IB
Union Calendar No. 171
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 708
[Report No. 105–300]
To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study concerning
grazing use of certain land within and adjacent to Grand Teton National
Park, Wyoming, and to extend temporarily certain grazing privileges.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 12, 1997
Mrs. CUBIN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Resources
OCTOBER 6, 1997
Reported with amendments, 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 12, 1997]
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study
concerning grazing use of certain land within and adja-
cent to Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, and to
extend temporarily certain grazing privileges.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives 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 repercus-
sions can be felt throughout the entire region;
(4) a few ranches make up Teton Valley’s re-
maining open space, and the ranches depend on graz-
ing 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 pro-
tect 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 Na-
tional 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 adja-
cent to the Park, including—
(1) base land having appurtenant grazing privi-
leges within Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming,
remaining after January 1, 1990, under the Act enti-
tled ‘‘An Act to establish a new Grand Teton Na-
tional 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 char-
acter to the purposes for which the park was estab-
lished and identify any need for preservation of, and
practicable means of, preserving the land that is nec-
essary 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 rec-
ommendations made for the preservation of the land.
(c) PARTICIPATION.—In conducting the study, the Sec-
retary of the Interior shall seek participation from the Gov-
ernor of the State of Wyoming, the Teton County Commis-
sioners, 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 Sec-
retary 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 sub-
section (a).
SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF GRAZING PRIVILEGES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), the Sec-
retary of the Interior shall reinstate and extend for the du-
ration of the study described in section 2(a) and until such
time as the recommendations 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.
(b) EFFECT OF CHANGE IN LAND USE.—If, during the
period of the study or until such time as the recommenda-
tions 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).
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill 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 tempo-
rarily certain grazing privileges.’’.
Union Calendar No. 171
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 708
[Report No. 105–300]
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct
a study concerning grazing use of certain land
within and adjacent to Grand Teton National
Park, Wyoming, and to extend temporarily cer-
tain grazing privileges.
OCTOBER 6, 1997
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee
of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and or-
dered to be printed