[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2229 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2229

To withdraw certain Federal land in the Wyoming Range from leasing and 
 provide an opportunity to retire certain leases in the Wyoming Range.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 25, 2007

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To withdraw certain Federal land in the Wyoming Range from leasing and 
 provide an opportunity to retire certain leases in the Wyoming Range.

    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 ``Wyoming Range Legacy Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the Wyoming Range, a rugged chain of mountains running 
        north-south for greater than 100 miles in western Wyoming, 
        managed by the Bridger-Teton National Forest, contains some of 
        the finest scenic views, wildlife habitat, and outdoor 
        recreational opportunities in the State of Wyoming;
            (2) the Wyoming Range provides world-class hunting and 
        fishing opportunities;
            (3) many area outfitters, ranchers, and businesses rely on 
        the habitat and recreational values of the Wyoming Range 
        remaining undiminished;
            (4) energy development on Federal land in the State of 
        Wyoming contributes significantly to domestic energy production 
        in the United States; and
            (5) consistent with the multiple use mandate for national 
        forest land, currently producing oil and gas leases within the 
        Wyoming Range would be unaffected by this Act.
    (b) Purposes.--The purpose of this Act are--
            (1) to establish the Wyoming Range Withdrawal Area, which 
        would withdraw areas in the Wyoming Range portion of the 
        Bridger-Teton National Forest from location, entry, leasing, 
        and patent under the mining laws; and
            (2) to allow for the retirement of existing oil and gas 
        leases within the Wyoming Range Withdrawal Area that are 
        relinquished or otherwise acquired by the United States.

SEC. 3. WITHDRAWAL OF CERTAIN LAND IN THE WYOMING RANGE.

    (a) In General.--Subject to valid rights in existence on the date 
of enactment of this Act and subsections (c) and (d) (including valid 
rights under leases in effect on the date of enactment of this Act), 
land in the Wyoming Range described in subsection (b) is withdrawn 
from--
            (1) all forms of appropriation or disposal under the public 
        land laws;
            (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
            (3) disposition under laws relating to mineral and 
        geothermal leasing or mineral materials.
    (b) Covered Land.--Subsection (a) applies to all Forest Service 
land and federally owned minerals located within the boundaries of the 
Bridger-Teton National Forest identified on the map entitled ``Wyoming 
Range Withdrawal Area'' and dated October 17, 2007, on file with the 
Office of the Chief of the Forest Service and the Office of the 
Supervisor of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
    (c) Existing Rights.--If an existing right to land otherwise 
withdrawn from leasing under this section is relinquished or otherwise 
acquired by the United States after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the land subject to the existing right is withdrawn from leasing in 
accordance with this section.
    (d) Buffers.--Nothing in this section requires--
            (1) the creation of a protective perimeter or buffer area 
        outside the boundaries of the land withdrawn under this 
        section; or
            (2) any prohibition on activities that can be seen or heard 
        from within the boundaries of the land withdrawn under this 
        section.
    (e) Forest Plan.--The Bridger-Teton National Forest Plan (including 
any revisions) shall apply to any land within the Bridger-Teton 
National Forest that is not withdrawn under this section and any leases 
of that land.

SEC. 4. RETIREMENT OF CERTAIN LEASES IN THE WYOMING RANGE.

    (a) Request for Lease Retirement.--A lessee of a valid existing 
Federal oil, gas, or other mineral lease within the Wyoming Range 
Withdrawal Area covered by section 3(b) may submit a written request to 
the Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this section as the 
``Secretary'') for the retirement and repurchase of the lease.
    (b) Authority of Secretary.--The Secretary may use non-Federal 
funds to purchase any lease from a lessee who requests retirement and 
repurchase of the lease under subsection (a).
    (c) Amount.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the 
        amount of the purchase price for a lease retired under this 
        section shall be based on fair market value, as determined from 
        an appraisal that is agreed to by the Secretary and the lessee.
            (2) Donations authorized.--A lessee may--
                    (A) waive a claim to compensation, in whole or in 
                part, under this section; and
                    (B) donate to the Secretary a valid existing lease 
                in the Wyoming Range Withdrawal Area.
            (3) Acceptance of other compensation.--Nothing in this Act 
        limits compensation from a private, State, or other source in 
        lieu of, or in addition to, receiving compensation under this 
        section.
    (d) Cancellation of Repurchased and Donated Leases.--
            (1) Cancellation.--The Secretary shall cancel each lease 
        that is acquired under this section.
            (2) Withdrawal.--Land that is subject to a lease that is 
        cancelled under paragraph (1) is withdrawn in accordance with 
        section 3.
    (e) Notification of Leaseholders.--Not later than 120 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide notice 
to holders of valid existing Federal leases within the Wyoming Range 
Withdrawal Area of the opportunity for repurchase and retirement under 
this section.
    (f) Relationship to Other Authority.--Nothing in this section 
affects any authority the Secretary may otherwise have to modify, 
suspend, or terminate a lease without compensation.
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