IB 
Union Calendar No. 339 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2966 
[Report No. 108–513, Part I] 
To preserve the use and access of pack and saddle stock animals on public 
lands, including wilderness areas, national monuments, and other specifi-
cally designated areas, administered by the National Park Service, the 
Bureau of Land Management, the United States Fish and Wildlife Serv-
ice, or the Forest Service where there is a historical tradition of such 
use, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 25, 2003 
Mr. RADANOVICH (for himself, Mr. NUNES, Mr. OTTER, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. 
HEFLEY, Mr. HERGER, Mr. REHBERG, and Mr. COLLINS) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources, and in 
addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
MAY 20, 2004 
Reported from the Committee on Resources with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
MAY 20, 2004 
Referral to the Committee on Agriculture extended for a period ending not 
later than June 30, 2004 
JUNE 30, 2004 
Additional sponsors: Mr. LUCAS of Kentucky, Mr. DEAL of Georgia, Mr. 
WAMP, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. DOOLEY of California, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. 
MCKEON, Mr. BEAUPREZ, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, 
Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. MCCOTTER, and Mr. FILNER 
JUNE 30, 2004 
The Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the 
Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July 25, 2003] 
A BILL 
To preserve the use and access of pack and saddle stock 
animals on public lands, including wilderness areas, na-
tional monuments, and other specifically designated 
areas, administered by the National Park Service, the 
Bureau of Land Management, the United States Fish 
and Wildlife Service, or the Forest Service where there 
is a historical tradition of such use, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 ‘‘Right-to-Ride Livestock 
on Federal Lands Act of 2004’’. 
SEC. 2. USE AND ACCESS OF PACK AND SADDLE ANIMALS 
ON PUBLIC LANDS. 
(a) NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM LANDS.—Section 12 of 
Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–7) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(c) USE AND ACCESS OF PACK AND SADDLE ANI-
MALS.— 
‘‘(1) GENERAL RULE.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior shall provide for the management of National 
Park System lands to preserve and facilitate the con-
tinued use and access of pack and saddle stock ani-
mals on such lands, including wilderness areas, na-
tional monuments, and other specifically designated 
areas, where there is a historical tradition of such 
use. As a general rule, all trails, routes, and areas 
used by pack and saddle stock shall remain open and 
accessible for such use. The Secretary may implement 
a proposed reduction in the use and access of pack 
and saddle stock animals on such lands only after 
complying with the full review process required under 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 
‘‘(2) RULES
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
paragraph (1) shall be construed— 
‘‘(A) to authorize the Secretary to refuse to 
issue a permit for a new use of pack and saddle 
stock animals, including use by a commercial 
outfitter or guide, without complying with appli-
cable resource management plans and planning 
processes required under this Act or any other 
provision of law; 
‘‘(B) to limit the authority of the Secretary 
to impose a temporary emergency closure of a 
trail, route, or area to pack and saddle stock 
animals or issue special permits; or
‘‘(C) to create a preference for one rec-
reational use for any unit of the National Park 
System, without consideration of the stated pur-
pose of the unit.’’. 
(b) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT LANDS.—Section 
302 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1732) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection: 
‘‘(e) USE AND ACCESS OF PACK AND SADDLE ANI-
MALS.— 
‘‘(1) GENERAL RULE.—The Secretary shall pro-
vide for the management of public lands to preserve 
and facilitate the continued use and access of pack 
and saddle stock animals on such lands, including 
wilderness areas, national monuments, and other spe-
cifically designated areas, where there is a historical 
tradition of such use. As a general rule, all trails, 
routes, and areas used by pack and saddle stock shall 
remain open and accessible for such use. The Sec-
retary may implement a proposed reduction in the 
use and access of pack and saddle stock animals on 
such lands only after complying with the full review 
process required under the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
‘‘(2) RULES
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
paragraph (1) shall be construed— 
‘‘(A) to authorize the Secretary to refuse to 
issue a permit for a new use of pack and saddle 
stock animals, including use by a commercial 
outfitter or guide, without complying with appli-
cable resource management plans and planning 
processes required under this Act or any other 
provision of law; 
‘‘(B) to limit the authority of the Secretary 
to impose a temporary emergency closure of a 
trail, route, or area to pack and saddle stock 
animals or issue special permits; or 
‘‘(C) to create a preference for one rec-
reational use for any area of the public lands, 
without consideration of the stated purpose of the 
area.’’. 
(c) NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM LANDS.— 
Section 4(d) of the National Wildlife Refuge System Admin-
istration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd(d)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(5)(A) The Secretary shall provide for the manage-
ment of System lands to preserve and facilitate the contin-
ued use and access of pack and saddle stock animals on 
such lands, including wilderness areas, national monu-
ments, and other specifically designated areas, where there 
is a historical tradition of such use. As a general rule, all 
trails, routes, and areas used by pack and saddle stock shall 
remain open and accessible for such use. The Secretary may 
implement a proposed reduction in the use and access of 
pack and saddle stock animals on such lands only after 
complying with the full review process required under the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.). 
‘‘(B) Nothing in subparagraph (A) shall be con-
strued— 
‘‘(i) to authorize the Secretary to refuse to issue 
a permit for a new use of pack and saddle stock ani-
mals, including use by a commercial outfitter or 
guide, without complying with applicable resource 
management plans and planning processes required 
under this Act or any other provision of law; 
‘‘(ii) to limit the authority of the Secretary to 
impose a temporary emergency closure of a trail, 
route, or area to pack and saddle stock animals or 
issue special permits; or 
‘‘(iii) to create a preference for one recreational 
use for any unit of the System, without consideration 
of the stated purpose of the unit.’’.
(d) NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS.—Section 15 of 
the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning 
Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1613) is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(a)’’ before ‘‘REGULATIONS’’; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(b) USE AND ACCESS OF PACK AND SADDLE ANI-
MALS.— 
‘‘(1) GENERAL RULE.—The Secretary shall pro-
vide for the management of National Forest System 
lands to preserve and facilitate the continued use and 
access of pack and saddle stock animals on such 
lands, including wilderness areas, national monu-
ments, and other specifically designated areas, where 
there is a historical tradition of such use. As a gen-
eral rule, all trails, routes, and areas used by pack 
and saddle stock shall remain open and accessible for 
such use. The Secretary may implement a proposed 
reduction in the use and access of pack and saddle 
stock animals on such lands only after complying 
with the full review process required under the Na-
tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.).
‘‘(2) RULES
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
paragraph (1) shall be construed— 
‘‘(A) to authorize the Secretary to refuse to 
issue a permit for a new use of pack and saddle 
stock animals, including use by a commercial 
outfitter or guide, without complying with appli-
cable resource management plans and planning 
processes required under this Act or any other 
provision of law; 
‘‘(B) to limit the authority of the Secretary 
to impose a temporary emergency closure of a 
trail, route, or area to pack and saddle stock 
animals or issue special permits; or 
‘‘(C) to create a preference for one rec-
reational use for any unit of the National Forest 
System, without consideration of the stated pur-
pose of the unit.’’. 
(e) ISSUANCE OF RULES.—Not later than 120 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall issue 
final rules to define the meaning of a historical tradition 
of use of pack and saddle stock animals on Federal lands 
for purposes of the amendments made by this section.
Union Calendar No. 339 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2966 
[Report No. 108–513, Part I] 
A BILL 
To preserve the use and access of pack and saddle 
stock animals on public lands, including wilder-
ness areas, national monuments, and other spe-
cifically designated areas, administered by the 
National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Man-
agement, the United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service, or the Forest Service where there is a 
historical tradition of such use, and for other 
purposes. 
JUNE 30, 2004 
The Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to 
the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the 
Union and ordered to be printed