, 1997, which--
            (1) was acquired by the Secretary before May 13, 1997; or
            (2) is acquired by the Secretary (by purchase or exchange) 
        from willing landowners after May 13, 1997.
    (c) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management.

SEC. 4. MAPS.

    The maps referred to in section 3 shall be made available for 
public inspection by the Bureau of Land Management at the Roswell 
District Office in Roswell, New Mexico, and at the New Mexico State 
Office in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT OF FORT STANTON AND RIO BONITO LAND.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any provision of the Act of June 
28, 1934 (43 U.S.C. 315 et seq.), or any other law relating to the 
establishment, leasing, or permitting of grazing under a grazing 
preference, the Secretary, in managing land within Fort Stanton and the 
Rio Bonito Corridor that is under the jurisdiction of the Secretary, 
may solicit competitive bids for and enter into vegetation sales 
contracts for the purpose of using livestock grazing as a vegetation 
management tool. Any such contracts entered into with respect to the 
land before the date of enactment of this Act are ratified.
    (b) Consistency With Land and Resource Management Plans.--
Management of Fort Stanton and the Rio Bonito Corridor shall be 
consistent with any applicable land and resource management plan under 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et 
seq.).
    (c) Distribution and Use of Proceeds.--Of the proceeds of 
vegetation sales contracts entered into under subsection (a)--
            (1) 12\1/2\ percent shall be paid to the State of New 
        Mexico for distribution to Lincoln County, New Mexico, to be 
        used for purposes authorized by section 10 of the Act of June 
        28, 1934 (43 U.S.C. 315i);
            (2) 12\1/2\ percent shall be deposited in the general fund 
        of the Treasury of the United States; and
            (3) 75 percent shall be deposited in a special account in 
        the Treasury of the United States and shall be available to the 
        Secretary, without further Act of appropriation, for use in 
        managing Fort Stanton and the Rio Bonito Corridor and to 
        achieve the management goals and prescriptions identified in 
        applicable resource management plans for the Rio Bonito 
        acquired lands and the Fort Stanton area of critical 
        environmental concern, but none of the proceeds provided to the 
        Secretary under this paragraph shall be available for land 
        acquisition.

Summary: Fort Stanton and Rio Bonito Corridor Vegetation Management Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, in managing land within Fort Stanton and the Rio Bonito Corridor that is under the Secretary's jurisdiction, to solicit competitive bids for and enter into vegetation sales contracts for the purpose of using livestock grazing as a vegetation management tool. Ratifies any such contracts entered into with respect to the land before the date of this Act's enactment. Requires management of Fort Stanton and the Rio Bonito Corridor to be consistent with any applicable land and resource management plan under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Directs that, of the proceeds of such vegetation sales contracts: (1) 12.5 percent be paid to the State of New Mexico for distribution to Lincoln County, New Mexico, for purposes authorized by the Act of June 28, 1934. (2) 12.5 percent be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury. And (3) 75 percent be deposited in a special Treasury account for use in managing Fort Stanton and the Rio Bonito Corridor and to achieve the management goals and prescriptions identified in applicable resource management plans for the Rio Bonito acquired lands and the Fort Stanton area of critical environmental concern, but not for land acquisition.