[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 643 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 643

     To raise grazing fees on public lands, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 26, 1993

 Mr. Synar (for himself and Mr. Regula) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To raise grazing fees on public lands, 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. ANNUAL DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK GRAZING FEE.

    Section 401 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
(43 U.S.C. 1751), is hereby amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsections:
    ``(c)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary 
of Agriculture, with respect to National Forest lands in the 16 
contiguous western states (except 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 beginning with the grazing season which 
commences on March 1, 1993, an annual domestic livestock grazing fee 
equal to fair market value: Provided, That the fee charged for any 
given year shall not increase nor decrease by more than 33.3 percent 
from the previous year's grazing fee.
    ``(2)(A) For purposes of this subsection, the term `fair market 
value' is defined as follows:

                                                                        
                                   Appraised Base Value x Forage Value  
                                                  Index                 
          Fair Market Value=   -----------------------------------------
                                                   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 Department of Agriculture, and set with the 1993 
        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 per month), as determined in 
        the 1986 report prepared jointly by the Secretary of 
        Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior entitled `Grazing 
        Fee Review 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 1993.
    ``(3) Executive Order No. 12548, dated February 14, 1986, shall not 
apply to grazing fees established pursuant to this Act.
    ``(d) The grazing advisory 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 functions exercised by such boards, shall, after the 
date of enactment of this sentence, be exercised only by the 
appropriate councils established under this section.
    ``(e) Funds appropriated 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, 
allotment 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.''.

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