[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 585 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 585
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 12, 2005
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To require Federal land managers to support, and to communicate,
coordinate, and cooperate with, designated gateway communities, to
improve the ability of gateway communities to participate in Federal
land management planning conducted by the Forest Service and agencies
of the Department of the Interior, and to respond to the impacts of the
public use of the Federal lands administered by these agencies, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Gateway Communities Cooperation
Act''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FEDERAL LAND MANAGERS AND GATEWAY
COMMUNITIES TO SUPPORT COMPATIBLE LAND MANAGEMENT OF BOTH
FEDERAL AND ADJACENT LANDS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Many communities that abut or are near Federal lands,
including units of the National Park System, units of the
National Wildlife Refuge System, units of the National Forest
System, and lands administered by the Bureau of Land
Management, are vitally impacted by the management and public
use of these Federal lands.
(2) Some of these communities, commonly known as gateway
communities, fulfill an integral part in the mission of the
Federal lands by providing necessary services, such as schools,
roads, search and rescue, emergency service, medical support,
logistical support, living quarters, and drinking water and
sanitary systems for visitors to the Federal lands and
employees of Federal land management agencies.
(3) Provision of these vital services by gateway
communities is an essential ingredient for a meaningful and
enjoyable experience by visitors to the Federal lands because
Federal land management agencies are unable to provide, or are
prevented from providing, these services.
(4) Many gateway communities serve as an entry point for
persons who visit the Federal lands and are ideal for
establishment of visitor services, including lodging, food
service, fuel, auto repairs, emergency services, and visitor
information.
(5) Development in some gateway communities may impact the
management and protection of these Federal lands.
(6) The planning and management decisions of Federal land
managers can have unintended consequences for gateway
communities and the Federal lands when the decisions are not
adequately communicated to, or coordinated with, the elected
officials and residents of gateway communities.
(7) Experts in land management planning are available to
Federal land managers, but persons with technical planning
skills are often not readily available to gateway communities,
particularly small gateway communities.
(8) Gateway communities are often affected by the policies
and actions of several Federal land management agencies and the
communities and the agencies would benefit from greater
interagency coordination of those policies and actions.
(9) Persuading gateway communities to make decisions and
undertake actions in their communities that would also be in
the best interest of the Federal lands is most likely to occur
when such decisionmaking and actions are built upon a
foundation of cooperation and coordination.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to require Federal
land managers to communicate, coordinate, and cooperate with gateway
communities in order to--
(1) improve the relationships among Federal land managers,
elected officials, and residents of gateway communities;
(2) enhance the facilities and services in gateway
communities available to visitors to Federal lands when
compatible with the management of these lands, including the
availability of historical and cultural resources; and
(3) result in better local land use planning in gateway
communities and decisions by the relevant Secretary.
(c) Definitions.--For the purpose of this section, the following
definitions apply:
(1) Gateway community.--The term ``gateway community''
means a county, city, town, village, or other subdivision of a
State, a federally recognized Indian tribe, or Alaska Native
village, that--
(A) is incorporated or recognized in a county or
regional land use plan or within tribal jurisdictional
boundaries; and
(B) the relevant Secretary (or the head of the
tourism office for the State) determines is
significantly affected economically, socially, or
environmentally by planning and management decisions
regarding Federal lands administered by the relevant
Secretary.
(2) Relevant secretary.--The term ``relevant Secretary''
means the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of
Agriculture, as appropriate.
(d) Participation in Federal Planning and Land Use.--
(1) Participation in planning.--At the earliest possible
time, the relevant Secretary shall solicit the involvement of
elected and appointed officials of governments of gateway
communities in the development of land use plans, programs,
land use regulations, land use decisions, transportation plans,
general management plans, and any other plans, decisions,
projects, or policies for Federal lands under the jurisdiction
of these Federal agencies that are likely to have a significant
impact on these gateway communities.
(2) Information provided.--To facilitate such involvement,
the relevant Secretary shall provide the appropriate officials,
at the earliest possible time but not later than the scoping
process, with the following:
(A) A summary, in nontechnical language, of the
assumptions, purposes, goals, and objectives of the
plan, decision, project, or policy.
(B) A description of any anticipated significant
impact of the plan, decision, project, or policy on
gateway communities.
(C) Information regarding the technical assistance
and training available to the gateway community.
(3) Training sessions.--At the request of a gateway
community, the relevant Secretary shall offer training sessions
for elected and appointed officials of gateway communities at
which such officials can obtain a better understanding of--
(A) the agency planning processes; and
(B) the methods by which they can participate most
meaningfully in the development of the agency plans,
decisions, and policies referred to in paragraph (1).
(4) Technical assistance.--At the request of a gateway
community, the relevant Secretary shall make available
personnel, on a temporary basis, to assist gateway communities
in development of mutually compatible land use or management
plans.
(5) Coordination of land use.--The relevant Secretary may
enter into cooperative agreements with gateway communities to
coordinate the management of--
(A) the land use inventory, planning, and
management activities for the Federal lands
administered by the relevant Secretary; and
(B) the land use planning and management activities
of other Federal agencies, agencies of the State in
which the Federal lands are located, and local and
tribal governments in the vicinity of the Federal
lands.
(6) Interagency cooperation and coordination.--To the
extent practicable, when the plans and activities of 2 or more
Federal agencies are anticipated to have a significant impact
on a gateway community, the Federal agencies involved shall
consolidate and coordinate their plans and planning processes
to facilitate the participation of affected gateway communities
in the planning processes.
(7) Treatment as cooperating agencies.--To the earliest
extent practicable, but not later than the scoping process,
when a proposed action is determined to require an
environmental impact statement, the relevant Secretary shall
allow any affected gateway communities the opportunity to be
recognized as cooperating agencies under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
SEC. 3. SUNSET.
The authority of the Secretary to carry out any provisions of this
title shall terminate 10 years after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
Passed the House of Representatives December 6, 2005.
Attest:
KAREN L. HAAS,
Clerk.