IB 

Union Calendar No. 285 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 974 

[Report No. 114–373] 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to promulgate regulations to allow 

the use of hand-propelled vessels on certain rivers and streams that 

flow in and through certain Federal lands in Yellowstone National Park, 

Grand Teton National Park, the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial 

Parkway, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 13, 2015 

Mrs. LUMMIS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

DECEMBER 8, 2015 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

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

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 13, 2015] 


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A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to promulgate regulations to allow the use of hand-propelled vessels on certain 

rivers and streams that flow in and through certain 

Federal lands in Yellowstone National Park, Grand 

Teton National Park, the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, and for other purposes. 


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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 ‘‘Yellowstone and Grand 

5 Teton Paddling Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 For the purposes of this Act: 

8 (1) HAND-PROPELLED VESSEL.—The term 

9 ‘‘hand-propelled vessel’’ means a vessel designed for 

10 river travel that is propelled by one or more people 

11 using paddles or oars, such as canoes, inflatable 

12 kayaks, kayaks, packrafts, and rafts. 

13 (2) PADDLING.—The term ‘‘paddling’’ means the 

14 use of hand-propelled vessels for descending, crossing, 

15 or otherwise floating upon rivers and streams. 

16 SEC. 3. PROMULGATION OF REGULATIONS. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the 

18 date on which funds are first made available for this sec19 tion, the Secretary of the Interior shall promulgate regula20 tions to allow the use of hand-propelled vessels on waters 

21 within Yellowstone National Park in the States of Idaho, 

22 Montana, and Wyoming, and Grand Teton National Park 

23 and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway in the 

24 State of Wyoming. Waters where such use shall be allowed 


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1 under the regulations shall include, at a minimum, the seg2 ments listed in subsection (b). 

3 (b) APPLICABLE WATERS.—The waters referred to in 

4 subsection (a) are the following: 

5 (1) BEAVERDAM CREEK.—The approximately 

6 5.6-mile segment of Beaverdam Creek from 8085’ to 

7 Yellowstone Lake. 

8 (2) BECHLER RIVER.—The approximately 17.4- 

9 mile segment of Bechler River from Three River Junc10 tion to the confluence with Falls River. 

11 (3) BOUNDARY CREEK.—The approximately 

12 15.3-mile segment of Boundary Creek from 7455’ to 

13 the confluence with Bechler River. 

14 (4) CACHE CREEK.—The approximately 12.2- 

15 mile segment from 7737’ to the confluence with 

16 Lamar River. 

17 (5) COULTER CREEK.—The approximately .9- 

18 mile segment from the Yellowstone National Park 

19 south boundary to the confluence with the Snake 

20 River. 

21 (6) FALLS RIVER.—The approximately 20.4-mile 

22 segment from 7316’ to the Yellowstone National Park 

23 south boundary. 


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1 (7) FAN CREEK.—The approximately 7.7-mile 

2 segment from Fan Creek upper forks (7526’) to the 

3 confluence with the Gallatin River. 

4 (8) FERRIS FORK.—The approximately 1-mile 

5 segment from 7455’ to Three River Junction. 

6 (9) FIREHOLE RIVER.—The approximately 4.5- 

7 mile segment of campsite OA3 to Kepler Cascades. 

8 (10) GALLATIN RIVER.—The approximately 22.3- 

9 mile segment from 7650’ to the Yellowstone National 

10 Park northwest boundary. 

11 (11) GARDNER RIVER.—The approximately 23.6- 

12 mile segment from Fawn Creek to the confluence with 

13 Yellowstone River. 

14 (12) GRAYLING CREEK.—The approximately 7.4- 

15 mile segment from Grayling Creek canyon mouth 

16 (7088’) to the Yellowstone National Park west bound17 ary. 

18 (13) GREGG FORK.—The approximately 1.7-mile 

19 segment from 7795’ to Three River Junction. 

20 (14) HEART RIVER.—The approximately 4.8- 

21 mile segment from Heart Lake to the confluence with 

22 Snake River. 

23 (15) HELLROARING CREEK.—The approximately 

24 6.4-mile segment from the Yellowstone National Park 


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1 north boundary to the confluence with the Yellowstone 

2 River. 

3 (16) HOWELL CREEK.—The approximately 5.4- 

4 mile segment from Howell Creek upper forks to the 

5 confluence with Mountain Creek. 

6 (17) INDIAN CREEK.—The approximately 7.7- 

7 mile segment from 8030’ meadow to the confluence 

8 with Gardner River. 

9 (18) LAMAR RIVER.—The approximately 27.3- 

10 mile segment from 8167’ to Specimen Ridge trail. 

11 (19) LAMAR RIVER.—The approximately 7.5- 

12 mile segment from the top of Lamar Canyon (6478’) 

13 to the confluence with Yellowstone River. 

14 (20) LEWIS RIVER.—The approximately 8.5-mile 

15 segment from the top of Lewis Canyon (7730’) to the 

16 confluence with Snake River. 

17 (21) LITTLE LAMAR RIVER.—The approximately 

18 3.7-mile segment from 8200’ to the confluence with the 

19 Lamar River. 

20 (22) MIDDLE CREEK.—The approximately 4- 

21 mile segment from 7265’ to the Yellowstone National 

22 Park east boundary. 

23 (23) MILLER CREEK.—The approximately 10- 

24 mile segment from 7655’ to the confluence with 

25 Lamar River. 


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1 (24) MOUNTAIN ASH CREEK.—The approxi2 mately 5.7-mile segment from 6555’ to the confluence 

3 with Falls River. 

4 (25) MOUNTAIN CREEK.—The approximately 

5 7.9-mile segment from the Yellowstone National Park 

6 east boundary to the confluence with Yellowstone 

7 River. 

8 (26) NEZ PERCE CREEK.—The approximately 

9 8.2-mile segment from 7310’ to Grand Loop Road. 

10 (27) PEBBLE CREEK.—The approximately 10.3- 

11 mile segment from 7954’ trail crossing to the con12 fluence with Soda Butte Creek. 

13 (28) POLECAT CREEK.—The approximately 2- 

14 mile segment from 7050’ to the Yellowstone National 

15 Park south boundary. 

16 (29) ROBINSON CREEK.—The approximately 4.4- 

17 mile segment from 6555’ to the Yellowstone National 

18 Park southwest boundary. 

19 (30) SLOUGH CREEK.—The approximately 13.4- 

20 mile segment from the Yellowstone National Park 

21 north boundary to Slough Creek trail head/camp22 ground. 

23 (31) SNAKE RIVER.—The approximately 31.8- 

24 mile segment from the Yellowstone National Park 


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1 southeast boundary (8059’) to the Yellowstone Na2 tional Park south boundary (6867’). 

3 (32) SODA BUTTE CREEK.—The approximately 

4 10.3-mile segment from the Yellowstone National Park 

5 northeast boundary to the confluence with Amphi6 theater Creek. 

7 (33) SPECIMEN CREEK.—The approximately 2.6- 

8 mile segment from 7170’ to the confluence with the 

9 Gallatin River. 

10 (34) THOROFARE CREEK.—The approximately 

11 4.4-mile segment from the Yellowstone National Park 

12 southeast boundary to the confluence with Yellowstone 

13 River. 

14 (35) TRAIL CREEK.—The approximately 3-mile 

15 segment from Trail Lake to Yellowstone Lake. 

16 (36) YELLOWSTONE RIVER.—The approximately 

17 36-mile segment, including Grand and Black can18 yons, from Sevenmile Hole to the Yellowstone Na19 tional Park north boundary. 

20 (37) YELLOWSTONE RIVER.—The approximately 

21 26.7-mile segment from Yellowstone National Park 

22 southeast boundary to Yellowstone Lake. 

23 (38) ARIZONA CREEK.—The approximately 4.8- 

24 mile segment from the Grand Teton National Park 

25 east boundary to Jackson Lake. 


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1 (39) BERRY CREEK.—The approximately 9.9- 

2 mile segment from 7560’ to Jackson Lake. 

3 (40) BUFFALO FORK RIVER.—The approximately 

4 8.7-mile segment from the Grand Teton National 

5 Park east boundary to the confluence with Snake 

6 River. 

7 (41) COTTONWOOD CREEK.—The approximately 

8 7.3-mile segment from Jenny Lake to the confluence 

9 with Snake River. 

10 (42) DITCH CREEK.—The approximately 7.3- 

11 mile segment from the Grand Teton National Park 

12 east boundary to the confluence with Snake River. 

13 (43) GROS VENTRE RIVER.—The approximately 

14 12.7-mile segment from the Grand Teton National 

15 Park southeast boundary to the Grand Teton Na16 tional Park south boundary. 

17 (44) LAKE CREEK.—The approximately 3.9-mile 

18 segment from Phelps Lake to the Grand Teton Na19 tional Park south boundary. 

20 (45) OWL CREEK.—The approximately 2.2-mile 

21 segment from 7312’ to the confluence with Berry 

22 Creek. 

23 (46) PACIFIC CREEK.—The approximately 4.6- 

24 mile segment from the Grand Teton National Park 


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1 northeast boundary to the confluence with Snake 

2 River. 

3 (47) PILGRIM CREEK.—The approximately 6.8- 

4 mile segment from Grand Teton National Park north5 east boundary to Jackson Lake. 

6 (48) PILGRIM CREEK EAST FORK.—The approxi7 mately .8-mile segment from the Grand Teton Na8 tional Park northeast boundary to the confluence with 

9 Pilgrim Creek. 

10 (49) POLECAT CREEK.—The approximately 3.9- 

11 mile segment from the Yellowstone National Park 

12 south boundary to the confluence with Snake River. 

13 (50) SPREAD CREEK.—The approximately 4.3- 

14 mile segment, including both channels of Spread 

15 Creek, from the Grand Teton National Park east 

16 boundary to the Snake River. 

17 (c) APPLICABLE WATERS BY BOUNDARIES.—The 

18 boundaries of any river proposed in subsection (b) shall 

19 generally comprise that area measured within one-quarter 

20 mile from the ordinary high water mark on each side of 

21 the listed rivers and streams. This subsection shall not be 

22 construed to limit the scope of the regulation to address 

23 areas which may lie more than one-quarter mile from the 

24 ordinary high water mark on each side of the river. 


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1 (d) APPLICABLE LAWS.—The regulations required by 

2 subsection (a) shall be promulgated in accordance with— 

3 (1) laws, regulations, and policies generally ap4 plicable to units of the National Park System; and 

5 (2) sections 551 through 559 of title 5, United 

6 States Code (commonly known as the ‘‘Administrative 

7 Procedure Act’’). 

8 (e) COMMERCIAL USE.— 

9 (1) NO EXPANSION OF USE.—The regulations 

10 issued under this section shall not consider any ex11 pansion of commercial use of hand-propelled vessels 

12 in the parks. 

13 (2) SAVINGS PROVISIONS.—Nothing in this Act 

14 shall be construed as authorizing the commercial use 

15 of hand-propelled vessels. 

16 (f) COORDINATION OF RECREATIONAL USE.—When 

17 promulgating regulations under this section, the Secretary 

18 of the Interior shall consult with the Director of the United 

19 States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Director of the 

20 National Park Service to help ensure that the regulations 

21 provide that recreational use of hand-propelled vessels on 

22 the Gros Ventre River within the National Elk Refuge adja23 cent to Grand Teton National Park is consistent with the 

24 requirements of the National Wildlife Refuge System Ad25 ministration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.). 


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1 (g) PREVIOUS REGULATIONS.—Upon issuance of the 

2 final regulations required by subsection (a), the following 

3 regulations shall have no force or effect: 

4 (1) Section 7.13(d)(4)(ii) of title 36, Code of 

5 Federal Regulations (regarding vessels on streams 

6 and rivers in Yellowstone National Park). 

7 (2) Section 7.22(e)(3) of title 36, Code of Federal 

8 Regulations (regarding vessels on lakes and rivers in 

9 Grand Teton National Park). 

10 (h) COST RECOVERY.—The Secretary is authorized to 

11 recover all costs, in accordance with section 103104 of title 

12 54, United States Code, associated with monitoring the use 

13 of hand-propelled vessels, including the cost of inspecting 

14 and decontaminating vessels to prevent the introduction or 

15 spread of invasive or injurious species in Yellowstone Na16 tional Park, Grand Teton National Park, and the John D. 

17 Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. 


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asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 285 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 974 

[Report No. 114–373] 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to promulParkway, and for other purposes. Park, the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial lowstone National Park, Grand Teton National flow in and through certain Federal lands in Yel- pelled vessels on certain rivers and streams that gate regulations to allow the use of hand-proDECEMBER 8, 2015 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS