[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 96 (Thursday, July 1, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H5182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENT ENDANGERS RANCHING 
                                INDUSTRY

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Interior has issued a 
policy that requires compliance with the National Environmental Policy 
Act prior to the renewal or transfer of any livestock grazing permits.
  Well, the Department now also requires that the Bureau of Land 
Management complete an environmental assessment or environmental impact 
statement prior to this grazing permit reissuance or transfer.
  If any of these studies are challenged by some extremist special-
interest groups or if the analyses are not complete before the permit 
or lease expires, the permittee is kicked off the allotment without 
recourse even if the range is in excellent condition.
  Completing these analyses and implementing the resulting decisions 
will likely take many, many years. During those years, the permittee 
will be excluded from the allotment, essentially destroying their 
livelihood, and bankrupting another family business.
  The problem here, Mr. Speaker, is that NEPA applies to ``a major 
Federal action significantly impacting the quality of the human 
environment.'' The Department of Interior has not explained why a 
simple paper transaction requires years of study.
  The Secretary of Interior is attempting to destroy the ranching 
industry and is assaulting generations of families who have nurtured 
and cared for our public lands. Such unreasonable regulation is the 
death of all good business.

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