IIB 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2966
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
SEPTEMBER 22, 2004
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources 
AN ACT 
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.
HR 2966 RFS 
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 Live-
stock 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 add-
ing at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(c) USE AND ACCESS OF PACK AND SADDLE ANI-
MALS.—
‘‘(1) GENERAL
RULE.—The Secretary of the 
Interior shall provide for the management of Na-
tional Park System 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 specifically 
designated areas, where there is a historical tradi-
tion of such use. As a general rule, all trails, routes, 
and areas used by pack and saddle stock shall re-
main 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
HR 2966 RFS 
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 com-
mercial outfitter or guide, without complying 
with applicable 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 
purpose of the unit.’’. 
(b) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT LANDS.—Sec-
tion 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.—
HR 2966 RFS 
‘‘(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 
specifically designated areas, where there is a histor-
ical 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 ani-
mals on such lands only after complying with the 
full review process required under the National En-
vironmental 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 com-
mercial outfitter or guide, without complying 
with applicable resource management plans and 
planning processes required under this Act or 
any other provision of law;
HR 2966 RFS 
‘‘(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 Ad-
ministration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd(d)) is amend-
ed 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 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.).
HR 2966 RFS 
‘‘(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 animals, including use by a commercial out-
fitter or guide, without complying with applicable re-
source management plans and planning processes re-
quired 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 consider-
ation of the stated purpose of the unit.’’. 
(d) NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS.—Section 15 
of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Plan-
ning 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.—
HR 2966 RFS 
‘‘(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 pro-
posed reduction in the use and access of pack and 
saddle stock animals on such lands only after com-
plying 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 com-
mercial outfitter or guide, without complying 
with applicable resource management plans and 
planning processes required under this Act or 
any other provision of law;
HR 2966 RFS 
‘‘(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 For-
est System, without consideration of the stated 
purpose 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.
Passed the House of Representatives September 21, 
2004. 
Attest: 
JEFF TRANDAHL, 
Clerk.