,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #afcf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #g1 #bjbe 
,mr4 ,rounds introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,agriculture1      
,nutrition1 and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill    
,to direct the ,secretary of            
,agriculture to establish oversight     
mediation committees to help resolve    
property boundary disputes regarding    
,national ,forest ,system land1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4  ,short title      
,this ,act may be cited as the ,fence   
,line ,fairness ,act of #bjbe4  #b4     
,national ,forest ,system oversight     
mediation committees  7a7  ,in general  
,the ,secretary of ,agriculture         
7referred to in this section as the     
,secretary71 in consultation with ,state
 departments of agriculture and ,state  
departments of natural resources1 shall 
establish in each ,state in which       
,national ,forest ,system land is       
located an oversight mediation committee

 7referred to in this section as a      
mediation committee7 to help resolve    
disputes between private landowners and 
the ,secretary regarding the location of
 boundaries between ,national ,forest   
,system land and private land4  7b7     
,composition  7#a7  ,in general  ,a     
mediation committee shall be composed   
of--  7,a7 #b individuals who are       
private1 active farmers or ranchers from
 the ,state in which the mediation      
committee is established1 to be         
appointed by the ,secretary2 and  7,b7  
#c individuals who are private1 active  
farmers or ranchers from the ,state in  
which the mediation committee is        
established1 to be appointed by the     
applicable ,state department of         
agriculture or ,state department of     
natural resources4  7#b7  ,terms  ,a    
member of a mediation committee-- 7,a7  
shall be appointed for a term of #e     
years2 and  7,b7 may serve for not more 
than #b terms4  7c7 ,notification ,if   
there is a dispute regarding the        

location of a boundary between ,national
 ,forest ,system land and private land1 
the ,secretary shall--  7#a7 notify the 
private landowner of the dispute not    
later than #cj days after the date on   
which the ,secretary becomes aware of   
the dispute2 and  7#b7 provide to the   
private landowner the option to use the 
mediation committee process described in
 subsection 7d7 to help resolve the     
dispute4  7d7  ,dispute resolution      
process  7#a7  ,referral  ,if a private 
landowner notifies the ,secretary that  
the landowner chooses to use the        
mediation committee process referred to 
in subsection 7c77#b71 the ,secretary   
shall refer the dispute to the          
applicable mediation committee not later
 than #fj days after the date on which  
the private landowner notifies the      
,secretary4  7#b7  ,process  ,with      
respect to a dispute referred to a      
mediation committee under paragraph     
7#a71 the mediation committee shall--   
7,a7 hold private hearings regarding the

 dispute to analyze information and     
testimony from the private landowner and
 appropriate officials of the ,forest   
,service2  7,b7 provide to the parties  
to the dispute described in subparagraph
 7,a7 recommendations for actions that  
can be taken by the parties to resolve  
the dispute2 and  7,c7 submit a report  
describing findings of fact regarding   
the dispute and recommendations         
described in subparagraph 7,b7 to--  7i7
 the ,secretary2  7ii7 the ,chief of the
 ,forest ,service2  7iii7 the head of   
the applicable ,state department of     
agriculture2  7iv7 the head of the      
applicable ,state department of natural 
resources2  7v7 the ,committee on       
,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry 
of the ,senate2 and  7vi7 the ,committee
 on ,agriculture of the ,house of       
,representatives4  7#c7  ,timeline  ,not
 later than #ahj days after the date on 
which a dispute is referred to a        
mediation committee under paragraph     
7#a71 the mediation committee shall     

commence holding hearings under         
paragraph 7#b77;,a74