Letters-Continued Mc Guire, John R., Chief, Forest Service, to Hon. John Melcher, dated Mineta, Hon. Norman Y., Member of Congress, to Hon. John Melcher, Nesbit, Henry, president, Montana Association of State Grazing Unruh, Russell S., president, North Fork Grazing District, Chinook, 486 Wilson, Cynthia E., Washington representative, National Audubon 484 Financing National Forest roads, background information for county Major considerations for changes in the grazing regulations, submitted 364 26 327 347 PUBLIC LAND POLICY AND MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1975 FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1975 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:10 a.m., in room 1302, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. John Melcher presiding. Mr. MELCHER. The Subcommittee on Public Lands will come to order. This morning we are opening in this Congress our public hearing on the Land Management Act. We have before us a subcommittee print, Public Land Policy and Management Act, which is print No. 1, which is about-well, which is truly what the subcommittee and the full committee have agreed on as far as we went last year when marking up of the bill was halted. The subcommittee print contains the amendments that were offered and accepted in the full committee, but as it is here before us today, it also includes collective amendments that would have been offered and would have been accepted had the full committee continued consideration of the bill. We don't look on it at all as the perfect document or what we will finally recommend be accepted and approved by the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, but we do recognize it as a starting point for this Congress. Now, the administration bill, I understand, will be introduced-has been introduced. The administration bill has been introduced. It has been assigned number H.R. 5224, has not reached us yet from the Government Printing Office, but assuredly will be with us next Monday when we continue our hearings. I understand that Congressman Ruppe introduced the bill by request and that it is further my understanding that it is very similar to the administration bill of the last Congress. Is that correct? Mr. SHAFER. That is correct, yes. Mr. MELCHER. Very similar? Mr. SHAFER. And the Senate-passed bill of last year. Mr. MELCHER. And very similar to the administration's recommendations and what the Senate passed. Well, this morning and Monday the subcommittee will want to hear testimony principally on grazing. The administration bill doesn't suggest that there be a grazing section actually but the subcommittee last year, and as far as we went in the full committee here in the House last year, was intent on having a rather detailed grazing section and, furthermore, setting out the grazing fee by law, and I presume that the subcommittee will want to continue along that same (1) line in this Congress. So we will have to wait and see whether the membership of this subcommittee, as it is this year, has that intention. So this morning our first witness will be Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Water Resources, Roland G. Robison, Jr. I understand that Mr. Robison will not testify, but Curt Berklund, Director of the Bureau of Land Management will testify. Mr. ROBISON. That is correct, Mr. Chairman. Mr. MELCHER. Will both of you be at the witness table? If so, please come up. And you are accompanied by George Turcott. STATEMENT OF CURT BERKLUND, DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ACCOMPANIED BY ROLAND G. ROBISON, JR., DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR LAND AND WATER RESOURCES; GEORGE L. TURCOTT, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR; JAMES W. MONROE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, LEGISLATION AND PLANS; GEORGE D. LEA, DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR-RESOURCES; KAY W. WILKES, CHIEF, DIVISION OF RANGE; ELEANOR R. SCHWARTZ, CHIEF, DIVISION OF LEGISLATION AND REGULATORY MANAGEMENT, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Mr. BERKLUND. Mr. Chairman, if I could take the liberty I would like to introduce those with me today. On my left is Roland Robison, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Water Resources. On my right, George Turcott, Associate Director of the Bureau of Land Management. Jim Monroe is here with me, better known as Tim, Assistant Director of Legislation and Plans. Sitting along side of George Turcott is George Lea, Deputy Assistant Director for Resources. To his right is Kay Wilkes, Chief, Division of Range, Bureau of Land Management, and, of course, we have our ever-needed Chief of the Division of Legislation and Regulatory Management, Eleanor Schwartz, with us today. Mr. MELCHER. Welcome to the committee. Curt, we will be glad to hear from you. Mr. BERKLUND. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is always a pleasure to come before your committee and have the opportunity to discuss, frankly and openly, the problems that are common to our desires for better management. Again, this is no exception. We do appreciate this opportunity to discuss with you grazing permits, fees, and privileges today, and we will be prepared to get into that section of the subcommittee print No. 1 as the Department views this in relationship to national resource lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management. As you know, the Department of the Interior strongly supports enactment of legislation that would clearly define the mission of the Bureau of Land Management, and recently sent to the Congress a proposal for such legislation. As we found this morning, it is H.R. 5224. I will discuss the proposal in some detail next Tuesday. We believe that broad mission legislation, such as a National Resource Lands Management Act, should not contain specific limiting provisions relating to the management of one use of resources on federally owned lands. This would appear to put a stamp of high priority on that use and resource. Concurrent with this presumption it would be suggested that equally detailed provisions for administration of other resource values be included in an Organic Act for the Bureau of Land Management. A general policy document with specific provisions for each resource use on the national resource lands would turn it into an unwieldy piece of legislation that would be difficult to administer or enforce. We urge that the committee would avoid this approach. Our philosophy runs to a broad document expressing the policy of Congress on resource preservation, use, and management. We believe the Taylor Grazing Act provides the broad policies and authorities for our administration of lands for grazing purposes. Modifications or changes in the administration of these lands under the Taylor Grazing Act may be accomplished through amendment of the grazing regulations, without the necessity for enactment of new or additional legislation. I would like to discuss briefly the revision of regulations that BLM is considering to meet present-day conditions and requirements. We plan to expose these changes to full public participation through a program that will give all interested parties the highest opportunity for comment on the regulations. Since passage of the Taylor Grazing Act in 1934, there have been few substantial changes in the regulations as originally issued. The rules have accomplished the intended purpose of adjudicating livestock use allowances to qualified ranch operations and designating grazing allotments. Having accomplished all this, a number of important areas of change are now being considered. Emphasis on the environment and considerations for wildlife and other resource uses in the issuance of grazing permits need to be strengthened and incorporated into the regulations as a result of stringent requirements resulting from acts of Congress. Multiple use and environmental considerations are basic and viable objectives of the grazing management program, as are sustained yield of forage, and community and operator stability. For these reasons, changes in the regulations are being proposed to meet the modern-day needs for more intensive management of our national resource lands. I will describe briefly how the new suggested regulations are intended to accomplish a needed update of management practices. One: The regulations emphasize intensive management by allowing practices responsive to today's needs from a physical, livestock, and environmental standpoint. They will use the concept of livestock as a tool to change vegetation to reach multiple-use objectives for watershed, wildlife, and recreation. At the same time, they seek to increase livestock production. This will be accomplished through allotment management plans, frequently referred to as AMP's. Two: They will strengthen environmental considerations by incorporating those statutory and regulatory requirements which clearly require improvement and maintenance of environmental quality. They will also tie range management activities to the Bureau's resource planning system for land use. line in this Congress. So we will have to wait and see whether the membership of this subcommittee, as it is this year, has that intention. So this morning our first witness will be Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Water Resources, Roland G. Robison, Jr. I understand that Mr. Robison will not testify, but Curt Berklund, Director of the Bureau of Land Management will testify. Mr. ROBISON. That is correct, Mr. Chairman. Mr. MELCHER. Will both of you be at the witness table? If so, please come up. And you are accompanied by George Turcott. STATEMENT OF CURT BERKLUND, DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ACCOMPANIED BY ROLAND G. ROBISON, JR., DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR LAND AND WATER RESOURCES; GEORGE L. TURCOTT, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR; JAMES W. MONROE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, LEGISLATION AND PLANS; GEORGE D. LEA, DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR RESOURCES; KAY W. WILKES, CHIEF, DIVISION OF RANGE; ELEANOR R. SCHWARTZ, CHIEF, DIVISION OF LEGISLATION AND REGULATORY MANAGEMENT, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Mr. BERKLUND. Mr. Chairman, if I could take the liberty I would like to introduce those with me today. On my left is Roland Robison, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Water Resources. On my right, George Turcott, Associate Director of the Bureau of Land Management. Jim Monroe is here with me, better known as Tim, Assistant Director of Legislation and Plans. Sitting along side of George Turcott is George Lea, Deputy Assistant Director for Resources. To his right is Kay Wilkes, Chief, Division of Range, Bureau of Land Management, and, of course, we have our ever-needed Chief of the Division of Legislation and Regulatory Management, Eleanor Schwartz, with us today. Mr. MELCHER. Welcome to the committee. Curt, we will be glad to hear from you. Mr. BERKLUND. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is always a pleasure to come before your committee and have the opportunity to discuss, frankly and openly, the problems that are common to our desires for better management. Again, this is no exception. We do appreciate this opportunity to discuss with you grazing permits, fees, and privileges today, and we will be prepared to get into that section of the subcommittee print No. 1 as the Department views this in relationship to national resource lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management. As you know, the Department of the Interior strongly supports enactment of legislation that would clearly define the mission of the Bureau of Land Management, and recently sent to the Congress a proposal for such legislation. As we found this morning, it is H.R. 5224. I will discuss the proposal in some detail next Tuesday. We believe that broad mission legislation, such as a National Resource Lands Management Act, should not contain specific limiting |