I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 643

To raise grazing fees on public lands, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 26, 1993

Mr. SYNAR (for himself and Mr. REGULA) introduced the following bill; which

was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

A BILL

To raise grazing fees on public lands, 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. ANNUAL DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK GRAZING FEE.

4 Section 401 of the Federal Land Policy and Manage5 ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1751), is hereby amended

6 by adding at the end the following new subsections:

7 ‘‘(c)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law,

8 the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to National For9 est lands in the 16 contiguous western states (except Na10 tional Grasslands) administered by the United States For11 est Service where domestic livestock grazing is permitted

12 under applicable law, and the Secretary of the Interior
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1 with respect to public domain lands administered by the

2 Bureau of Land Management where domestic livestock

3 grazing is permitted under applicable law, shall establish

4 beginning with the grazing season which commences on

5 March 1, 1993, an annual domestic livestock grazing fee

6 equal to fair market value: Provided, That the fee charged

7 for any given year shall not increase nor decrease by more

8 than 33.3 percent from the previous year’s grazing fee.

9 ‘‘(2)(A) For purposes of this subsection, the term

10 ‘fair market value’ is defined as follows:

Fair Market Value=

Appraised Base Value×Forage Value Index

100

11 ‘‘(B) For the purposes of subparagraph (A)—

12 ‘‘(i) the term ‘Forage Value Index’ means the

13 Forage Value Index (FVI) computed annually by the

14 Economic Research Service, United States Depart15 ment of Agriculture, and set with the 1993 FVI

16 equal to 100; and

17 ‘‘(ii) the term ‘Appraised Base Value’ means

18 the 1983 Appraisal Value conclusions for mature

19 cattle and horses (expressed in dollars per head or

20 per month), as determined in the 1986 report pre21 pared jointly by the Secretary of Agriculture and the

22 Secretary of the Interior entitled ‘Grazing Fee Re23 view and Evaluation’, dated February 1986, on a
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1 westwide basis using the lowest appraised value of

2 the pricing areas adjusted for advanced payment

3 and indexed to 1993.

4 ‘‘(3) Executive Order No. 12548, dated February 14,

5 1986, shall not apply to grazing fees established pursuant

6 to this Act.

7 ‘‘(d) The grazing advisory boards established pursu8 ant to Secretarial action, notice of which was published

9 in the Federal Register on May 14, 1986 (51 Fed. Reg.

10 17874), are hereby abolished, and the advisory functions

11 exercised by such boards, shall, after the date of enact12 ment of this sentence, be exercised only by the appropriate

13 councils established under this section.

14 ‘‘(e) Funds appropriated pursuant to section 5 of the

15 Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978 (43 U.S.C.

16 1904) or any other provision of law related to disposition

17 of the Federal share of receipts from fees for grazing on

18 public domain lands or National Forest lands in the 16

19 contiguous western States shall be used for restoration

20 and enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat, for restora21 tion and improved management of riparian areas, and for

22 implementation and enforcement of applicable land man23 agement plans, allotment plans, and regulations regarding

24 the use of such lands for domestic livestock grazing. Such

25 funds shall be distributed as the Secretary concerned
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1 deems advisable after consultation and coordination with

2 the advisory councils established pursuant to section 309

3 of this Act and other interested parties.’’.

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