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105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1407

To allow participation by the communities surrounding Yellowstone National

Park in decisions affecting the park, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

NOVEMBER 7, 1997

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

to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL

To allow participation by the communities surrounding Yellowstone National Park in decisions affecting the park,

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 ‘‘Yellowstone National

5 Park Community Participation Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

7 In this Act:

8 (1) PARK.—The term ‘‘Park’’ means Yellow9 stone National Park.
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1 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means

2 the Secretary of the Interior.

3 SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

4 Congress finds that—

5 (1) the communities surrounding Yellowstone

6 National Park have an intense interest in the Park

7 and have economies that are directly tied to the

8 Park;

9 (2) the communities surrounding the Park have

10 such close ties to the Park that it is in the commu11 nities’ best interest that the Park be cared for and

12 provided for;

13 (3) the Secretary and the National Park Service

14 have stated that all national parks should work co15 operatively and in partnership with the communities

16 surrounding the parks;

17 (4) the National Park Service has not dealt in

18 good faith with the communities surrounding the

19 Park; and

20 (5) a sense of economic stability and coopera21 tion must be brought to the communities surround22 ing the Park.
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1 SEC. 4. OPENING AND CLOSING WEST YELLOWSTONE EN2 TRANCE.

3 Subject to subsection (b), the gates at the West Yel4 lowstone Entrance of the Park—

5 (1) for the summer season, shall open for auto6 mobiles and motorized transportation on or before

7 the third Friday in April and shall close on or about

8 the first Monday in November; and

9 (2) for the winter season, shall open not later

10 than the first Friday in December (having been

11 groomed prior to the opening) and shall close not

12 earlier than the second Monday in March.

13 (b) CHANGE IN DATES.—The Secretary may change

14 a date in subsection (a) only after providing notice to and

15 consulting with any community in the vicinity of the West

16 Yellowstone Entrance.

17 SEC. 5. ACTIVITIES.

18 (a) SUMMER SEASON.—During the summer season,

19 the Secretary shall make the Park available for a wide

20 assortment of activities associated with summer recre21 ation.

22 (b) WINTER SEASON.—During the winter season, the

23 Secretary shall make the Park usable for snowcoaching,

24 snowmobiling, showshoeing, cross-country skiing, camp25 ing, and other winter recreational activities determined ap26 propriate by the Secretary.
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1 SEC. 6. FEES.

2 The Secretary shall consult with local communities

3 and provide not less than 1 year’s notice of any change

4 in the fee structure of the Park.

5 SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.

6 This Act takes effect on the date that is 90 days after

7 the date of enactment of this Act.

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