[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1472 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1472
To redesignate land within certain wilderness study areas in the State
of Wyoming, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 21, 2025
Ms. Hageman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To redesignate land within certain wilderness study areas in the State
of Wyoming, 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 ``Wyoming Public Lands Initiative Act
of 2025''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Bureau.--The term ``Bureau'' means the Bureau of Land
Management.
(2) Range improvement.--The term ``range improvement'' has
the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Public
Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978 (43 U.S.C. 1902).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(4) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Wyoming.
(5) Wilderness area.--The term ``wilderness area'' means a
wilderness area designated by section 3.
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS AREAS.
In accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the
following areas in the State are designated as wilderness and as
components of the National Wilderness Preservation System:
(1) Encampment river canyon wilderness.--
(A) In general.--Certain Federal land administered
by the Bureau in the State, comprising approximately
4,523.84 acres, as generally depicted on the map
entitled ``Proposed Encampment River Wilderness'' and
dated December 5, 2023, which shall be known as the
``Encampment River Canyon Wilderness''.
(B) Excluded land.--The following land is not
included in the Encampment River Canyon Wilderness:
(i) Any land in the NW\1/4\NW\1/4\NW\1/4\
sec. 24, T. 14 N., R. 84 W.
(ii) Any land within 100 feet of the
centerline of--
(I) County Road 353; or
(II) Water Valley Road.
(2) Prospect mountain wilderness.--
(A) In general.--Certain Federal land administered
by the Bureau in the State, comprising approximately
1,099.76 acres, as generally depicted on the map
entitled ``Proposed Prospect Mountain Wilderness'' and
dated December 8, 2023, which shall be known as the
``Prospect Mountain Wilderness''.
(B) Excluded land.--Any land within 100 feet of the
centerline of Prospect Road is not included in the
Prospect Mountain Wilderness.
(3) Upper sweetwater canyon wilderness.--
(A) In general.--Certain Federal land administered
by the Bureau in the State, comprising approximately
2,877.35 acres, as generally depicted on the map
entitled ``Proposed Upper Sweetwater Canyon
Wilderness'' and dated December 6, 2023, which shall be
known as the ``Upper Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness''.
(B) Boundary.--
(i) In general.--Except as provided in
clause (ii), the boundary of the Upper
Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness shall conform to
the boundary of the Sweetwater Canyon
Wilderness Study Area.
(ii) Eastern boundary.--The eastern
boundary of the Upper Sweetwater Canyon
Wilderness shall be 100 feet from the western
edge of the north-south road bisecting the
Upper Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness and the
Lower Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness, known as
``Strawberry Creek Road''.
(iii) Exclusion of existing roads.--Any
established legal route with authorized
motorized use in existence on the date of
enactment of this Act that enters the Upper
Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness in T. 28 N., R. 98
W., sec. 4, or the Lower Sweetwater Canyon
Wilderness in T. 29 N., R. 97 W., sec. 33, is
not included in the Upper Sweetwater Canyon
Wilderness.
(4) Lower sweetwater canyon wilderness.--
(A) In general.--Certain Federal land administered
by the Bureau in the State, comprising approximately
5,665.19 acres, as generally depicted on the map
entitled ``Lower Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness'' and
dated December 5, 2023, which shall be known as the
``Lower Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness''.
(B) Boundary.--
(i) In general.--Except as provided in
clause (ii), the boundary of the Lower
Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness shall conform to
the boundary of the Sweetwater Canyon
Wilderness Study Area.
(ii) Western boundary.--The western
boundary of the Lower Sweetwater Canyon
Wilderness shall be 100 feet from the eastern
edge of the north-south road bisecting the
Upper Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness and the
Lower Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness, known as
``Strawberry Creek Road''.
(iii) Exclusion of existing roads.--Any
established legal route with authorized
motorized use in existence on the date of
enactment of this Act that enters the Upper
Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness in T. 29 N., R. 98
W., sec. 4, or the Lower Sweetwater Canyon
Wilderness in T. 29 N., R. 97 W., sec. 33, is
not included in the Lower Sweetwater Canyon
Wilderness.
(5) Bobcat draw wilderness.--Certain Federal land
administered by the Bureau in the State, comprising
approximately 6,246.84 acres, as generally depicted on the map
entitled ``Proposed Bobcat Draw Wilderness'' and dated December
8, 2023, which shall be known as the ``Bobcat Draw
Wilderness''.
SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF WILDERNESS AREAS.
(a) In General.--Subject to valid existing rights, the Secretary
shall administer the wilderness areas in accordance with this section
and the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), except that--
(1) any reference in that Act to the effective date of that
Act shall be considered to be a reference to the date of
enactment of this Act; and
(2) any reference in that Act to the Secretary of
Agriculture shall be considered to be a reference to the
Secretary.
(b) Fire Management and Related Activities.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary may carry out any activities
in a wilderness area as are necessary for the control of fire,
insects, or disease in accordance with section 4(d)(1) of the
Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)).
(2) Coordination.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall coordinate with--
(A) the Wyoming Forestry Division; and
(B) the applicable county in the State in which the
wilderness area is located.
(3) Fire management plan.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
establish a fire management plan for the wilderness areas--
(A) to ensure the timely and efficient control of
fires, diseases, and insects in the wilderness areas,
in accordance with section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness
Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)); and
(B) to provide, to the maximum extent practicable,
adequate protection from forest fires, disease
outbreaks, and insect infestations to any Federal,
State, or private land adjacent to the wilderness
areas.
(c) Grazing.--The grazing of livestock in a wilderness area, if
established before the date of enactment of this Act, shall be
administered in accordance with--
(1) section 4(d)(4) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C.
1133(d)(4)); and
(2) the guidelines set forth in Appendix A of House Report
101-405, accompanying H.R. 2570 of the 101st Congress, for land
under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior.
(d) Buffer Zones.--
(1) In general.--Nothing in this section establishes a
protective perimeter or buffer zone around a wilderness area.
(2) Outside activities or uses.--The fact that a
nonwilderness activity or use can be seen or heard from within
a wilderness area shall not preclude the activity or use
outside the boundary of the wilderness area.
SEC. 5. RELEASE OF WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS.
(a) Finding.--Congress finds that, for purposes of section 603(c)
of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C.
1782(c)), any portion of a wilderness study area described in
subsection (b) that is not designated as a wilderness area by section 3
has been adequately studied for wilderness designation.
(b) Description of Land.--The wilderness study areas referred to in
subsections (a) and (c) are the following:
(1) The Encampment River Canyon Wilderness Study Area.
(2) The Prospect Mountain Wilderness Study Area.
(3) The Bennett Mountains Wilderness Study Area.
(4) The Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness Study Area.
(5) The Lankin Dome Wilderness Study Area.
(6) The Split Rock Wilderness Study Area.
(7) The Savage Peak Wilderness Study Area.
(8) The Miller Springs Wilderness Study Area.
(9) The Dubois Badlands Wilderness Study Area.
(10) The Copper Mountain Wilderness Study Area.
(11) The Whiskey Mountain Wilderness Study Area.
(12) The Fortification Creek Wilderness Study Area.
(13) The Gardner Mountain Wilderness Study Area.
(14) The North Fork Wilderness Study Area.
(15) The portion of the Bobcat Draw Wilderness Study Area
located in Washakie County, Wyoming.
(16) The Cedar Mountain Wilderness Study Area.
(17) The Honeycombs Wilderness Study Area.
(c) Release.--Any portion of a wilderness study area described in
subsection (b) that is not designated as a wilderness area by section 3
is no longer subject to section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)).
(d) Management of Released Land.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall manage the portions of
the wilderness study areas released under subsection (c) in
accordance with--
(A) the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.);
(B) applicable land management plans;
(C) applicable management provisions under
paragraph (2); and
(D) any other applicable law.
(2) Specific management provisions.--
(A) Bennett mountains wilderness study area.--The
Secretary shall manage the portion of the Bennett
Mountains Wilderness Study Area released under
subsection (c) in accordance with section 8(a).
(B) Dubois badlands wilderness study area.--
(i) Division.--The Secretary shall divide
the land within the Dubois Badlands Wilderness
Study Area by authorizing the installation of a
fence or the repair or relocation of an
existing fence in T. 41 N., R. 106 W., sec. 5,
that--
(I) follows existing infrastructure
and natural barriers;
(II) begins at an intersection with
North Mountain View Road in the NE\1/
4\NW\1/4\ sec. 5, T. 41 N., R. 106 W.;
(III) from the point described in
subclause (II), proceeds southeast to a
point near the midpoint of the NE\1/4\
sec. 5, T. 41 N., R. 106 W.; and
(IV) from the point described in
subclause (III), proceeds southwest to
a point in the SW\1/4\NE\1/4\ sec. 5,
T. 41 N., R. 106 W., that intersects
with the boundary of the Dubois
Badlands Wilderness Study Area.
(ii) Management.--The Secretary shall
manage the portion of the Dubois Badlands
Wilderness Study Area released under subsection
(c) in accordance with--
(I) paragraph (1); and
(II) sections 6 and 7.
(C) Copper mountain wilderness study area.--
(i) In general.--The Secretary shall manage
the portion of the Copper Mountain Wilderness
Study Area released under subsection (c) in
accordance with paragraph (1).
(ii) Mineral leasing.--
(I) In general.--The Secretary may
lease oil and gas resources within the
land released from the Copper Mountain
Wilderness Study Area under subsection
(c) if--
(aa) the lease may only be
accessed by directional
drilling from a lease that is
outside of the land released
from the Copper Mountain
Wilderness Study Area; and
(bb) the lease prohibits,
without exception or waiver,
surface occupancy and surface
disturbance on the land
released from the Copper
Mountain Wilderness Study Area
for any activities, including
activities relating to
exploration, development, or
production.
(II) Underground rights-of-way.--
The Secretary may grant underground
rights-of-way for any mineral lease
entered into under subclause (I).
(III) Prohibition of certain
leases.--Subject to valid rights in
existence on the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall not issue
a new lease for a wind or solar
project, an overhead transmission line,
or a communication tower on the land
released from the Copper Mountain
Wilderness Study Area under subsection
(c).
(IV) Authority to exchange land.--
In carrying out any land exchange
involving any of the land released from
the Copper Mountain Wilderness Study
Area under subsection (c), the
Secretary shall ensure that the
exchange does not result in a net loss
of Federal land.
(D) Whiskey mountain wilderness study area.--The
Secretary shall manage the portion of the Whiskey
Mountain Wilderness Study Area released under
subsection (c) in accordance with--
(i) paragraph (1); and
(ii) the Whiskey Mountain Cooperative
Agreement between the Wyoming Game and Fish
Commission, the Forest Service, and the Bureau,
including any amendment to that agreement
relating to the management of bighorn sheep.
(E) Bobcat draw wilderness study area.--
(i) Travel management plan.--
(I) In general.--Not later than 2
years after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall develop a
travel management plan for the land
released from the Bobcat Draw
Wilderness Study Area under subsection
(c).
(II) Requirements.--The travel
management plan under subclause (I)
shall--
(aa) identify all existing
roads and trails on the land
released from the Bobcat Draw
Wilderness Study Area under
subsection (c);
(bb) designate eac