1.This Act may be cited as the
Wyoming Range Legacy Act of
2007
.
2.
(a)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)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.
3.Withdrawal of
certain land in the Wyoming Range
(a)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Range described in subsection (b) is withdrawn from—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)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(c)If an existing right to land otherwise withdrawn from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existing right is withdrawn from leasing in accordance with this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)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)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.
4.Retirement of
certain leases in the Wyoming Range
(a)Request for
lease retirementA 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)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)
(1)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)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 compensationNothing 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)The
Secretary shall cancel each lease that is acquired under this section.
(2)Land
that is subject to a lease that is cancelled under paragraph (1) is withdrawn
in accordance with section 3.
(e)Notification of
leaseholdersNot 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 authorityNothing in this section affects any authority the
Secretary may otherwise have to modify, suspend, or terminate a lease without
compensation.
1.This Act may be cited as the
Wyoming Range Legacy Act of
2008
.
2.In this Act:
(1)The
term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.
(2)Wyoming Range
Withdrawal AreaThe term
Wyoming Range Withdrawal Area means all National Forest System
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.
3.Withdrawal of certain
land in the Wyoming range
(a)Except
as provided in subsection (f), subject to valid existing rights as of the date
of enactment of this Act and the provisions of this Act, land in the Wyoming
Range Withdrawal Area 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.
(b)If any right referred to in subsection (a) is relinquished
or otherwise acquired by the United States (including through donation under
section 4) after the date of enactment of this Act, the land subject to that
right shall be withdrawn in accordance with this section.
(c)Nothing
in this section requires—
(1)the creation of a
protective perimeter or buffer area outside the boundaries of the Wyoming Range
Withdrawal Area; or
(2)any prohibition on
activities outside of the boundaries of the Wyoming Range Withdrawal Area that
can be seen or heard from within the boundaries of the Wyoming Range Withdrawal
Area.
(d)Land and Resource
Management Plan
(1)Subject to paragraph (2), the Bridger-Teton National Land
and Resource Management Plan (including any revisions to the Plan) shall apply
to any land within the Wyoming Range Withdrawal Area.
(2)If
there is a conflict between this Act and the Bridger-Teton National Land and
Resource Management Plan, this Act shall apply.
(e)Nothing in this section prohibits the Secretary from taking
any action necessary to issue, deny, remove the suspension of, or cancel a
lease, or any sold lease parcel that has not been issued, pursuant to any lease
sale conducted prior to the date of enactment of this Act, including the
completion of any requirements under the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.).
(f)Notwithstanding
the withdrawal in subsection (a), the Secretary may lease oil and gas resources
in the Wyoming Range Withdrawal Area that are within 1 mile of the boundary of
the Wyoming Range Withdrawal Area in accordance with the Mineral Leasing Act
(30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) and subject to the following conditions:
(1)The lease may only be
accessed by directional drilling from a lease held by production on the date of
enactment of this Act on National Forest System land that is adjacent to, and
outside of, the Wyoming Range Withdrawal Area.
(2)The lease shall prohibit,
without exception or waiver, surface occupancy and surface disturbance for any
activities, including activities related to exploration, development, or
production.
(3)The directional drilling
may extend no further than 1 mile inside the boundary of the Wyoming Range
Withdrawal Area.
4.Acceptance of the
donation of valid existing mining or leasing rights in the Wyoming
range
(a)Notification of
leaseholdersNot later than 120 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall provide notice to holders of valid existing
mining or leasing rights within the Wyoming Range Withdrawal Area of the
potential opportunity for repurchase of those rights and retirement under this
section.
(b)Request for lease
retirement
(1)A holder of a valid existing mining or leasing right
within the Wyoming Range Withdrawal Area may submit a written notice to the
Secretary of the interest of the holder in the retirement and repurchase of
that right.
(2)List of interested
holdersThe Secretary shall prepare a list of interested holders
and make the list available to any non-Federal entity or person interested in
acquiring that right for retirement by the Secretary.
(c)The
Secretary may not use any Federal funds to purchase any right referred to in
subsection (a).
(d)The Secretary shall—
(1)accept the donation of
any valid existing mining or leasing right in the Wyoming Range Withdrawal Area
from the holder of that right or from any non-Federal entity or person that
acquires that right; and
(2)on acceptance, cancel
that right.
(e)Relationship to other
authorityNothing in this Act affects any authority the Secretary
may otherwise have to modify, suspend, or terminate a lease without
compensation, or to recognize the transfer of a valid existing mining or
leasing right, if otherwise authorized by law.
June 16, 2008
Reported with an amendment