H.R. 5598 — Introduced in House

I 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5598 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 18, 2014 Mr. Gosar (for himself, Mr. Franks of Arizona, Mr. Ribble, Mr. Jones, and Mr. Salmon) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To require the Bureau of Land Management to incorporate the needs, uses, and input of affected communities, and to obtain the concurrence of affected communities, before taking any travel management action affecting access to public lands, including access to mining claims or access using motorized vehicles or nonmotorized means, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Travel and Resource Access Including Local Stakeholders Act. 2. Conditions on Bureau of Land Management access travel management actions for units of the bureau of land management derived from the public domain (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Access travel management action The term access travel management action means any Bureau of Land Management action regarding public lands that— (A) will, or can reasonably be expected to, alter public access to public lands, including any change in access to mining claims or access using motorized vehicles or nonmotorized means resulting from— (i) the decommissioning in whole or in part of a road, trail, or combination road and trail system; (ii) a change in the status of a road as open or closed; or (iii) a change in road densities; and (B) requires the preparation of an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331 et seq.). (2) Affected county The term affected county means— (A) a political subdivision whose boundaries contain public lands affected by an access travel management action; or (B) a political subdivision adjacent to a political subdivision described in subparagraph (A). (3) Political subdivision The term political subdivision means any county, municipality, city, town, or township created pursuant to State law. (4) Public lands The term public lands has the meaning given that term in section 103(e) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702). (5) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management. (b) Consultation with affected counties required As a condition on the preparation of an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331 et seq.) for a proposed access travel management action, the Secretary shall consult with each affected county for the purpose of incorporating the needs, uses, and input of affected counties. (c) Concurrence of affected counties required The Secretary may not implement an access travel management action unless and until the Secretary— (1) complies with the consultation requirement imposed by subsection (b); and (2) obtains the concurrence of each affected county for implementation of the access travel management action.