I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1602
To reform the management of grazing on the public range lands.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 1, 1993
Mr. VENTO (for himself and Mr. DARDEN) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
A BILL
To reform the management of grazing on the public range
lands.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND FINDINGS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Public Rangeland Grazing Reform Act of 1993’’.
(b) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds—
(1) the Federal rangelands and riparian areas
under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Man-
agement and the Forest Service in Western States
should be managed in a manner to achieve and sus-
tain a status of healthy native range and riparian
ecosystems and in a manner that will sustain a full
and thriving spectrum of biologically diverse plant
and animal species within such ecosystems;
(2) a substantial amount of Federal rangeland
continues to be in a deteriorated condition;
(3) measures taken by the Bureau of Land
Management and the Forest Service to improve the
condition of Federal rangelands have not resulted in
sufficient progress toward the achievement of eco-
logically healthy and biologically diverse range and
riparian ecosystems for these lands;
(4) the fee formula established by Executive
Order Numbered 12548 of February 14, 1986, has
resulted in fees that have not returned to the Na-
tion’s citizens an adequate return for the privilege of
utilizing affected rangeland for livestock grazing;
and
(5) it is necessary to revise applicable law so as
to improve management of grazing on rangelands in
Western States managed by the Bureau of Land
Management and the Forest Service.
SEC. 2. GRAZING FEES.
(a) FLPMA AMENDMENT.—Section 401 of the Fed-
eral Land Policy Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C.
1751) is amended by repealing subsection (a), and para-
graph (b)(1), by redesignating paragraph (b)(2) as para-
graph (a)(1), by redesignating paragraph (b)(3) as para-
graph (a)(2), and by adding at the end of the section the
following:
‘‘(b)(1) Except as provided in subsection (c), the Sec-
retary of Agriculture, with respect to national forest lands
in the 16 contiguous Western States (including national
grasslands) administered by the United States Forest
Service where domestic livestock grazing is permitted
under applicable law, and the Secretary of the Interior
with respect to public domain lands administered by the
Bureau of Land Management where domestic livestock
grazing is permitted under applicable law, shall establish
and implement, beginning with the grazing season which
commences on March 1, 1994, an annual domestic live-
stock grazing fee equal to fair market value.
‘‘(2)(A) For purposes of this subsection, the term
‘fair market value’ is defined as follows:
Fair Market Value =
Appraised Base Value × Forage Value Index
100
‘‘(B) For the purposes of subparagraph (A)—
‘‘(i) the term ‘Forage Value Index’ means the
Forage Value Index (FVI) computed annually by the
Economic Research Service, United States Depart-
ment of Agriculture, and set with the 1991 FVI
equal to 100; and
‘‘(ii) the term ‘Appraised Base Value’ means
the 1983 Appraisal Value conclusions for mature
cattle and horses (expressed in dollars per head or
pair month), as determined in the 1986 report pre-
pared jointly by the Secretary of Agriculture and the
Secretary of the Interior entitled ‘Grazing Fee Re-
view and Evaluation’, dated February 1986, on a
westwide basis using the lowest appraised value of
the pricing areas adjusted for advanced payment
and indexed to 1991.
‘‘(3) Executive Order Numbered 12548, dated Feb-
ruary 14, 1986, shall not apply to grazing fees established
pursuant to this Act.
‘‘(c) ALTERNATIVE FEES.—The Secretary concerned
is authorized to implement a program enabling persons
permitted to graze domestic livestock on land described
in subsection (b) to pay grazing fees in an amount less
than would otherwise be required by subsection (b) if such
persons meet requirements established by such Secretary
to improve the condition of affected range and riparian
ecosystems and the biological diversity of such ecosystems.
‘‘(d) CONSOLIDATION OF BOARDS.—The grazing ad-
visory boards established pursuant to Secretarial action,
notice of which was published in the Federal Register on
May 14, 1986 (51 Fed. Reg. 17874), are hereby abolished,
and the advisory function exercised by such boards, shall,
after the date of enactment of this subsection, be exercised
only by the appropriate councils established under this
section.
‘‘(e) U.S. SHARE
OF RECEIPTS.—Funds appro-
priated pursuant to section 5 of the Public Rangelands
Improvement Act of 1978 (43 U.S.C. 1904) or any other
provision of law related to disposition of the Federal share
of receipts from fees for grazing on public domain lands
or National Forest lands in the 16 contiguous Western
States shall be used for restoration and enhancement of
fish and wildlife habitat, for restoration and improved
management of riparian areas, and for implementation
and enforcement of applicable land management plans, al-
lotment plans, and regulations regarding the use of such
lands for domestic livestock grazing. Such funds shall be
distributed as the Secretary concerned deems advisable
after consultation and coordination with the advisory
councils established pursuant to section 309 of this Act
and other interested parties.’’.
(b) TAYLOR GRAZING ACT AMENDMENT.—Section
10 of the Taylor Grazing Act (43 U.S.C. 315i) is amended
to read as follows: