IB 
Union Calendar No. 381 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4234 
[Report No. 112–533, Part I] 
To amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to improve 
the management of grazing leases and permits, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 21, 2012 
Mr. LABRADOR (for himself, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mr. COSTA, Mr. GOSAR, 
Mr. HARRIS, Mrs. LUMMIS, Mrs. NOEM, Mr. REHBERG, Mrs. MCMORRIS 
RODGERS, Mr. SIMPSON, and Mr. WALDEN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
JUNE 15, 2012 
Additional sponsors: Mr. BERG, Mr. AMODEI, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, and Mr. 
KISSELL 
JUNE 15, 2012 
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
JUNE 15, 2012 
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 March 21, 2012] 
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A BILL 
To amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976 to improve the management of grazing leases 
and permits, and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Grazing Improvement 
Act of 2012’’. 
SEC. 2. TERMS OF GRAZING PERMITS AND LEASES. 
Section 402 of the Federal Land Policy and Manage-
ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1752) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘ten years’’ each place it appears 
and inserting ‘‘20 years’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of each of 
paragraphs (1) and (2); 
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) the initial environmental analysis under 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) regarding a grazing allotment, 
permit, or lease has not been completed.’’. 
SEC. 3. RENEWAL, TRANSFER, AND REISSUANCE OF GRAZ-
ING PERMITS AND LEASES. 
(a) AMENDMENT.—Title IV of the Federal Land Policy 
and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 405. RENEWAL, TRANSFER, AND REISSUANCE OF 
GRAZING PERMITS AND LEASES. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) CURRENT
GRAZING
MANAGEMENT.—The 
term ‘current grazing management’ means grazing in 
accordance with the terms and conditions of an exist-
ing permit or lease and includes any modifications 
that are consistent with an applicable Department of 
Interior resource management plan or Department of 
Agriculture land use plan. 
‘‘(2) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘Sec-
retary concerned’ means— 
‘‘(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with re-
spect to National Forest System land; and 
‘‘(B) the Secretary of the Interior, with re-
spect to land under the jurisdiction of the De-
partment of the Interior. 
‘‘(b) RENEWAL, TRANSFER, REISSUANCE, AND PEND-
ING PROCESSING.—A grazing permit or lease issued by the 
Secretary of the Interior, or a grazing permit issued by the 
Secretary of Agriculture regarding National Forest System 
land, that expires, is transferred, or is waived shall be re-
newed or reissued under, as appropriate— 
‘‘(1) section 402; 
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‘‘(2) section 19 of the Act of April 24, 1950 
(commonly known as the ‘Granger-Thye Act’; 16 
U.S.C. 580l); 
‘‘(3) title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Ten-
ant Act (7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.); or 
‘‘(4) section 510 the California Desert Protection 
Act of 1994 (16 U.S.C. 410aaa–50). 
‘‘(c) TERMS; CONDITIONS.—The terms and conditions 
(except the termination date) contained in an expired, 
transferred, or waived permit or lease described in sub-
section (b) shall continue in effect under a renewed or re-
issued permit or lease until the date on which the Secretary 
concerned completes the processing of the renewed or re-
issued permit or lease that is the subject of the expired, 
transferred, or waived permit or lease, in compliance with 
each applicable law. 
‘‘(d) CANCELLATION; SUSPENSION; MODIFICATION.— 
Notwithstanding subsection (c), a permit or lease described 
in subsection (b) may be cancelled, suspended, or modified 
in accordance with applicable law. 
‘‘(e) RENEWAL TRANSFER REISSUANCE AFTER PROC-
ESSING.—When the Secretary concerned has completed the 
processing of the renewed or reissued permit or lease that 
is the subject of the expired, transferred, or waived permit 
or lease, the Secretary concerned may renew or reissue the 
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permit or lease for a term of 20 years after completion of 
processing. 
‘‘(f) COMPLIANCE WITH NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL 
POLICY ACT OF 1969.—The renewal, reissuance, or transfer 
of a grazing permit or lease by the Secretary concerned 
may, at their sole discretion, be categorically excluded from 
the requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or 
an environmental impact statement if— 
‘‘(1) the decision continues to renew, reissue, or 
transfer the current grazing management of the allot-
ment; 
‘‘(2) monitoring of the allotment has indicated 
that the current grazing management has met, or has 
satisfactorily progressed towards meeting, objectives 
contained in the land use and resource management 
plan of the allotment, as determined by the Secretary 
concerned; or 
‘‘(3) the decision is consistent with the policy of 
the Department of the Interior or the Department of 
Agriculture, as appropriate, regarding extraordinary 
circumstances. 
‘‘(g) PRIORITY AND TIMING FOR COMPLETING ENVI-
RONMENTAL ANALYSES.—The Secretary concerned, in the 
sole discretion of the Secretary concerned, shall determine 
the priority and timing for completing each required envi-
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ronmental analysis regarding any grazing allotment, per-
mit, or lease based on the environmental significance of the 
allotment, permit, or lease and available funding for that 
purpose. 
‘‘(h) NEPA EXEMPTIONS.—The National Environ-
mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) shall 
not apply to the following: 
‘‘(1) Crossing and trailing authorizations of do-
mestic livestock. 
‘‘(2) Transfer of grazing preference.’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 is 
amended by adding after the item for section 404, the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘Sec. 405. Renewal, transfer, and reissuance of grazing permits and leases.’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 381 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4234 
[Report No. 112–533, Part I] 
A BILL 
To amend the Federal Land Policy and Manage-
ment Act of 1976 to improve the management of 
grazing leases and permits, and for other pur-
poses. 
JUNE 15, 2012 
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with 
an amendment 
JUNE 15, 2012 
The Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to 
the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the 
Union and ordered to be printed 
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