(a) Establishment. Persons holding term permits to graze livestock on National Forest System lands with headquarters, office in the 16 contiguous western States having jurisdiction over more than 500,000 acres of land subject to commercial livestock grazing may petition the Forest Supervisor for establishment of a statutory grazing advisory board in accordance with provisions of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976.

(1) Upon being properly petitioned by a simple majority (more than 50 percent) of term grazing permittees under the jurisdiction of such headquarters office, the Secretary shall establish and maintain at least one grazing advisory board.

(2) The Chief, Forest Service, shall determine the number of such boards, the area to be covered, and the number of advisers on each board.

(3) Processing Petitions. Upon receiving a proper petition from the grazing permittees, the Forest Supervisor will request the Chief, Forest Service, through the Regional Forester, to initiate action to establish grazing advisory boards in accordance with regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture. Grazing advisory boards will comply with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

(b) Membership. Grazing advisory boards established under this authority shall consist of members who are National Forest System term permittees under the jurisdiction of a National Forest headquarters office in the 16 contiguous western States, provided board members shall be elected by term grazing permittees in the area covered by the board.

(c) Elections. The Forest Supervisor of the headquarters office shall prescribe and oversee the manner in which permittees are nominated and board members are elected. Nominations will be made by petition with all term grazing permittees under the jurisdiction of such headquarters office being eligible for membership on the board. All members of the board will be elected by secret ballot with each term grazing permittee in the area covered by the board being qualified to vote. No person shall be denied the opportunity to serve as a grazing advisory board member because of race, color, sex, religion, or national origin. No board member shall concurrently serve on another USDA advisory committee. The Forest Supervisor shall determine and announce the results of the election of the members of the board and shall recognize the duly elected board as representing National Forest System term grazing permittees in the areas for which it is established. Board members will be elected to terms not to exceed 2 years.

(d) Charter and bylaws.

(1) The Forest Supervisor will prepare a charter to be filed with the Department and the Congress as required by Section 9(c) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

(2) A duly recognized grazing advisory board may, with the concurrence of a majority of its members and the Forest Supervisor, adopt bylaws to govern its proceedings.

(e) Function. The function of grazing advisory boards will be to offer advice and make recommendations concerning the development of allotment management plans and the utilization of range betterment funds.

(f) Meetings. The Forest Supervisor shall call at least one meeting of each board annually, and call additional meetings as needed to meet the needs of the permittees and the Forest Service. Each meeting shall be conducted in accordance with an agenda approved by the Forest Supervisor and in the presence of a Forest officer.

(g) Termination.

(1) Grazing advisory boards established under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 shall continue until December 31, 1985, unless terminated earlier.

(2) The Forest Supervisor may withdraw recognition of any board whenever:

(i) A majority of the term grazing permittees for the area which the board represents requests that the board be dissolved.

(ii) The board becomes inactive and does not meet at least once each calendar year.

(86 Stat. 770 (5 U.S.C., App. 1); sec. 1, 30 Stat. 35, as amended (16 U.S.C. 551); sec. 1, 33 Stat. 628 (16 U.S.C. 472); sec. 32, 50 Stat. 525, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1011); sec. 19, 64 Stat. 88 (16 U.S.C. 5801); Title IV, Pub. L. 94, 90 Stat. 2771 (43 U.S.C. 1751, et seq.); 92 Stat. 1803 (43 U.S.C. 1901))

[42 FR 56732, Oct. 28, 1977, as amended at 43 FR 27532, June 26, 1978; 44 FR 61345, Oct. 25, 1979]