IB
Union Calendar No. 498
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3661
[Report No. 106–841, Part I]
To help ensure general aviation aircraft access to Federal land and to the
airspace over that land.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 15, 2000
Mr. HANSEN (for himself, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. PETERSON of Min-
nesota, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr. HAYES, Mr. HEFLEY, Mrs.
CUBIN, Mr. MCINNIS, Mrs. CHENOWETH-HAGE, Mr. JENKINS, Mr.
SHADEGG, Mr. JONES of North Carolina, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. RADANO-
VICH, and Mr. CANNON) 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
SEPTEMBER 12, 2000
Additional sponsors: Mr. COBLE, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. MORAN of
Kansas, Mr. BASS, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. BACHUS,
Mr. STUMP, Mr. SWEENEY, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. HASTINGS
of Washington, Mr. NETHERCUTT, Mr. METCALF, and Mr. WALDEN of
Oregon
SEPTEMBER 12, 2000
Reported from the Committee on Resources with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
SEPTEMBER 12, 2000
Referral to the Committees on Agriculture and Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture extended for a period ending not later than September 12, 2000
SEPTEMBER 12, 2000
The Committees on Agriculture and Transportation and Infrastructure dis-
charged; 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 February 15, 2000]
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) 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.
(2) Aircraft landing strips serve an essential
safety role as emergency landing areas.
(3) Aircraft landing strips provide access to peo-
ple who would otherwise be physically unable to enjoy
national parks, national forests, and other Federal
lands and serve an essential purpose in search and
rescue, firefighting, forest, and ecological manage-
ment, research, and aerial mapping.
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 Interior 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 aviation
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 affecting
air access to an aircraft landing strip located on Federal
land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior
or the Secretary of Agriculture, including the policy re-
quired by subsection (b), shall not take effect unless the
policy—
(1) states that the Federal Aviation Administra-
tion 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 Interior
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 Secretary
of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture may
enter into cooperative agreements with interested par-
ties for the maintenance of aircraft landing strips lo-
cated 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 CREATED.—
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