IB 

Union Calendar No. 339 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2966 

[Report No. 108–513, Part I] 

To preserve the use and access of pack and saddle stock animals on public 

lands, including wilderness areas, national monuments, and other specifically designated areas, administered by the National Park Service, the 

Bureau of Land Management, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, or the Forest Service where there is a historical tradition of such 

use, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 25, 2003 

Mr. RADANOVICH (for himself, Mr. NUNES, Mr. OTTER, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. 

HEFLEY, Mr. HERGER, Mr. REHBERG, and Mr. COLLINS) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources, and in 

addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently 

determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

MAY 20, 2004 

Reported from the Committee on Resources with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

MAY 20, 2004 

Referral to the Committee on Agriculture extended for a period ending not 

later than June 30, 2004 

JUNE 30, 2004 

Additional sponsors: Mr. LUCAS of Kentucky, Mr. DEAL of Georgia, Mr. 

WAMP, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. DOOLEY of California, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. 

MCKEON, Mr. BEAUPREZ, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, 

Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. MCCOTTER, and Mr. FILNER

JUNE 30, 2004 

The Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the 

Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
2 

•HR 2966 RH 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July 25, 2003] 

A BILL 

To preserve the use and access of pack and saddle stock 

animals on public lands, including wilderness areas, national monuments, and other specifically designated 

areas, administered by the National Park Service, the 

Bureau of Land Management, the United States Fish 

and Wildlife Service, or the Forest Service where there 

is a historical tradition of such use, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Right-to-Ride Livestock 

5 on Federal Lands Act of 2004’’. 

6 SEC. 2. USE AND ACCESS OF PACK AND SADDLE ANIMALS 

7 ON PUBLIC LANDS. 

8 (a) NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM LANDS.—Section 12 of 

9 Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–7) is amended by adding 

10 at the end the following new subsection: 

11 ‘‘(c) USE AND ACCESS OF PACK AND SADDLE ANI12 MALS.— 

13 ‘‘(1) GENERAL RULE.—The Secretary of the Inte14 rior shall provide for the management of National 

15 Park System lands to preserve and facilitate the con-
3 

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1 tinued use and access of pack and saddle stock ani2 mals on such lands, including wilderness areas, na3 tional monuments, and other specifically designated 

4 areas, where there is a historical tradition of such 

5 use. As a general rule, all trails, routes, and areas 

6 used by pack and saddle stock shall remain open and 

7 accessible for such use. The Secretary may implement 

8 a proposed reduction in the use and access of pack 

9 and saddle stock animals on such lands only after 

10 complying with the full review process required under 

11 the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

12 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 

13 ‘‘(2) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 

14 paragraph (1) shall be construed— 

15 ‘‘(A) to authorize the Secretary to refuse to 

16 issue a permit for a new use of pack and saddle 

17 stock animals, including use by a commercial 

18 outfitter or guide, without complying with appli19 cable resource management plans and planning 

20 processes required under this Act or any other 

21 provision of law; 

22 ‘‘(B) to limit the authority of the Secretary 

23 to impose a temporary emergency closure of a 

24 trail, route, or area to pack and saddle stock 

25 animals or issue special permits; or 
4 

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1 ‘‘(C) to create a preference for one rec2 reational use for any unit of the National Park 

3 System, without consideration of the stated pur4 pose of the unit.’’. 

5 (b) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT LANDS.—Section 

6 302 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 

7 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1732) is amended by adding at the end 

8 the following new subsection: 

9 ‘‘(e) USE AND ACCESS OF PACK AND SADDLE ANI10 MALS.— 

11 ‘‘(1) GENERAL RULE.—The Secretary shall pro12 vide for the management of public lands to preserve 

13 and facilitate the continued use and access of pack 

14 and saddle stock animals on such lands, including 

15 wilderness areas, national monuments, and other spe16 cifically designated areas, where there is a historical 

17 tradition of such use. As a general rule, all trails, 

18 routes, and areas used by pack and saddle stock shall 

19 remain open and accessible for such use. The Sec20 retary may implement a proposed reduction in the 

21 use and access of pack and saddle stock animals on 

22 such lands only after complying with the full review 

23 process required under the National Environmental 

24 Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 
5 

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1 ‘‘(2) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 

2 paragraph (1) shall be construed— 

3 ‘‘(A) to authorize the Secretary to refuse to 

4 issue a permit for a new use of pack and saddle 

5 stock animals, including use by a commercial 

6 outfitter or guide, without complying with appli7 cable resource management plans and planning 

8 processes required under this Act or any other 

9 provision of law; 

10 ‘‘(B) to limit the authority of the Secretary 

11 to impose a temporary emergency closure of a 

12 trail, route, or area to pack and saddle stock 

13 animals or issue special permits; or 

14 ‘‘(C) to create a preference for one rec15 reational use for any area of the public lands, 

16 without consideration of the stated purpose of the 

17 area.’’. 

18 (c) NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM LANDS.— 

19 Section 4(d) of the National Wildlife Refuge System Admin20 istration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd(d)) is amended by 

21 adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

22 ‘‘(5)(A) The Secretary shall provide for the manage23 ment of System lands to preserve and facilitate the contin24 ued use and access of pack and saddle stock animals on 

25 such lands, including wilderness areas, national monu-
6 

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1 ments, and other specifically designated areas, where there 

2 is a historical tradition of such use. As a general rule, all 

3 trails, routes, and areas used by pack and saddle stock shall 

4 remain open and accessible for such use. The Secretary may 

5 implement a proposed reduction in the use and access of 

6 pack and saddle stock animals on such lands only after 

7 complying with the full review process required under the 

8 National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 

9 4321 et seq.). 

10 ‘‘(B) Nothing in subparagraph (A) shall be con11 strued— 

12 ‘‘(i) to authorize the Secretary to refuse to issue 

13 a permit for a new use of pack and saddle stock ani14 mals, including use by a commercial outfitter or 

15 guide, without complying with applicable resource 

16 management plans and planning processes required 

17 under this Act or any other provision of law; 

18 ‘‘(ii) to limit the authority of the Secretary to 

19 impose a temporary emergency closure of a trail, 

20 route, or area to pack and saddle stock animals or 

21 issue special permits; or 

22 ‘‘(iii) to create a preference for one recreational 

23 use for any unit of the System, without consideration 

24 of the stated purpose of the unit.’’. 
7 

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1 (d) NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS.—Section 15 of 

2 the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning 

3 Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1613) is amended— 

4 (1) by inserting ‘‘(a)’’ before ‘‘REGULATIONS’’; 

5 and 

6 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub7 section: 

8 ‘‘(b) USE AND ACCESS OF PACK AND SADDLE ANI9 MALS.— 

10 ‘‘(1) GENERAL RULE.—The Secretary shall pro11 vide for the management of National Forest System 

12 lands to preserve and facilitate the continued use and 

13 access of pack and saddle stock animals on such 

14 lands, including wilderness areas, national monu15 ments, and other specifically designated areas, where 

16 there is a historical tradition of such use. As a gen17 eral rule, all trails, routes, and areas used by pack 

18 and saddle stock shall remain open and accessible for 

19 such use. The Secretary may implement a proposed 

20 reduction in the use and access of pack and saddle 

21 stock animals on such lands only after complying 

22 with the full review process required under the Na23 tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 

24 4321 et seq.). 
8 

•HR 2966 RH 

1 ‘‘(2) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 

2 paragraph (1) shall be construed— 

3 ‘‘(A) to authorize the Secretary to refuse to 

4 issue a permit for a new use of pack and saddle 

5 stock animals, including use by a commercial 

6 outfitter or guide, without complying with appli7 cable resource management plans and planning 

8 processes required under this Act or any other 

9 provision of law; 

10 ‘‘(B) to limit the authority of the Secretary 

11 to impose a temporary emergency closure of a 

12 trail, route, or area to pack and saddle stock 

13 animals or issue special permits; or 

14 ‘‘(C) to create a preference for one rec15 reational use for any unit of the National Forest 

16 System, without consideration of the stated pur17 pose of the unit.’’. 

18 (e) ISSUANCE OF RULES.—Not later than 120 days 

19 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

20 of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall issue 

21 final rules to define the meaning of a historical tradition 

22 of use of pack and saddle stock animals on Federal lands 

23 for purposes of the amendments made by this section. 

Union Calendar No. 339 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2966 

[Report No. 108–513, Part I] 

A BILL 

To preserve the use and access of pack and saddle 

purposes. historical tradition of such use, and for other Service, or the Forest Service where there is a agement, the United States Fish and Wildlife National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Mancifically designated areas, administered by the ness areas, national monuments, and other spestock animals on public lands, including wilderJUNE 30, 2004 

The Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to 

Union and ordered to be printed the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the