I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1829
To establish a formula for the calculation of livestock grazing fees for the
use of National Forest System lands in the 16 contiguous Western
States and public domain lands administered by the Bureau of Land
Management.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 6, 1997
Ms. FURSE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Resources
A BILL
To establish a formula for the calculation of livestock grazing
fees for the use of National Forest System lands in
the 16 contiguous Western States and public domain
lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ANNUAL DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK GRAZING FEE.
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976 is amended by inserting after section 401 (43 U.S.C.
1751) the following new section:
‘‘SEC. 401A. ESTABLISHMENT OF FAIR MARKET VALUE
GRAZING FEES.
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF ANNUAL DOMESTIC LIVE-
STOCK GRAZING FEE.—(1) Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect
to National Forest System lands in the 16 contiguous
Western States (except National Grasslands) administered
by the Forest Service where domestic livestock grazing is
permitted under applicable law, shall establish an annual
domestic livestock grazing fee equal to fair market value.
‘‘(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public domain
lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management
where domestic livestock grazing is permitted under appli-
cable law, shall establish an annual domestic livestock
grazing fee equal to fair market value.
‘‘(b) CALCULATION OF FAIR MARKET VALUE.—(1)
For purposes of determining the annual domestic livestock
grazing fee under this section, the Secretary concerned
shall calculate fair market value using the following for-
mula:
Fair Market Value=
Appraised Base Value×Forage Value Index
100
‘‘(2) For purposes of the formula in paragraph (1):
‘‘(A) The term ‘Forage Value Index’ means the
Forage Value Index (FVI) computed annually by the
Economic Research Service, United States Depart-
ment of Agriculture, and set with the 1997 FVI
equal to 100; and
‘‘(B) The term ‘Appraised Base Value’ means
the 1983 Appraisal Value conclusions for mature
cattle and horses (expressed in dollars per head or
per month), as determined in the 1986 report pre-
pared jointly by the Secretary of Agriculture and the
Secretary of the Interior entitled ‘Grazing Fee Re-
view and Evaluation’, dated February 1986, on a
west-wide basis using the lowest appraised value of
the pricing areas adjusted for advanced payment
and indexed to 1997.
‘‘(c) LIMITATION
ON FLUCTUATIONS
OF FEES.—
Notwithstanding the amount calculated under subsection
(b) for a year, the domestic livestock grazing fee charged
for any given year shall not increase nor decrease by more
than 33.3 percent from the domestic livestock grazing fee
for the previous year.
‘‘(d) EFFECT
ON EXECUTIVE ORDER.—Executive
Order No. 12548, dated February 14, 1986 (51 Fed. Reg.
5985), shall not apply to grazing fees established pursuant
to this section.
‘‘(e) EFFECT ON GRAZING ADVISORY BOARDS.—The
grazing advisory boards established pursuant to Secretar-
ial action, notice of which was published in the Federal
Register on May 14, 1986 (51 Fed. Reg. 17874), are abol-
ished, effective as of the date of the enactment of this sec-
tion, and the advisory functions exercised by such boards
shall be exercised only by the appropriate councils estab-
lished under section 309 of this Act.
‘‘(f) USE
OF FEES
AND RANGE IMPROVEMENT
FUNDS.—Funds appropriated pursuant to section 5 of the
Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978 (43 U.S.C.
1904) or any other provision of law related to disposition
of the Federal share of receipts from fees for grazing on
public domain lands or National Forest lands in the 16
contiguous western States shall be used for restoration
and enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat, for restora-
tion and improved management of riparian areas, and for
implementation and enforcement of applicable land man-
agement plans, allotment plans, and regulations regarding
the use of such lands for domestic livestock grazing. Such
funds shall be distributed as the Secretary concerned con-
siders advisable after consultation and coordination with
the advisory councils established pursuant to section 309
of this Act and other interested parties.
‘‘(g) COMMENCEMENT DATE FOR FEES.—The first
annual domestic livestock grazing fee required by this sec-
tion shall apply with respect to the grazing season com-
mencing on March 1, 1998.’’.
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