I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2776
To help ensure general aviation aircraft access to Federal land and to the 
airspace over that land. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 17, 2003
Mr. OTTER (for himself, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. 
JONES of North Carolina, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, Mr. FLAKE, 
and Mr. NETHERCUTT) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committees on 
Agriculture, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To help ensure general aviation aircraft access to Federal 
land and to the airspace over that land.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Backcountry Landing 
Strip Access Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Aircraft landing strips serve an essential 
safety role as emergency landing areas. 
(2) Aircraft landing strips provide access to 
people who would otherwise be physically unable to 
enjoy national parks, national forests, and other 
Federal lands. 
(3) Aircraft landing strips serve an essential 
purpose in search and rescue, forest and ecological 
management, research, and aerial mapping. 
(4) Aircraft landing strips serve an essential 
role in firefighting and disaster relief. 
(5) The Secretary of the Interior and the Sec-
retary of Agriculture should adopt a nationwide pol-
icy for governing backcountry aviation issues related 
to the management of Federal land under the juris-
diction of those Secretaries and should require re-
gional managers to adhere to that policy. 
SEC. 3. PROCEDURE FOR CONSIDERATION OF ACTIONS AF-
FECTING AIRCRAFT LANDING STRIPS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Neither the Secretary of the Inte-
rior nor the Secretary of Agriculture shall take any action 
which would permanently close or render or declare as un-
serviceable any aircraft landing strip located on Federal 
land under the administrative jurisdiction of either Sec-
retary unless—
(1) the head of the aviation department of each 
State in which the aircraft landing strip is located 
has approved the action; 
(2) notice of the proposed action and the fact 
that the action would permanently close or render or 
declare as unserviceable the aircraft landing strip 
has been published in the Federal Register; 
(3) a 90-day public comment period on the ac-
tion has been provided after the publication under 
paragraph (2); and 
(4) any comments received during the comment 
period provided under paragraph (3) have been 
taken into consideration by the Secretary of the In-
terior or the Secretary of Agriculture, as the case 
may be, and the head of the aviation department of 
each State in which the affected aircraft landing 
strip is located. 
(b) NATIONAL POLICY.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall—
(1) adopt a nationwide policy that is in accord-
ance with this Act for governing backcountry avia-
tion issues related to the management of Federal 
land under the jurisdiction of those Secretaries; and
(2) require regional managers to adhere to that 
policy. 
(c) REQUIREMENTS FOR POLICIES.—A policy affect-
ing air access to an aircraft landing strip located on Fed-
eral land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the 
Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, including the pol-
icy required by subsection (b), shall not take effect unless 
the policy—
(1) states that the Federal Aviation Adminis-
tration has the sole authority to control aviation and 
airspace over the United States; and 
(2) seeks and considers comments from State 
governments and the public. 
(d) MAINTENANCE OF AIRSTRIPS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall consult 
with—
(A) the head of the aviation department of 
each State in which an aircraft landing strip on 
Federal land under the jurisdiction of that Sec-
retary is located; and 
(B) other interested parties, 
to ensure that such aircraft landing strips are main-
tained in a manner that is consistent with the re-
source values of the adjacent area.
(2) COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS.—The Sec-
retary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agri-
culture may enter into cooperative agreements with 
interested parties for the maintenance of aircraft 
landing strips located on Federal land. 
(e) EXCHANGES OR ACQUISITIONS.—Closure or pur-
poseful neglect of any aircraft landing strip, or any other 
action which would render any aircraft landing strip un-
serviceable, shall not be a condition of any Federal acquisi-
tion of or exchange involving private property upon which 
the aircraft landing strip is located. 
(f) NEW AIRCRAFT LANDING STRIPS
NOT CRE-
ATED.—Nothing in this Act shall be construed to create 
or authorize additional aircraft landing strips. 
(g) PERMANENTLY CLOSE.—For the purposes of this 
Act, the term ‘‘permanently close’’ means any closure the 
duration of which is more than 180 days in any calendar 
year. 
(h) APPLICABILITY.—
(1) AIRCRAFT LANDING STRIPS.—This Act shall 
apply only to established aircraft landing strips on 
Federal lands administered by the Secretary of the 
Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture that are 
commonly known and have been or are consistently 
used for aircraft landing and departure activities.
(2) ACTIONS, POLICIES, EXCHANGES, AND AC-
QUISITIONS.—Subsections (a), (c), and (e) shall 
apply to any action, policy, exchange, or acquisition, 
respectively, that is not final on the date of the en-
actment of this Act. 
(i) FAA AUTHORITY NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in 
this Act shall be construed to affect the authority of the 
Federal Aviation Administration over aviation or airspace.
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