[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 308 Reported in Senate (RS)]





                                                       Calendar No. 146

105th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 308

                          [Report No. 105-64]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

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.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 2, 1997

        Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the title





                                                       Calendar No. 146
105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 308

                          [Report No. 105-64]

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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 12, 1997

 Mr. Thomas (for himself and Mr. Enzi) introduced the following bill; 
   which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

                           September 2, 1997

 Reported by Mr. Murkowski, with an amendment and an amendment to the 
                                 title
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Congress finds that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) open space near Grand Teton National Park 
        continues to decline;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) as the population continues to grow in Teton 
        County, Wyoming, undeveloped land near the Park becomes more 
        scarce;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) a few ranches make up Teton Valley's remaining 
        open space, and the ranches depend on grazing in Grand Teton 
        National Park for summer range to maintain 
        operations;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) the last remaining heirs have died, and as a 
        result the open space around the Park will most likely be 
        subdivided and developed;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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 grazing in the 
        area and its impact on open space in the region; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. STUDY OF GRAZING USE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior shall 
conduct a study concerning grazing use in Grand Teton National Park, 
Wyoming, and associated use of certain agricultural and ranch lands 
within and adjacent to the park, including--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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-1 et seq.); and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Purpose.--The study shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) determine the significance of the ranching use 
        and pastoral character (including open vistas, wildlife 
        habitat, and other public benefits) of the land;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) determine the significance of that use and 
        character to the purposes for which Grand Teton National Park 
        was established;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) identify any need for preservation of, and 
        practicable means of preserving, the land that is necessary to 
        protect that use and character; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) estimate the costs of implementing any 
        recommendations made for the preservation of the 
        land.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (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 landowners, and other interested members of the 
public.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
enactment 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).</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF GRAZING PRIVILEGES.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (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), 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.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Effect of Change in Land Use.--If, during the period 
of the study, any portion of the land described in section 2(a)(1) is 
disposed of in a manner that would result in the land's no longer being 
used for ranching or other agricultural purposes, the Secretary of the 
Interior shall cancel the extension described in subsection 
(a).</DELETED>

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    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 Grand Teton National 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 Valley's 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 the last remaining heirs have died, and as a 
        result of the possible termination of ranching, the open space 
        around the park may 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 
        National Park Service should conduct a study of grazing in the 
        area and its impact on 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.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter 
referred to as the ``Secretary''), shall conduct a study concerning 
grazing use and open space in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming 
(hereinafter referred to as the ``park''), and associated use of 
certain agricultural and ranch lands within and adjacent to the park, 
including--
            (1) base land having appurtenant grazing privileges within 
        the park, 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-1 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 park's enabling Act.
    (b) Purpose.--The study shall--
            (1) assess the significance of the ranching use and 
        pastoral character (including open vistas, wildlife habitat, 
        and other public benefits) of the land;
            (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 
        preserving, the land that is necessary to protect that use and 
        character; and
            (3) recommend a variety of economically feasible and viable 
        tools and techniques to retain the pastoral qualities of the 
        area, and estimate the costs of implementing any 
        recommendations made for the preservation of the land.
    (c) Participation.--In conducting the study, the Secretary shall 
consult with the Governor of the State of Wyoming, the Teton County 
Commissioners, the Secretary of Agriculture, affected landowners, and 
other interested members of the public.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 3 years from the date funding is made 
available, the Secretary 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).

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF GRAZING PRIVILEGES.

    (a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary shall 
reinstate and extend for the duration of the study described in section 
2(a) and until such time as 6 months after the recommendations of the 
study are submitted, 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.
    (b) Effect of Change in Land Use.--If, during the period of the 
study or until 6 months after the recommendations of the study are 
submitted, 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 shall 
cancel the extension described in subsection (a).
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to require the 
        Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study concerning grazing 
        use and open space of certain land within and adjacent to Grand 
        Teton National Park, Wyoming, and to extend temporarily certain 
        grazing privileges.''.