An original bill to provide for uniform management of livestock grazing on Federal land, and for other purposes.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: Management of Grazing on Federal Land

Subtitle A: General Provisions

Subtitle B: Qualifications and Grazing Preferences

Subtitle C: Grazing Management

Subtitle D: Authorization of Grazing Use

Subtitle E: Unauthorized Grazing Use

Subtitle F: Procedure

Subtitle G: Advisory Committees

Subtitle H: Reports

Title II: Management of National Grasslands

Public Rangelands Management Act of 1996 - Title I: Management of Grazing on Federal Land - Subtitle A: General Provisions - Sets forth findings, objectives, and definitions for purposes of this Act.

(Sec. 105) Directs the Secretaries (Secretary or Secretaries) of the Interior and Agriculture to establish State and regional standards and guidelines for rangeland health.

(Sec. 106) States that land use plans shall manage livestock grazing under the principle of multiple use and sustained yield.

(Sec. 107) Requires the Secretary to review resource condition upon issuance, renewal, or transfer of a grazing permit or lease, or at least once every six years.

Subtitle B: Qualifications and Grazing Preferences - Requires a grazing permit to specify: (1) a historical grazing preference; (2) active use, based on the amount of forage available for livestock grazing established in the land use plan; (3) suspended use; and (4) voluntary and temporary nonuse.

Specifies that: (1) a grazing preference identified in a grazing permit shall attach to the base property supporting the grazing permit; and (2) the animal unit months of a grazing preference shall attach to the acreage of land base property on a pro rata basis, or water base property on the basis of livestock forage production within the service area of the water.

Subtitle C: Grazing Management - Directs the Secretary, if he or she elects to develop an allotment management plan for a given area, to do so in coordination with the lessees, permittees, and landowners involved, the grazing advisory councils, and any affected States. Requires public participation in the development or revision of such a plan.

(Sec. 122) Authorizes the Secretary to enter into a range improvement cooperative agreement with a permittee, lessee, or landowner.

Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) cost-sharing; (2) title; (3) improvements and assignments; (4) incentives; and (5) monitoring and inspection.

(Sec. 124) States that no water rights shall be acquired or transferred in connection with livestock grazing management unless authorized by State law. Prohibits the Secretary from requiring any permittee or licensee to relinquish all or a portion of his or her water right to another party as a condition to granting a grazing permit range improvement cooperative agreement or range improvement permit.

Subtitle D: Authorization of Grazing Use - Requires a grazing permit to be issued for a 15-year term (with available renewals) unless: (1) the land disposal is pending; (2) the land will be devoted to a public purpose that precludes grazing prior to the end of 15 years; or (3) the Secretary specifies a shorter term.

(Sec. 132) Authorizes subleasing of a Federal grazing permit, in whole or in part, only if the permittee is unable to make full grazing use due to ill health or death or under a cooperative agreement with a grazing permittee.

(Sec. 133) Specifies that a permittee shall own or control and be responsible for the management of the livestock that graze the Federal land under a grazing permit. Prohibits imposition of a marking or tagging requirement beyond State law requirements.

(Sec. 134) Directs an authorized officer to modify the terms and conditions of a grazing permit if: (1) monitoring data show that the grazing use is not meeting the land use plan or allotment management plan; and (2) such modification is necessary to meet specified management objectives.

(Sec. 135) Sets forth grazing fee and charge provisions. Defines "animal unit month." Exempts from computation an animal less than six months old that is the natural progeny of an animal for which a grazing fee has been paid if such animal is removed from Federal land before it is 12 months old.

Specifies that the gross value of production for beef cattle shall be determined by the Economic Research Service of the Department of Agriculture.

(Sec. 136) Amends the Taylor Grazing Act to prohibit grazing fund amounts from being expended for litigation or lobbying purposes.

Subtitle E: Unauthorized Grazing Use - Allows an authorized officer to approve a nonmonetary settlement of a case of a violation upon determining that: (1) evidence shows that the unauthorized use occurred through no fault of the livestock operator; (2) the forage use is insignificant; (3) Federal land has not been damaged; and (4) nonmonetary settlement is in the best interests of the United States.

(Sec. 142) Directs that any impoundment and sale of unauthorized livestock on Federal land be conducted in accordance with State law.

Subtitle F: Procedure - Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) service on applicants; (2) protests of proposed decisions; (3) final decisions; (4) appeals; and (5) public participation.

Subtitle G: Advisory Committees - Directs the Secretaries, in consultation with the Governors of the affected States, to establish and operate joint Resource Advisory Councils on State or regional levels.

(Sec. 162) Requires the Secretary, in consultation with the Governor of the affected State and with affected counties, to appoint between five and nine persons to serve on a Grazing Advisory Council for each district and each national forest within the 16 contiguous Western States having jurisdiction over more than 500,000 acres of public lands subject to commercial livestock grazing. Allows the Secretaries to establish joint Grazing Advisory Councils wherever practicable.

(Sec. 164) Repeals Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 provisions regarding grazing advisory boards.

Subtitle H: Reports - Directs the Secretaries to submit annual reports that contain: (1) an itemization of grazing revenues and costs; and (2) recommendations for reducing administrative costs and improving Federal rangeland management.

Title II: Management of National Grasslands - National Grasslands Management Act of 1996 - Amends the Forest Rangeland Renewable Resource Planning Act of 1974 to remove the National Grasslands from the National Forest System.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to the National Grasslands to: (1) manage the National Grasslands as a separate entity; (2) provide opportunities for consultation and cooperation with interested entities and individuals in the development and implementation of land use policies; (3) administer grazing permits and implement grazing management decisions in consultation, cooperation, and coordination with local grazing associations and other grazing permit holders; and (4) promulgate related regulations.

Makes conforming amendments to the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act with respect to: (1) sportsmen's hunting, fishing, and recreational activities; (2) existing rights; and (3) grazing fees and charges.