An act to provide for a study of grazing phaseout at Capitol Reef National Park, and for other purposes.
PL 97-341 (S.1872), enacted 10/15/1982

PUBLIC LAW 97-341—OCT. 15, 1982 
96 STAT. 1639 
Public Law 97 
97th Congress 
-341 
An Act 
To provide for a study of grazing phaseout at Capitol Reef National Park, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. Where any Federal lands included within the boundary 
of Capitol Reef National Park are legally occupied or utilized on the 
date of enactment of this Act for grazing purposes, pursuant to a 
lease, permit, or license which is— 
(1) for a fixed term of years issued or authorized by any 
department, establishment, or agency of the United States, and 
(2) scheduled for termination before December 31,1992, 
notwithstanding the provisions of section 3 of the Act of December 
18, 1971, entitled "An Act to establish the Capitol Reef National 
Park in the State of Utah" (85 Stat. 740; 16 U.S.C. 273b), the 
Secretary of the Interior shall allow the persons holding such 
grazing privileges (or their heirs) to retain such grazing privileges 
until December 31,1994. 
SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director 
of the National Park Service, in cooperation with the Director of the 
Bureau of Land Management, shall take such steps as may be 
necessary to, within ninety days after the enactment of this Act, 
enter into a contract with the National Academy of Sciences for the 
purpose of conducting a study of grazing in Capitol Reef National 
Park and vicinity to: 
(1) determine the historic and current impact of grazing upon 
the natural ecosystem and cultural resources of the park; 
(2) determine the impacts of grazing upon visitor use within 
the park; 
(3) evaluate alternatives to grazing within Capitol Reef 
National Park including means to increase grazing carrying 
capacity on adjacent Bureau of Land Management lands; 
(4) determine the economic impact upon grazing permit hold-
ers, and on the local economy, if such permits were terminated; 
and 
(5) include such other information and findings as may be 
deemed necessary by the Secretary of the Interior. 
Such study shall be conducted in accordance with the best scientific 
methodology (as set forth by the National Academy of Sciences) and 
shall be transmitted by the National Academy of Sciences to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States 
Senate, to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the 
United States House of Representatives, and to the Director of the 
National Park Service no later than January 1, 1992. Progress 
reports regarding the study shall be transmitted to the above Com-
mittees on January 1, 1984, and January 1 of each year thereafter. 
SEC. 3. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. No 
Oct. 15, 1982 
[S. 1872] 
Capitol Reef 
National Park, 
grazing phaseout 
study. 
16 u s e 273b 
note. 
Contract. 
16 u s e 273b 
note. 
Transmittal to 
congressional 
committees. 
Appropriation 
authorization. 
16 u s e 273b 
note. 
96 STAT. 1640 
PUBLIC LAW 97-341—OCT. 15, 1982 
authority under this Act to enter into contracts or to make pay-
ments shall be effective except to the extent and in such amounts as 
provided in advance in appropriations Acts. Nothing in this section 
shall be construed to prevent the Secretary of the Interior from 
utilizing, for purposes of the contract referred to in section 2, funds 
which are available to the Secretary for such purposes under 
authority of 
law. 
Approved October 15, 1982. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1872: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 97-823 (Comm. on Interior and Insular Affairs). 
SENATE REPORT No. 97-448 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 128 (1982): 
June 9, considered and passed Senate. 
Sept. 20, considered and passed House, amended. 
Sept. 30, Senate concurred in House amendments, with amendments; House 
concurred in Senate amendments.