To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study concerning grazing use of certain land within and adjacent to Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, and to extend temporarily certain grazing privileges.
PL 105-81 (H.R.708), enacted 11/13/1997

PUBLIC LAW 105-81—NOV. 13, 1997 
111 STAT. 1537 
Public Law 105-81 
105th Congress 
An Act 
To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study concerning grazing 
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use and open space within and adjacent to Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, 
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and to extend temporarily certain grazing privileges. 
[H.R. 708] 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
16 USC 406d-2 
Congress finds that— 
(1) open space near Grand Teton National Park continues 
to decline; 
(2) as the population continues to grow in Teton County, 
Wyoming, undeveloped land near the Park becomes more 
scarce; 
(3) the loss of open space around Teton Park has negative 
impacts on wildlife migration routes in the area and on visitors 
to the Park, and its repercussions can be felt throughout the 
entire region; 
(4) a few ranches make up Teton Valleys remaining open 
space, and the ranches depend on grazing in Grand Teton 
National Park for summer range to maintain operations; 
(5) the Act that created Grand Teton National Park allowed 
several permittees to continue livestock grazing in the Park 
for the life of a designated heir in the family; 
(6) some of the last remaining heirs have died, and as 
a result the open space around the Park will most likely be 
subdivided and developed; 
(7) in order to develop the best solution to protect open 
space immediately adjacent to Grand Teton National Park, 
the Park Service should conduct a study of open space in 
the region; and 
(8) the study should develop workable solutions that are 
fiscally responsible and acceptable to the National Park Service, 
the public, local government, and landowners in the area. 
SEC. 2. STUDY OF GRAZING USE AND OPEN SPACE. 
16 USC 406d-2 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct 
a study concerning grazing use and open space in Grand Teton 
National Park, Wyoming, and associated use of certain agricultural 
and ranch lands within and adjacent to the Park, including— 
I l l STAT. 1538 
PUBLIC LAW 105-81—NOV. 13, 1997 
(1) base land having appurtenant grazing privileges within 
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, remaining after January 
1, 1990, under the Act entitled "An Act to establish a new 
Grand Teton National Park in the State of Wyoming, and 
for other purposes", approved September 14, 1950 (16 U.S.C. 
406d-l et seq.); and 
(2) any ranch and agricultural land adjacent to the Park, 
the use and disposition of which may affect accomplishment 
of the purposes of the Act. 
(b) PURPOSE.—^The study shall— 
(1) assess the significance of the ranching use and pastoral 
character of the land (including open vistas, wildlife habitat, 
and other public benefits); 
(2) assess the significance of that use and character to 
the purposes for which the Park was established and identify 
any need for preservation of, and practicable means of, preserv-
ing the land that is necessary to protect that use and character; 
(3) recommend a variety of economically feasible and viable 
tools and techniques to retain the pastoral qualities of the 
land; and 
(4) estimate the costs of implementing any recommenda-
tions made for the preservation of the land. 
(c) PARTICIPATION.—In conducting the study, the Secretary of 
the Interior shall seek participation from the Governor of the State 
of Wyoming, the Teton County Commissioners, the Secretary of 
Agriculture, affected land owners, and other interested members 
of the public. 
(d) REPORT.—^Not later than 3 years from the date funding 
is available for the purposes of this Act, the Secretary of the 
Interior shall submit a report to Congress that contains the findings 
of the study under subsection (a) and makes recommendations 
to Congress regarding action that may be taken with respect to 
the land described in subsection (a). 
16 use 406d-2 
SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF GRAZING PRIVILEGES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary of 
the Interior shall reinstate and extend for the duration of the 
study described in section 2(a) and until such time as the rec-
ommendations of the study are implemented, the grazing privileges 
described in section 2(a)(1), under the same terms and conditions 
as were in effect prior to the expiration of the privileges. 
PUBLIC LAW 105-81—NOV. 13, 1997 
111 STAT. 1539 
(b) EFFECT OF CHANGE IN LAND USE.—If, during the period 
of the study or until such time as the recommendations of the 
study are implemented, any portion of the land described in section 
2(a)(1) is disposed of in a manner that would result in the land 
no longer being used for ranching or other agricultural purposes, 
the Secretary of the Interior shall cancel the extension described 
in subsection (a). 
Approved November 13, 1997. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 708 (S. 308): 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 105-300 (Comm. on Resources). 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 105-64 accompanying S. 308 (Comm. on Energy and Natu-
I*3J RGSOUrCGS^ 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 143 (1997): 
Oct. 21, considered and passed House. 
Nov. 4, considered and passed Senate.