II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1832 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to lease oil and gas resources 

underlying Fort Reno, Oklahoma, to establish the Fort Reno Management Fund, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 6, 2005 

Mr. INHOFE (for himself and Mr. COBURN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to lease oil and 

gas resources underlying Fort Reno, Oklahoma, to establish the Fort Reno Management Fund, 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 ‘‘Fort Reno Mineral 

5 Leasing Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 
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1 (1) BOARD OF REGENTS.—The term ‘‘Board of 

2 Regents’’ means the Board of Regents of the Uni3 versity of Oklahoma. 

4 (2) FORT RENO HISTORIC DISTRICT.—The term 

5 ‘‘Fort Reno Historic District’’ means the former 

6 military installation at El Reno, Oklahoma, as de7 picted on the map, that— 

8 (A) includes land and facilities listed on 

9 the National Register of Historic Places in 

10 June 1970; and 

11 (B) is administered by the Secretary as 

12 part of the Fort Reno Management Area. 

13 (3) FORT RENO MANAGEMENT AREA.—The 

14 term ‘‘Fort Reno Management Area’’ means the ap15 proximately 6,737 acres of Federal land, including 

16 Fort Reno and the Park, as depicted on the map. 

17 (4) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the Fort 

18 Reno Management Fund established by section 4(a). 

19 (5) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map en20 titled ‘‘Fort Reno Management Area’’ and dated 

21 September 2005. 

22 (6) PARK.—The term ‘‘Park’’ means the ap23 proximately 24.3 acres of land in the State of Okla24 homa known as the ‘‘Fort Reno Science Park’’, as 

25 generally depicted on the map. 
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1 (7) PARK INSTRUMENT.— 

2 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Park instru3 ment’’ means an instrument covering an agree4 ment between the Department of Agriculture 

5 and the Board of Regents relating to the use of 

6 the Park. 

7 (B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘Park instru8 ment’’ includes— 

9 (i) the master memorandum of under10 standing, dated August 19, 1998; 

11 (ii) the supplements numbered 1 and 

12 2, dated January 19, 1999; 

13 (iii) the easement, dated January 19, 

14 1999; 

15 (iv) the amended easement deed, 

16 dated February 24, 2004; 

17 (v) a special warranty deed, dated 

18 May 29, 2001; and 

19 (vi) a memorandum of agreement, 

20 dated February 24, 2004. 

21 (8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

22 the Secretary of the Interior. 

23 SEC. 3. FORT RENO MANAGEMENT AREA. 

24 (a) AUTHORIZATION BY CONGRESS REQUIRED FOR

25 DECLARATION AS EXCESS OR SURPLUS PROPERTY OR
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1 CONVEYANCE.—Notwithstanding any other provision of 

2 law, the Fort Reno Management Area, without specific au3 thorization by Congress, shall not, in whole or part— 

4 (1) be declared to be excess or surplus Federal 

5 property under subtitle I of title 40, United States 

6 Code; 

7 (2) be conveyed; or 

8 (3) be transferred to the administrative juris9 diction of any other Federal agency. 

10 (b) MINERAL LEASING.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the provi12 sions of the first section of the Mineral Leasing Act 

13 of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 181) excluding Federal land in 

14 incorporated cities from mineral leasing, the Sec15 retary may provide for mineral leasing at the Fort 

16 Reno Management Area in accordance with that 

17 Act, subject to such terms and conditions as the 

18 Secretary of Agriculture determines to be appro19 priate to preserve and protect historic properties and 

20 ongoing and prospective research activities. 

21 (2) ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSES.—After the 

22 date of enactment of this Act, no further adminis23 trative or environmental analyses shall be required 

24 for the leasing and development of minerals at the 

25 Fort Reno Management Area. 
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1 (c) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be on file 

2 and available for public inspection in— 

3 (1) the office of the Administrator of the Agri4 cultural Research Center; and 

5 (2) the office of the Director of the 

6 Grazinglands Research Laboratory in El Reno, 

7 Oklahoma. 

8 (d) EFFECT.—Nothing in this section precludes the 

9 Secretary of Agriculture from granting utilities or access 

10 easements for, or issuing temporary permits for the use 

11 of, the Fort Reno Management Area. 

12 SEC. 4. FORT RENO MANAGEMENT FUND. 

13 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 

14 Treasury of the United States a revolving fund, to be 

15 known as the ‘‘Fort Reno Management Fund’’, consisting 

16 of— 

17 (1) such amounts as are appropriated to the 

18 Fund under subsection (b); 

19 (2) such amounts as are deposited under sec20 tion 6(b)(1)(B); and 

21 (3) any interest earned on investment of 

22 amounts in the Fund under subsection (d). 

23 (b) TRANSFERS TO FUND.—Notwithstanding section 

24 35 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 191), there are 

25 appropriated to the Fund amounts equivalent to amounts 
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1 received in the Treasury as proceeds from the leasing of 

2 mineral resources at the Fort Reno Management Area 

3 under section 3(b). 

4 (c) EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—On request by the Secretary 

6 of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Treasury shall 

7 transfer from the Fund to the Administrator of the 

8 Agricultural Research Service— 

9 (A) such amounts as the Administrator de10 termines are necessary, but not more than a 

11 total of $22,000,000, to provide, with respect to 

12 the Fort Reno Historic District— 

13 (i) the restoration, maintenance, and 

14 management of historic buildings and fa15 cilities; 

16 (ii) the interpretation, education, and 

17 visitor services and related activities in 

18 connection with historic buildings and fa19 cilities; 

20 (iii) the provision and maintenance of 

21 facilities for utilities, waste management, 

22 streets, visitor parking, and other improve23 ments necessary or desirable for providing 

24 public and administrative services; and 
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1 (iv) to reimburse the Secretary for the 

2 costs of administering a mineral leasing 

3 program for the Fort Reno Management 

4 Area under section 3(b). 

5 (B) not more than $250,000 for each fiscal 

6 year, as adjusted under paragraph (4), to be 

7 deposited in a repair and maintenance fund es8 tablished by the Secretary of Agriculture for the 

9 Fort Reno Historic District. 

10 (2) REDUCTION OF NATIONAL DEBT.—Any 

11 amounts remaining in the Fund after the transfers 

12 are made under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of para13 graph (1) shall be used to reduce the debt of the 

14 United States. 

15 (3) CONSULTATION.—In making expenditures 

16 from the Fund under clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of 

17 paragraph (1)(A), the Administrator of the Agricul18 tural Research Service shall consult with— 

19 (A) Historic Fort Reno, Inc., (or any suc20 cessors or assigns); and 

21 (B) the Oklahoma State Historic Preserva22 tion Officer. 

23 (4) INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.—For each fiscal 

24 year, the amount specified in paragraph (1)(B) shall 

25 be increased by 4 percent. 
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1 (d) INVESTMENT OF AMOUNTS.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treas3 ury shall invest such portion of the Fund as is not, 

4 in the judgment of the Secretary of the Treasury, 

5 required to meet current withdrawals. 

6 (2) INTEREST-BEARING OBLIGATIONS.—Invest7 ments may be made only in interest-bearing obliga8 tions of the United States. 

9 (3) ACQUISITION OF OBLIGATIONS.—For the 

10 purpose of investments under paragraph (1), obliga11 tions may be acquired— 

12 (A) on original issue at the issue price; or 

13 (B) by purchase of outstanding obligations 

14 at the market price. 

15 (4) SALE OF OBLIGATIONS.—Any obligation ac16 quired by the Fund may be sold by the Secretary of 

17 the Treasury at the market price. 

18 (5) CREDITS TO FUND.—The interest on, and 

19 the proceeds from the sale or redemption of, any ob20 ligations held in the Fund shall be credited to and 

21 form a part of the Fund. 

22 (e) TRANSFERS OF AMOUNTS.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—The amounts required to be 

24 transferred to the Fund under this section shall be 

25 transferred at least monthly from the general fund 
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1 of the Treasury to the Fund on the basis of esti2 mates made by the Secretary of the Treasury. 

3 (2) ADJUSTMENTS.—Proper adjustment shall 

4 be made in amounts subsequently transferred to the 

5 extent prior estimates were in excess of or less than 

6 the amounts required to be transferred. 

7 SEC. 5. RATIFICATION OF FORT RENO SCIENCE PARK IN8 STRUMENT. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Park instrument is ratified. 

10 (b) AMENDMENTS.—The Park instrument may only 

11 be amended or revoked if the parties to the Park instru12 ment agree to the amendment or revocation. 

13 SEC. 6. LEASING AUTHORITY. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture 

15 may— 

16 (1) lease to any person or entity any property 

17 at the Fort Reno Management Area, subject to any 

18 terms and conditions that the Secretary of Agri19 culture determines to be in the public interest; 

20 (2)(A) if the Board of Regents agrees to the 

21 conversion, convert to a lease, for no additional con22 sideration, the easements to the Park referred to in 

23 section 2(5)(B); and 

24 (B) extend the lease converted under subpara25 graph (A), subject to any terms and conditions that 
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1 the Secretary of Agriculture and the Board of Re2 gents agree to, including terms and conditions that 

3 provide that— 

4 (i) the initial term of the lease shall expire 

5 on February 3, 2049; and 

6 (ii) the lease may be renewable for addi7 tional 20-year terms. 

8 (b) SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS.— 

9 (1) CONSIDERATION.— 

10 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to any terms 

11 and conditions that the parties to the lease 

12 agree to, consideration for a lease under sub13 section (a)(1) may be in the form of— 

14 (i) conveyance to the Secretary of Ag15 riculture of title to any non-Federal struc16 tures of, or improvements to, the Fort 

17 Reno Management Area; 

18 (ii) repairs or renovations to struc19 tures of, or improvements to, the Fort 

20 Reno Management Area, that are con21 ducted before or after the lease is entered 

22 into; 

23 (iii) cash; or 
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1 (iv) a combination of any of the forms 

2 of consideration described in clauses (i) 

3 through (iii). 

4 (B) DISPOSITION IN FUND.—Any amount 

5 received as consideration for a lease under sub6 paragraph (A) shall be deposited in the Fund. 

7 (2) TERM.— 

8 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

9 subsection (a)(2)(B) and subparagraph (B), the 

10 term of any lease shall be for not more than 20 

11 years. 

12 (B) RENEWAL.—Notwithstanding subpara13 graph (A), a lease may be renewed at the op14 tion of the parties, subject to any terms and 

15 conditions that— 

16 (i) the Secretary of Agriculture deter17 mines to be in the public interest; and 

18 (ii) are agreed to by the parties to the 

19 lease. 

20 SEC. 7. EFFECT. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act limits or 

22 modifies the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture— 

23 (1) to conduct research activities at the Fort 

24 Reno Management Area; or 
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1 (2) to manage the Federal land under the juris2 diction of the Secretary of Agriculture for research 

3 purposes. 

4 (b) GRAZINGLANDS RESEARCH LABORATORY.—Des5 ignation of the Federal land at El Reno, Oklahoma, as 

6 the Fort Reno Management Area does not affect the name 

7 or operations of the Grazinglands Research Laboratory. 

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