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103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 705

To protect the fisheries of Bristol Bay, Alaska, by purchasing certain oil

leases, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 27, 1993

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly

to the Committees on Natural Resources and Merchant Marine and Fisheries

A BILL

To protect the fisheries of Bristol Bay, Alaska, by purchasing

certain oil leases, 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 ‘‘Bristol Bay Fisheries

5 Protection Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

7 For the purposes of this Act—

8 (1) terms defined in the Outer Continental

9 Shelf Lands Act have the meaning given such terms

10 in that Act;
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1 (2) the term ‘‘North Aleutian Basin Planning

2 Area’’ means the area so named and designated in

3 the Department of the Interior Outer Continental

4 Shelf Natural Gas and Oil Resources Management

5 Comprehensive Program 1992–1997 Proposal, dated

6 July 25, 1991;

7 (3) the term ‘‘preleasing activities’’ means ac8 tivities conducted before a lease sale is held, and in9 cludes the scheduling of a lease, requests for indus10 try interest, calls for information and nominations,

11 area identifications, publication of draft or final en12 vironmental impact statements, notices of sale, and

13 any form of rotary drilling; but such term does not

14 include environmental, geologic, geophysical, eco15 nomic, engineering, or other scientific analysis, stud16 ies, and evaluations;

17 (4) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary

18 of the Interior.

19 SEC. 3 RELATIONSHIP TO OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF

20 LEASING PROGRAM AND EXISTING LAW.

21 (a) Notwithstanding the Outer Continental Shelf

22 Leasing Program maintained by the Secretary pursuant

23 to section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act

24 (43 U.S.C. 1344) or any lease sale schedule contained in

25 a specific leasing program thereunder, the Secretary shall
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1 carry out such program consistent with the provisions of

2 this Act.

3 (b) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this

4 Act, nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect the

5 application of other Federal law to activities conducted on

6 the Outer Continental Shelf.

7 SEC. 4. RESTRICTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE

8 TO THE NORTH ALEUTIAN BASIN PLANNING

9 AREA.

10 In the North Aleutian Basin Planning Area, the addi11 tional restrictions and requirements in this section shall

12 apply:

13 (1) No preleasing activity shall be conducted

14 before the issuance of the first final 5-year leasing

15 plan under section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf

16 Lands Act after January 1, 2002.

17 (2)(A) Notwithstanding the requirements of

18 section 5(a)(2) (A) and (B) of the Outer Continental

19 Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1334(a)(2) (A) and

20 (B)), the Secretary, within 90 days after the date of

21 enactment of this Act, shall cancel any active leases

22 in the area.

23 (B) Before the cancellation required under sub24 paragraph (A), no exploration or development plans

25 or permits to drill shall be approved for any such
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1 lease in existence on the date of enactment of this

2 Act.

3 (C) Compensation to lessees owning leases that

4 are canceled under subparagraph (A) shall be deter5 mined under section 5(a)(2) (C) and (D) of the

6 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1334

7 (a)(2) (C) and (D)).

8 SEC. 5. CANCELLATION OF LEASES.

9 Section 5(a)(2)(B) of the Outer Continental Shelf

10 Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1334(a)(2)(B)) is amended—

11 (1) by inserting ‘‘or pursuant to an Act of Con12 gress’’ after ‘‘by the Secretary’’; and

13 (2) by striking ‘‘five’’ and inserting in lieu

14 thereof ‘‘two’’.

15 SEC. 6. COMPENSATION FOR LEASE BUYBACKS.

16 Section 5(a)(2) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands

17 Act (43 U.S.C. 1334(a)(2)) is amended—

18 (1) by inserting ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara19 graph (C); and

20 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub21 paragraph:

22 ‘‘(D) that compensation a lessee is entitled

23 to receive under subparagraph (C) may be

24 made in the form of currency, forgiveness of the

25 lessee’s obligations to pay rents or royalties
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1 which would otherwise be paid to the Federal

2 Government on another lease issued pursuant

3 to this Act or the Mineral Leasing Act, or a

4 combination of currency with such forgive5 ness.’’.

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