II
Calendar No. 113
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 342
[Report No. 113–59]
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 14, 2013
Mr. Reid (for himself and Mr. Heller) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
June 27, 2013
Reported by Mr. Wyden, without amendment
A BILL
To designate the Pine Forest Range Wilderness area in Humboldt County, Nevada.
Short title
This Act may be cited as
the Pine Forest Range Recreation
Enhancement Act of 2013
.
Definitions
In this Act:
County
The term County means Humboldt County, Nevada.
Map
The
term Map means the map entitled Proposed Pine Forest
Wilderness Area
and dated July 5, 2011.
Secretary
The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.
State
The term State means the State of Nevada.
Wilderness
The
term Wilderness
means the Pine Forest Range Wilderness
designated by section 3(a).
Addition to National Wilderness Preservation System
Designation
In
furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the
approximately 26,000 acres of Federal land managed by the Bureau of Land
Management, as generally depicted on the Map, is designated as wilderness and
as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, to be known as
the Pine Forest Range Wilderness
.
Boundary
Road access
The boundary of any portion of the Wilderness that is bordered by a road shall be 100 feet from the edge of the road.
Road adjustments
The Secretary shall—
reroute the road running through Long Meadow to the west to remove the road from the riparian area;
reroute the road currently running through Rodeo Flat/Corral Meadow to the east to remove the road from the riparian area; and
close, except for administrative use, the road along Lower Alder Creek south of Bureau of Land Management road #2083.
Reservoir access
The boundary of the Wilderness shall be 160 feet downstream from the dam at Little Onion Reservoir.
Map and legal description
In general
As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare a map and legal description of the Wilderness.
Effect
The map and legal description prepared under paragraph (1) shall have the same force and effect as if included in this Act, except that the Secretary may correct clerical and typographical errors in the map or legal description.
Availability
The map and legal description prepared under paragraph (1) shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Bureau of Land Management.
Withdrawal
Subject to valid existing rights, the Wilderness is withdrawn from—
all forms of entry, appropriation, and disposal under the public land laws;
location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials.
Administration
Management
Subject to valid existing rights, the Wilderness shall be administered by the Secretary in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), except that—
any reference in the Wilderness Act to the effective date of that Act shall be considered to be a reference to the date of enactment of this Act; and
any reference in the Wilderness Act to the Secretary of Agriculture shall be considered to be a reference to the Secretary.
Livestock
The grazing of livestock in the Wilderness, if established before the date of enactment of this Act, shall be allowed to continue, subject to such reasonable regulations, policies, and practices as the Secretary considers to be necessary in accordance with—
section 4(d)(4) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(4)); and
the guidelines set forth in Appendix A of the report of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives accompanying H.R. 2570 of the 101st Congress (House Report 101–405).
Incorporation of acquired land and interests
Any land or interest in land within the boundary of the Wilderness that is acquired by the United States after the date of enactment of this Act shall be added to and administered as part of the Wilderness.
Adjacent management
In general
Congress does not intend for the designation of the Wilderness to create a protective perimeter or buffer zone around the Wilderness.
Nonwilderness activities
The fact that nonwilderness activities or uses can be seen or heard from areas within the Wilderness shall not preclude the conduct of the activities or uses outside the boundary of the Wilderness.
Military overflights
Nothing in this Act restricts or precludes—
low-level overflights of military aircraft over the Wilderness, including military overflights that can be seen or heard within the Wilderness;
flight testing and evaluation; or
the designation or creation of new units of special use airspace, or the establishment of military flight training routes, over the Wilderness.
Wildfire, insect, and disease management
In accordance with section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)), the Secretary may take such measures in the Wilderness as are necessary for the control of fire, insects, and diseases (including, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, the coordination of the activities with a State or local agency).
Wildfire management operations
Nothing in this Act precludes a Federal, State, or local agency from conducting wildfire management operations (including operations using aircraft or mechanized equipment).
Climatological data collection
In accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) and subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, the Secretary may authorize the installation and maintenance of hydrologic, meteorologic, or climatological collection devices in the Wilderness if the Secretary determines that the facilities and access to the facilities are essential to flood warning, flood control, or water reservoir operation activities.
Water rights
Findings
Congress finds that—
the land designated as wilderness by this Act is located—
in the semiarid region of the Great Basin; and
at the headwaters of the streams and rivers on land with respect to which there are few, if any—
actual or proposed water resource facilities located upstream; and
opportunities for diversion, storage, or other uses of water occurring outside the land that would adversely affect the wilderness values of the land;
the land designated as wilderness by this Act is generally not suitable for use or development of new water resource facilities; and
because of the unique nature of the land designated as wilderness by this Act, it is possible to provide for proper management and protection of the wilderness and other values of land in ways different from those used in other laws.
Purpose
The purpose of this section is to protect the wilderness values of the land designated as wilderness by this Act by means other than a federally reserved water right.
Statutory construction
Nothing in this Act—
constitutes an express or implied reservation by the United States of any water or water rights with respect to the Wilderness;
affects any water rights in the State (including any water rights held by the United States) in existence on the date of enactment of this Act;
establishes a precedent with regard to any future wilderness designations;
affects the interpretation of, or any designation made under, any other Act; or
limits, alters, modifies, or amends any interstate compact or equitable apportionment decree that apportions water among and between the State and other States.
Nevada water law
The Secretary shall follow the procedural and substantive requirements of State law in order to obtain and hold any water rights not in existence on the date of enactment of this Act with respect to the Wilderness.
New projects
Definition of water resource facility
In general
In this paragraph, the term water resource facility means irrigation and pumping facilities, reservoirs, water conservation works, aqueducts, canals, ditches, pipelines, wells, hydropower projects, transmission and other ancillary facilities, and other water diversion, storage, and carriage structures.
Exclusion
In this paragraph, the term water resource facility does not include wildlife guzzlers.
Restriction on new water resource facilities
Except as otherwise provided in this Act, on or after the date of enactment of this Act, neither the President nor any other officer, employee, or agent of the United States shall fund, assist, authorize, or issue a license or permit for the development of any new water resource facility within a wilderness area, any portion of which is located in the County.
Release of wilderness study areas
Finding
Congress finds that, for the purposes of section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)), the portions of the Blue Lakes and Alder Creek wilderness study areas not designated as wilderness by section 3(a) have been adequately studied for wilderness designation.
Release
Any public land described in subsection (a) that is not designated as wilderness by this Act—
is no longer subject to section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)); and
shall be managed in accordance with the applicable land use plans adopted under section 202 of that Act (43 U.S.C. 1712).
Wildlife management
In general
In accordance with section 4(d)(7) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(7)), nothing in this Act affects or diminishes the jurisdiction of the State with respect to fish and wildlife management, including the regulation of hunting, fishing, and trapping, in the Wilderness.
Management activities
In furtherance of the purposes and principles of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the Secretary may conduct any management activities in the Wilderness that are necessary to maintain or restore fish and wildlife populations and the habitats to support the populations, if the activities are carried out—
consistent with relevant wilderness management plans; and
in accordance with—
the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.); and
appropriate policies, such as those set forth in Appendix B of the report of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives accompanying H.R. 2570 of the 101st Congress (House Report 101–405), including the occasional and temporary use of motorized vehicles if the use, as determined by the Secretary, would promote healthy, viable, and more naturally distributed wildlife populations that would enhance wilderness values with the minimal impact necessary to reasonably accomplish those tasks.
Existing activities
Consistent with section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)) and in accordance with appropriate policies such as those set forth in Appendix B of the report of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives accompanying H.R. 2570 of the 101st Congress (House Report 101–405), the State may continue to use aircraft, including helicopters, to survey, capture, transplant, monitor, and provide water for wildlife populations in the Wilderness.
Hunting, fishing, and trapping
In general
The Secretary may designate areas in which, and establish periods during which, for reasons of public safety, administration, or compliance with applicable laws, no hunting, fishing, or trapping will be permitted in the Wilderness.
Consultation
Except in emergencies, the Secretary shall consult with the appropriate State agency and notify the public before taking any action under paragraph (1).
Cooperative agreement
In general
The State, including a designee of the State, may conduct wildlife management activities in the Wilderness—
in accordance
with the terms and conditions specified in the cooperative agreement between
the Secretary and the State entitled Memorandum of Understanding between
the Bureau of Land Management and the Nevada Department of Wildlife Supplement
No. 9
and signed November and December 2003, including any amendments
to the cooperative agreement agreed to by the Secretary and the State;
and
subject to all applicable laws (including regulations).
References; Clark County
For the purposes of this subsection, any reference to Clark County in the cooperative agreement described in paragraph (1)(A) shall be considered to be a reference to the Wilderness.
Land exchanges
Definitions
In this section:
Federal land
The term Federal land means Federal land in the County that is identified for disposal by the Secretary through the Winnemucca Resource Management Plan.
Non-Federal land
The term non-Federal land means land identified
on the Map as non-Federal lands for exchange
.
Acquisition of land and interests in land
Consistent with applicable law and subject to subsection (c), the Secretary may exchange the Federal land for non-Federal land.
Conditions
Each land exchange under subsection (a) shall be subject to—
the condition that the owner of the non-Federal land pay not less than 50 percent of all costs relating to the land exchange, including the costs of appraisals, surveys, and any necessary environmental clearances; and
such additional terms and conditions as the Secretary may require.
Deadline for completion of land exchange
It is the intent of Congress that the land exchanges under this section be completed by not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
Native American cultural and religious uses
Nothing in this Act alters or diminishes the treaty rights of any Indian tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)).
June 27, 2013
Reported without amendment