H. R. 708
One Hundred Fifth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the seventh day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven
An Act
To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study concerning grazing
use and open space within and adjacent to Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming,
and to extend temporarily certain grazing privileges.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that—
(1) open space near Grand Teton National Park continues
to decline;
(2) as the population continues to grow in Teton County,
Wyoming, undeveloped land near the Park becomes more
scarce;
(3) the loss of open space around Teton Park has negative
impacts on wildlife migration routes in the area and on visitors
to the Park, and its repercussions can be felt throughout the
entire region;
(4) a few ranches make up Teton Valley’s remaining open
space, and the ranches depend on grazing in Grand Teton
National Park for summer range to maintain operations;
(5) the Act that created Grand Teton National Park allowed
several permittees to continue livestock grazing in the Park
for the life of a designated heir in the family;
(6) some of the last remaining heirs have died, and as
a result the open space around the Park will most likely be
subdivided and developed;
(7) in order to develop the best solution to protect open
space immediately adjacent to Grand Teton National Park,
the Park Service should conduct a study of open space in
the region; and
(8) the study should develop workable solutions that are
fiscally responsible and acceptable to the National Park Service,
the public, local government, and landowners in the area.
SEC. 2. STUDY OF GRAZING USE AND OPEN SPACE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct
a study concerning grazing use and open space in Grand Teton
National Park, Wyoming, and associated use of certain agricultural
and ranch lands within and adjacent to the Park, including—
H. R. 708—2
(1) base land having appurtenant grazing privileges within
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, remaining after January
1, 1990, under the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to establish a new
Grand Teton National Park in the State of Wyoming, and
for other purposes’’, approved September 14, 1950 (16 U.S.C.
406d–1 et seq.); and
(2) any ranch and agricultural land adjacent to the Park,
the use and disposition of which may affect accomplishment
of the purposes of the Act.
(b) PURPOSE.—The study shall—
(1) assess the significance of the ranching use and pastoral
character of the land (including open vistas, wildlife habitat,
and other public benefits);
(2) assess the significance of that use and character to
the purposes for which the Park was established and identify
any need for preservation of, and practicable means of, preserv-
ing the land that is necessary to protect that use and character;
(3) recommend a variety of economically feasible and viable
tools and techniques to retain the pastoral qualities of the
land; and
(4) estimate the costs of implementing any recommenda-
tions made for the preservation of the land.
(c) PARTICIPATION.—In conducting the study, the Secretary of
the Interior shall seek participation from the Governor of the State
of Wyoming, the Teton County Commissioners, the Secretary of
Agriculture, affected land owners, and other interested members
of the public.
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years from the date funding
is available for the purposes of this Act, the Secretary of the
Interior shall submit a report to Congress that contains the findings
of the study under subsection (a) and makes recommendations
to Congress regarding action that may be taken with respect to
the land described in subsection (a).
SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF GRAZING PRIVILEGES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary of
the Interior shall reinstate and extend for the duration of the
study described in section 2(a) and until such time as the rec-
ommendations of the study are implemented, the grazing privileges
described in section 2(a)(1), under the same terms and conditions
as were in effect prior to the expiration of the privileges.
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(b) EFFECT OF CHANGE IN LAND USE.—If, during the period
of the study or until such time as the recommendations of the
study are implemented, any portion of the land described in section
2(a)(1) is disposed of in a manner that would result in the land
no longer being used for ranching or other agricultural purposes,
the Secretary of the Interior shall cancel the extension described
in subsection (a).
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.