[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 144 (Monday, October 12, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12395-S12396]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   EXPRESSING SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING FOREST SERVICE POLICY FOR 
                RECREATIONAL SHOOTING AND ARCHERY RANGES

  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Energy 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Con. Res. 123 
and, further, that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 123) to express the 
     sense of Congress regarding the policy of the Forest Service 
     toward recreational shooting and archery ranges on Federal 
     land.

  The Senate proceeded to consider the concurrent resolution.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
concurrent resolution be agreed to; that the preamble be agreed to; 
that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; and that any 
statements relating to the concurrent resolution be printed at the 
appropriate place in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 123) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.

[[Page S12396]]

  The concurrent resolution, with its preamble, is as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 123

       Whereas the Forest Service is developing a national policy 
     to guide its management of existing and proposed shooting and 
     archery ranges on national forest land;
       Whereas when managed appropriately, firearm and archery 
     sports are a legitimate use of national forest land;
       Whereas the Forest Service has proceeded with closure 
     actions of recreational shooting ranges on Forest Service 
     land without prior notification to Congress or the general 
     public;
       Whereas on March 10, 1997, the Forest Service suspended the 
     special-use permit of the Tucson Rod and Gun Club located in 
     the Coronado National Forest near Tucson, Arizona; and
       Whereas the Forest Service is evaluating alternative sites 
     in the Coronado National Forest that could be used by the 
     Tucson Rod and Gun Club for firearm and archery sports, the 
     Secretary of Agriculture has directed the expeditious 
     completion of the environmental assessment, and the Forest 
     Service has committed to notify Congress of its decision by 
     November 20, 1998: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), 

     SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING PUBLIC RECREATIONAL 
                   AND MULTI-PURPOSE USE OF UNITED STATES FOREST 
                   SERVICE LAND.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the Forest Service should not close shooting or archery 
     facilities without prior notification to Congress and the 
     general public unless there is an immediate threat to public 
     safety;
       (2) notification to Congress of any plan for closure of a 
     shooting or archery facility should include the reasons for 
     the closure, including any potential for imminent public 
     safety endangerment;
       (3) the Forest Service should avoid unreasonable 
     restrictions in the issuance of special-use permits for 
     firearm and archery sports facilities;
       (4) the Forest Service should fully evaluate alternative 
     sites in the Coronado National Forest and provide, to the 
     extent consistent with the environmental assessment, a 
     reasonable alternative that would allow the Tucson Rod and 
     Gun Club to quickly open a safe facility for firearm and 
     archery sports; and
       (5) the Forest Service should adhere to its deadline of 
     November 20, 1998, for a decision on a site for the Tucson 
     Rod and Gun Club.

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