[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 36, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 36CFR222.54]

[Page 78-79]
 
              TITLE 36--PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY
 
          CHAPTER II--FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 222_RANGE MANAGEMENT--Table of Contents
 
                         Subpart C_Grazing Fees
 
Sec. 222.54  Grazing fees in the East--competitive bidding.

    (a) General Procedures--(1) Applicability. The rules of this section 
apply to grazing fees for any allotment established or vacated on 
National Forest System lands in the Eastern or Southern Regions, as of 
February 26, 1990 as well as to grazing fees for existing allotments for 
such lands that have already been established under competitive 
procedures as of the date of this rule. Permits offered for competitive 
bidding in the East are subject to the rules governing grazing permit 
administration in subpart A of this part. The rules of this section do 
not apply to negotiated livestock use permits or permits with on-and-off 
grazing provisions as authorized in subpart A of this part. Holders of 
term permits have first priority for receipt of a new term grazing 
permit in accordance with subpart A of this part. These rules also do 
not apply to grazing fees on National Forest System lands in Oklahoma or 
National Grasslands in Texas.
    (2) Allowable Bidders. Bids for grazing permits shall be accepted 
from individuals, partnerships, grazing associations (formed after 
February 26, 1990), joint ventures, corporations, and organizations.
    (b) Establishment of Minimum Bid Price. Authorized officers shall 
establish a minimum bid price for each available allotment as described 
in Sec. 222.53 of this subpart.
    (c) Prospectus. (1) At such time as allotments are vacated, as new 
allotments are established, or as existing competitively bid permits 
expire, the authorized officer shall prepare and advertise a prospectus 
for those allotments on which grazing will be permitted.
    (2) The prospectus shall include the terms and conditions of 
occupancy and use under the grazing permit to be issued, as well as 
document existing improvements and their condition. The prospectus shall 
also disclose the following:
    (i) Estimated market value of the forage per head month of grazing 
use;
    (ii) The minimum bid price the agency will accept;
    (iii) Any required range improvements; and
    (iv) The minimum qualifications that applicants must meet to be 
eligible for a permit.

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    (3) Copies of the applicable grazing permit, allotment management 
planning documents and allotment maintenance requirements, and the 
latest annual permittee instructions shall be made available to all 
prospective bidders upon request.
    (d) Submission of bid. Each applicant shall submit an application 
for the grazing permit, along with a sealed bid for the grazing fee, and 
a bid deposit of 10 percent of the total amount of the bid.
    (e) Qualifications and Deposit Refunds. Upon opening applicants 
bids, the authorized officer shall determine whether each bidder meets 
the qualifications to hold a permit as set forth in Subpart A of this 
part; and shall refund the deposit to any applicant who is not qualified 
or who does not offer the high bid.
    (f) Permit Issuance. The authorized officer shall issue the grazing 
permit to the qualified high bidder, except as provided in paragraphs 
(f)(1) and (2) of this section. The successful bidder receives the 
privilege of obtaining or renewing a grazing permit and is billed for 
the occupancy offered and forage sold.
    (1) Priority for Reissuance. On allotments where a current permit is 
expiring and competition has been held on a new grazing permit, the 
current grazing permittee shall have priority for retaining the permit. 
Accordingly, an applicant who holds the permit on the allotment under 
bid, who has a satisfactory record of performance under that permit, and 
who is not the higher bidder for the future grazing privileges in the 
specified allotment shall be offered the opportunity to match the high 
bid and thereby retain the permit. Should there be more than one 
existing permittee in the allotment under bid, each shall be offered the 
option of meeting the high bid; if only one current permittee opts to 
meet the high bid, the remaining allowable grazing use, if any, shall be 
awarded to the initial high bidder.
    (2) Identical Bids. In cases of identical bids, the selection of the 
successful applicant shall be made through a drawing.
    (g) Computation of Successful Bidder's Annual Fee--(1) Annual Fee 
Basis. The highest bid received shall establish the base grazing value 
in the initial year of the grazing permit for each allotment offered. 
The annual grazing fee shall equal the base grazing value, adjusted by 
the current period's hay price index for the relevant subregion as 
described in Sec. 222.53(c)(1), and (c)(3), less the value of any 
agency required range improvements. This hay price index shall be based 
on 3-year average hay prices and annually reflect the percent change in 
the cost of alternative livestock feed.
    (2) Grazing Fee Credits for Range Improvements. Any requirements for 
permittee construction or development of range improvements shall be 
identified through an agreement and incorporated into the grazing 
permit, with credits for such improvements to be allowed toward the 
annual grazing fee. Fee credits shall be allowed only for range 
improvements which the Forest Service requires an individual permittee 
to construct or develop on a specific allotment to meet the management 
direction and prescriptions in the relevant forest land and resource 
management plan and allotment management plan. These improvements must 
involve costs which the permittee would not ordinarily incur under the 
grazing permit, must be of tangible public benefit, and must enhance 
management of vegetation for resource protection, soil productivity, 
riparian, watershed, and wetland values, wildlife and fishery habitat, 
or outdoor recreation values. Maintenance of range improvements 
specified in allotment management planning documents or the grazing 
permit, and other costs incurred by the permittee in the ordinary course 
of permitted livestock grazing, do not qualify for grazing fee credits.
    (h) No Bids Received. If qualified sealed bids are not received, the 
authorized officer reserves the right to conduct an oral auction using 
the minimum bid price established under paragraph (b) of this section or 
to establish grazing fees through noncompetitive grazing fee procedures 
specified in Sec. 222.53 of this subpart.

[55 FR 2651, Jan. 26, 1990]

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