§ 1901. — Congressional findings and declaration of policy.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 43USC1901]
TITLE 43--PUBLIC LANDS
CHAPTER 37--PUBLIC RANGELANDS IMPROVEMENT
Sec. 1901. Congressional findings and declaration of policy
(a) The Congress finds and declares that--
(1) vast segments of the public rangelands are producing less
than their potential for livestock, wildlife habitat, recreation,
forage, and water and soil conservation benefits, and for that
reason are in an unsatisfactory condition;
(2) such rangelands will remain in an unsatisfactory condition
and some areas may decline further under present levels of, and
funding for, management;
(3) unsatisfactory conditions on public rangelands present a
high risk of soil loss, desertification,\1\ and a resultant
underproductivity for large acreages of the public lands; contribute
significantly to unacceptable levels of siltation and salinity in
major western watersheds including the Colorado River; negatively
impact the quality and availability of scarce western water
supplies; threaten important and frequently critical fish and
wildlife habitat; prevent expansion of the forage resource and
resulting benefits to livestock and wildlife production; increase
surface runoff and flood danger; reduce the value of such lands for
recreational and esthetic purposes; and may ultimately lead to
unpredictable and undesirable long-term local and regional climatic
and economic changes;
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\1\ So in original.
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(4) the above-mentioned conditions can be addressed and
corrected by an intensive public rangelands maintenance, management,
and improvement program involving significant increases in levels of
rangeland management and improvement funding for multiple-use
values;
(5) to prevent economic disruption and harm to the western
livestock industry, it is in the public interest to charge a fee for
livestock grazing permits and leases on the public lands which is
based on a formula reflecting annual changes in the costs of
production;
(6) the Act of December 15, 1971 (85 Stat. 649, 16 U.S.C. 1331
et seq.), continues to be successful in its goal of protecting wild
free-roaming horses and burros from capture, branding, harassment,
and death, but that certain amendments are necessary thereto to
avoid excessive costs in the administration of the Act, and to
facilitate the humane adoption or disposal of excess wild free-
roaming horses and burros which because they exceed the carrying
capacity of the range, pose a threat to their own habitat, fish,
wildlife, recreation, water and soil conservation, domestic
livestock grazing, and other rangeland values;
(b) The Congress therefore hereby establishes and reaffirms a
national policy and commitment to:
(1) inventory and identify current public rangelands conditions
and trends as a part of the inventory process required by section
1711(a) of this title;
(2) manage, maintain and improve the condition of the public
rangelands so that they become as productive as feasible for all
rangeland values in accordance with management objectives and the
land use planning process established pursuant to section 1712 of
this title;
(3) charge a fee for public grazing use which is equitable and
reflects the concerns addressed in paragraph (a)(5) above;
(4) continue the policy of protecting wild free-roaming horses
and burros from capture, branding, harassment, or death, while at
the same time facilitating the removal and disposal of excess wild
free-roaming horses and burros which pose a threat to themselves and
their habitat and to other rangeland values;
(c) The policies of this chapter shall become effective only as
specific statutory authority for their implementation is enacted by this
chapter or by subsequent legislation, and shall be construed as
supplemental to and not in derogation of the purposes for which public
rangelands are administered under other provisions of law.
(Pub. L. 95-514, Sec. 2, Oct. 25, 1978, 92 Stat. 1803.)
References in Text
Act of December 15, 1971, referred to in subsec. (a)(6), is Pub. L.
92-195, Dec. 15, 1971, 85 Stat. 649, as amended, popularly known as the
Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, which is classified generally
to chapter 30 (Sec. 1331 et seq.) of Title 16, Conservation. For
complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note
set out under section 1331 of Title 16 and Tables.
This chapter, referred to in subsec. (c), was in the original ``this
Act'', meaning Pub. L. 95-514, Oct. 25, 1978, 92 Stat. 1803, which
enacted this chapter and amended sections 1739 and 1751 to 1753 of this
title and sections 1332 and 1333 of Title 16. For complete
classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out
below and Tables.
Short Title
Section 1 of Pub. L. 95-514 provided: ``That this Act [enacting this
chapter and amending sections 1739 and 1751 to 1753 of this title and
sections 1332 and 1333 of Title 16, Conservation] may be cited as the
`Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978'.''
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 1903 of this title.