II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 972 

To clarify the effect of designating a National Moment on certain land 

in Chafee County, Colorado. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 16, 2015 

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

to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To clarify the effect of designating a National Moment on 

certain land in Chafee County, Colorado. 

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 ‘‘Browns Canyon Na5 tional Monument Clarification Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) NATIONAL MONUMENT.—The term ‘‘Na9 tional Monument’’ means the National Monument 

10 described in section 3(a). 


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1 (2) RECREATION AREA.—The term ‘‘Recreation 

2 Area’’ means the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation 

3 Area in the State. 

4 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

5 the Secretary of the Interior. 

6 (4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

7 of Colorado. 

8 SEC. 3. EFFECT OF DESIGNATION OF NATIONAL MONU9 MENT. 

10 (a) EFFECT ON COOPERATIVE ADMINISTRATION.— 

11 The designation of a National Monument under chapter 

12 3203 of title 54, United States Code, on land on which 

13 the Recreation Area is located shall not affect the arrange14 ments for cooperative administration of the Recreation 

15 Area by the Director of the Bureau of Land Management 

16 and the State. 

17 (b) EFFECT ON GRAZING.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para19 graph (3), the laws (including regulations) and poli20 cies followed by the Secretary in issuing and admin21 istering grazing permits or leases for the National 

22 Monument shall continue to apply. 

23 (2) EFFECT OF DESIGNATION.—There shall be 

24 no curtailment of grazing in the land on which the 

25 National Monument is located simply because of a 


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1 designation of the land as a National Monument 

2 under chapter 3203 of title 54, United States Code. 

3 (3) ADJUSTMENTS.—Any adjustments in the 

4 numbers of livestock permitted to graze in the Na5 tional Monument shall be based on revisions in the 

6 normal grazing and land management planning and 

7 policy setting process, giving consideration to legal 

8 mandates, range condition, and the protection of 

9 range resources from deterioration. 

10 (c) EFFECT ON WATER RIGHTS.—The designation of 

11 the National Monument— 

12 (1) shall not— 

13 (A) affect the use or allocation, in exist14 ence on the date on which the National Monu15 ment is designated, of any water, water right, 

16 or interest in water; 

17 (B) affect any vested absolute or decreed 

18 conditional water right in existence on the date 

19 on which the National Monument is designated, 

20 including any water right held by the United 

21 States; 

22 (C) affect any interstate water compact in 

23 existence on the date on which the National 

24 Monument is designated; or 


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1 (D) authorize or impose any new reserved 

2 Federal water rights; and 

3 (2) shall not be considered to be a relinquish4 ment or reduction of any water rights reserved or 

5 appropriated by the United States in the State on 

6 or before the date on which the National Monument 

7 is designated. 

8 SEC. 4. MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR NATIONAL MONUMENT. 

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

10 date on which the National Monument is designated, the 

11 Secretary, in coordination with the State, shall complete 

12 a comprehensive management plan for the conservation 

13 and protection of the National Monument. 

14 (b) CONTENTS.—The management plan shall— 

15 (1) describe the appropriate uses and manage16 ment of the National Monument, in accordance 

17 with— 

18 (A) this Act; and 

19 (B) the purposes for which the National 

20 Monument is established; 

21 (2) be developed with opportunities for public 

22 input; 

23 (3) be prepared in close consultation with ap24 propriate Federal, State, county, and local agencies; 

25 and 


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1 (4) concentrate visitorship within the Recre2 ation Area and the public land west of the Arkansas 

3 River. 

4 (c) INCORPORATION OF EXISTING PLANS.—In devel5 oping the management plan under subsection (a), the Sec6 retary may incorporate any provision of any other applica7 ble land management plan, including the Arkansas River 

8 Recreation Management Plan or a successor plan. 

Æ 


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