S. 1554 — Introduced in Senate

II 113th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1554 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 26, 2013Mr. Heinrich introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To direct the heads of Federal public land management agencies to prepare reports on the availability of public access and egress to Federal public land for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes, to amend the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to provide funding for recreational public access to Federal land, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Hunt Unrestricted on National Treasures Act or the HUNT Act. 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Federal public land management agency The term Federal public land management agency means any of the National Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. (2) Travel management plan The term travel management plan means a plan for the management of travel— (A) with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, on park roads and designated routes under section 4.10 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations); (B) with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, on the land under a comprehensive conservation plan prepared under section 4(e) of the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd(e)); (C) with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the Forest Service, on National Forest System land under part 212 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations); and (D) with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, under a resource management plan developed under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.). 3. Report on public access and egress to Federal public land (a) Report Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, each head of a Federal public land management agency shall make available to the public on the website of the Federal public land management agency a report that includes— (1) a list of the location and acreage of land more than 640 acres in size under the jurisdiction of the Federal public land management agency on which the public is allowed, under Federal or State law, to hunt, fish, or use the land for other recreational purposes— (A) to which there is no public access or egress; or (B) to which public access or egress to the legal boundaries of the land is significantly restricted (as determined by the head of the Federal public land management agency); (2) with respect to land described in paragraph (1), a list of the locations and acreage on the land that the head of the Federal public land management agency determines have significant potential for use for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes; and (3) with respect to land described in paragraph (2), a plan developed by the Federal public land management agency that— (A) identifies how public access and egress could reasonably be provided to the legal boundaries of the land in a manner that minimizes the impact on wildlife habitat and water quality; (B) specifies the actions recommended to secure the access and egress, including acquiring an easement, right-of-way, or fee title from a willing owner of any land that abuts the land or the need to coordinate with State land management agencies or other Federal or State governmental entities to allow for such access and egress; and (C) is consistent with the travel management plan in effect on the land. (b) List of public access routes for certain land Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, each head of a Federal public land management agency shall make available to the public on the website of the Federal public land management agency, and thereafter revise as the head of the Federal public land management agency determines appropriate, a list of roads or trails that provide the primary public access and egress to the legal boundaries of contiguous parcels of land equal to more than 640 acres in size under the jurisdiction of the Federal public land management agency on which the public is allowed, under Federal or State law, to hunt, fish, or use the land for other recreational purposes. (c) Means of public access and egress included In considering public access and egress under subsections (a) and (b), the head of the applicable Federal public land management agency shall consider public access and egress to the legal boundaries of the land described in those subsections, including access and egress— (1) by motorized or non-motorized vehicles; and (2) on foot or horseback. (d) Effect (1) In general This Act shall have no effect on whether a particular recreational use shall be allowed on the land described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a). (2) Effect of allowable uses on agency consideration In preparing the plan under subsection (a)(3), the head of the applicable Federal public land management agency shall only consider recreational uses that are allowed on the land at the time that the plan is prepared. 4. Funds for public access to Federal land for recreational purposes Section 7(a)(1) of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l–9) is amended by adding at the end the following: Recreational public access to Federal land In an amount not less than 1.5 percent of such moneys, for projects that secure public access to Federal land for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes through easements, rights-of-way, or fee title acquisitions from willing sellers. .