Calendar No. 485

To amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to ensure that ranchers who have grazing agreements on national grasslands are treated the same as permittees on other Federal land.

To amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to ensure that ranchers who have grazing agreements on national grasslands are treated the same as permittees on other Federal land.

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

SECTION 1. Short title.

SEC. 2. Eligibility of national grasslands for grazing leases and permits.

(a) In general.—Section 402(a) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1752(a)) is amended by striking “lands within National Forests in the sixteen contiguous Western States” and inserting “National Forest System (as defined in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a))) land”.

(b) Effect.—Nothing in the amendment made by subsection (a) modifies or affects—

(1) the applicability to national grasslands of any provision of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) other than section 402 of that Act (43 U.S.C. 1752);

(2) title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.); or

(3) section 11 of the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978 (43 U.S.C. 1907).