[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2966 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2966

  To preserve the use and access of pack and saddle stock animals on 
public lands, including wilderness areas, national 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 purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2003

 Mr. Radanovich (for himself, Mr. Nunes, Mr. Otter, Mr. Doolittle, Mr. 
   Hefley, Mr. Herger, Mr. Rehberg, and Mr. Collins) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources, and 
    in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To preserve the use and access of pack and saddle stock animals on 
public lands, including wilderness areas, national 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 purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Right-to-Ride Livestock on Federal 
Lands Act of 2003''.

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 adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(c) Use and Access of Pack and Saddle Animals.--The Secretary of 
the Interior shall provide for the management of National 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 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 
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.).''.
    (b) Bureau of Land Management Lands.--Section 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 Animals.--The Secretary 
shall provide 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 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 Secretary 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.).''.
    (c) National Wildlife Refuge System Lands.--Section 4(d) of the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 
668dd(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(5) The Secretary shall provide for the management of 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 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 
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.).''.
    (d) National Forest System Lands.--Section 15 of the Forest and 
Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1613) is 
amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a)'' before ``The Secretary''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) The Secretary shall provide 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 monuments, 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 Secretary 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.).''.
    (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.
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