II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5496 

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish oversight mediation committees to help resolve property boundary disputes regarding National 

Forest System land, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 11, 2024 

Mr. ROUNDS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish oversight 

mediation committees to help resolve property boundary 

disputes regarding National Forest System land, 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 ‘‘Fence Line Fairness 

5 Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM OVERSIGHT MEDIATION 

2 COMMITTEES. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture (re4 ferred to in this section as the ‘‘Secretary’’), in consulta5 tion with State departments of agriculture and State de6 partments of natural resources, shall establish in each 

7 State in which National Forest System land is located an 

8 oversight mediation committee (referred to in this section 

9 as a ‘‘mediation committee’’) to help resolve disputes be10 tween private landowners and the Secretary regarding the 

11 location of boundaries between National Forest System 

12 land and private land. 

13 (b) COMPOSITION.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—A mediation committee shall 

15 be composed of— 

16 (A) 2 individuals who are private, active 

17 farmers or ranchers from the State in which the 

18 mediation committee is established, to be ap19 pointed by the Secretary; and 

20 (B) 3 individuals who are private, active 

21 farmers or ranchers from the State in which the 

22 mediation committee is established, to be ap23 pointed by the applicable State department of 

24 agriculture or State department of natural re25 sources. 


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1 (2) TERMS.—A member of a mediation com2 mittee— 

3 (A) shall be appointed for a term of 5 

4 years; and 

5 (B) may serve for not more than 2 terms. 

6 (c) NOTIFICATION.—If there is a dispute regarding 

7 the location of a boundary between National Forest Sys8 tem land and private land, the Secretary shall— 

9 (1) notify the private landowner of the dispute 

10 not later than 30 days after the date on which the 

11 Secretary becomes aware of the dispute; and 

12 (2) provide to the private landowner the option 

13 to use the mediation committee process described in 

14 subsection (d) to help resolve the dispute. 

15 (d) DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS.— 

16 (1) REFERRAL.—If a private landowner notifies 

17 the Secretary that the landowner chooses to use the 

18 mediation committee process referred to in sub19 section (c)(2), the Secretary shall refer the dispute 

20 to the applicable mediation committee not later than 

21 60 days after the date on which the private land22 owner notifies the Secretary. 

23 (2) PROCESS.—With respect to a dispute re24 ferred to a mediation committee under paragraph 

25 (1), the mediation committee shall— 


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1 (A) hold private hearings regarding the 

2 dispute to analyze information and testimony 

3 from the private landowner and appropriate of4 ficials of the Forest Service; 

5 (B) provide to the parties to the dispute 

6 described in subparagraph (A) recommenda7 tions for actions that can be taken by the par8 ties to resolve the dispute; and 

9 (C) submit a report describing findings of 

10 fact regarding the dispute and recommenda11 tions described in subparagraph (B) to— 

12 (i) the Secretary; 

13 (ii) the Chief of the Forest Service; 

14 (iii) the head of the applicable State 

15 department of agriculture; 

16 (iv) the head of the applicable State 

17 department of natural resources; 

18 (v) the Committee on Agriculture, 

19 Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate; and 

20 (vi) the Committee on Agriculture of 

21 the House of Representatives. 

22 (3) TIMELINE.—Not later than 180 days after 

23 the date on which a dispute is referred to a medi24 ation committee under paragraph (1), the mediation 


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1 committee shall commence holding hearings under 

2 paragraph (2)(A). 

Æ 


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