Livestock grazing language in NDAA

Below is the grazing language in the NDAA.  The bill is 1648 pages long, and this language starts on page 1187.  You can see the entire bill here.  I'm not sure we have gained much as this has been handled on a yearly basis through appropriations language.  The enviros got 250,000 acres of Wilderness (45,000 in NM), plus more parks (including Valles Caldera) and wild & scenic rivers.

SEC. 3023. GRAZING PERMITS AND LEASES.

Section 402 of the Federal Land Policy and Manage-

ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1752) is amended—

 (1) in subsection (c)—

 (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2),

and (3) as subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), re-

spectively;

 (B) by striking ‘‘So long as’’ and inserting

the following:

 ‘‘(1) RENEWAL OF EXPIRING OR TRANSFERRED

PERMIT OR LEASE

.—During any period in which’’;

and

 (C) by adding at the end the following:

 ‘‘(2) CONTINUATION OF TERMS UNDER NEW

PERMIT OR LEASE

.—The terms and conditions in a

grazing permit or lease that has expired, or was ter-

minated due to a grazing preference transfer, shall

be continued under a new permit or lease until the

date on which the Secretary concerned completes

any environmental analysis and documentation for

the permit or lease required under the National En-

vironmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et

seq.) and other applicable laws.

 ‘‘(3) COMPLETION OF PROCESSING

.—As of the

date on which the Secretary concerned completes the

processing of a grazing permit or lease in accordance

with paragraph (2), the permit or lease may be can-

celed, suspended, or modified, in whole or in part.

 ‘‘(4) ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS

.—The Sec-

retary concerned shall seek to conduct environmental

reviews on an allotment or multiple allotment basis,

to the extent practicable, if the allotments share

similar ecological conditions, for purposes of compli-

ance with the National Environmental Policy Act of

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and other applicable

laws.’’;

 (2) by redesignating subsection (h) as sub-

section (j); and

 (3) by inserting after subsection (g) the fol-

lowing:

 ‘‘(h) NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT OF 1969.—

 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL

.—The issuance of a grazing

permit or lease by the Secretary concerned may be

categorically excluded from the requirement to pre-

pare an environmental assessment or an environ-

mental impact statement under the National Envi-

ronmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et

seq.) if—

 ‘‘(A) the issued permit or lease continues

the current grazing management of the allot-

ment; and

 ‘‘(B) the Secretary concerned—

 ‘‘(i) has assessed and evaluated the

grazing allotment associated with the lease

or permit; and

 ‘‘(ii) based on the assessment and

evaluation under clause (i), has determined

that the allotment—

 ‘‘(I) with respect to public land

administered by the Secretary of the

Interior—

 ‘‘(aa) is meeting land health

standards; or

 ‘‘(bb) is not meeting land

health standards due to factors

other than existing livestock

grazing; or

 ‘‘(II) with respect to National

Forest System land administered by

the Secretary of Agriculture—

 ‘‘(aa) is meeting objectives

in the applicable land and re-

source management plan; or

 ‘‘(bb) is not meeting the ob-

jectives in the applicable land re-

source management plan due to

factors other than existing live-

stock grazing.

 ‘‘(2) TRAILING AND CROSSING

.—The trailing

and crossing of livestock across public land and Na-

tional Forest System land and the implementation of

trailing and crossing practices by the Secretary con-

cerned may be categorically excluded from the re-

quirement to prepare an environmental assessment

or an environmental impact statement under the Na-

tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C.

4321 et seq.).

 ‘‘(i) PRIORITY AND TIMING FOR COMPLETION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSES

.—The Secretary concerned, in

the sole discretion of the Secretary concerned, shall deter-

mine the priority and timing for completing each required

environmental analysis with respect to a grazing allot-

ment, permit, or lease based on—

 ‘‘(1) the environmental significance of the graz-

ing allotment, permit, or lease; and

 ‘‘(2) the available funding for the environmental

analysis.’’.