Spring Mountains National Recreation Area Act

Summary: Spring Mountains National Recreation Area Act - Establishes the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area in Nevada. 
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a general management plan for the Area as an amendment to the Toiyabe National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan.  Requires inclusion in the plan of any Bureau of Land Management recommendations as to the suitability or nonsuitability of specified lands within the Areas for preservation as wilderness. 
Directs the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, to manage the lands and waters within the wilderness study areas to maintain their potential for inclusion within the National Wilderness Preservation System, pending submission of such recommendation and until otherwise directed by an Act of the Congress. 
Authorizes the Secretary to acquire lands and interests within the boundaries of the Area by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, exchange, or transfer from another Federal agency, except that such lands or interests owned by the State of Nevada or a political subdivision may be acquired only by donation or exchange. 
Withdraws all Federal lands within the Area from public land and mining laws (including mineral and geothermal leasing). 
Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Spring Mountains National Recreation 
Area Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act:
        (1) National forest lands.--The term ``National Forest lands'' 
    means lands included in the National Forest System (as defined in 
    section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 
    Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a))).
        (2) Recreation area.--The term ``Recreation Area'' means the 
    Spring Mountains National Recreation Area established by this Act.
        (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
    Agriculture.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are to--
        (1) preserve scenic, scientific, historic, cultural, natural, 
    wilderness, watershed, riparian, wildlife, threatened and endangered 
    species, and other values contributing to public enjoyment and 
    biological diversity in the Spring Mountains of Nevada;
        (2) ensure appropriate conservation and management of natural 
    and recreation resources in the Spring Mountains; and
        (3) provide for the development of public recreation 
    opportunities in the Spring Mountains for the enjoyment of present 
    and future generations.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF RECREATION AREA.

    (a) In General.--Subject to valid existing rights, there is 
established the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area in Nevada.
    (b) Boundaries and Map.--The Recreation Area shall consist of 
approximately 316,000 acres of federally owned lands and interests 
therein in the Toiyabe National Forest, as generally depicted on a map 
entitled ``Spring Mountain National Recreation Area--Proposed'', 
numbered NV-CH, and dated August 2, 1992.
    (c) Map Filing.--As soon as practicable after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall file a map of the Recreation Area with 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the 
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives.
    (d) Public Inspection.--The map shall be on file and available for 
public inspection in the offices of the Chief of the Forest Service, 
Department of Agriculture.
    (e) Discrepancies.--In the case of any discrepancy between or among 
the acreage referred to in subsection (b) and the map described in 
subsection (b), the map described in subsection (b) shall control any 
question concerning the boundaries of the Recreation Area.

SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the 
Forest Service, shall manage the Recreation Area in accordance with the 
laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to the National Forest System 
and this Act to provide for--
        (1) the conservation of scenic, scientific, historic, cultural, 
    and other values contributing to public enjoyment;
        (2) the conservation of fish and wildlife populations and 
    habitat, including the use of prescribed fire to improve or maintain 
    habitat;
        (3) the protection of watersheds and the maintenance of free 
    flowing streams and the quality of ground and surface waters in 
    accordance with applicable law;
        (4) public outdoor recreation benefits, including, but not 
    limited to, hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, horseback riding, 
    backpacking, rock climbing, camping, and nature study;
        (5) wilderness areas as designated by Congress; and
        (6) the management and use of natural resources in a manner 
    compatible with the purposes for which the Recreation Area is 
    established.
    (b) Hunting, Trapping, and Fishing.--
        (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary shall 
    permit hunting, trapping, fishing, and habitat management within the 
    Recreation Area in accordance with the laws of the United States and 
    the State of Nevada.
        (2) Exceptions.--The Secretary, in consultation with the Nevada 
    Department of Wildlife, may designate zones where and periods when 
    hunting, trapping, or fishing shall not be permitted for reasons of 
    public safety, administration, or public use and enjoyment.
    (c) Grazing.--The grazing of livestock on Federal lands may be 
permitted to continue pursuant to Federal law and subject to such 
reasonable regulations, policies, and practices as the Secretary 
considers necessary.
    (d) Preventive Measures.--Nothing in this Act shall preclude such 
reasonable measures as the Secretary considers necessary to protect the 
land and resources from fire or insect or disease infestation in the 
Recreation Area.

SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT PLAN.

    (a) In General.--
        (1) Procedures.--Not later than 3 full fiscal years after the 
    date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a general 
    management plan for the Recreation Area as an amendment to the 
    Toiyabe National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. Such an 
    amendment shall reflect the establishment of the Recreation Area and 
    be consistent with the provisions of this Act, except that nothing 
    in this Act shall require the Secretary to revise the Toiyabe 
    National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan pursuant to 
    section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning 
    Act of 1974. The provisions of the national forest land and resource 
    management plan relating to the recreation area shall also be 
    available to the public in a document separate from the rest of the 
    forest plan.
        (2) Contents.--The management plan described in paragraph (1) 
    shall be developed with full public participation and shall 
    include--
            (A) implementation plans for a continuing program of 
        interpretation and public education about the resources and 
        values of the Recreation Area;
            (B) proposals for public facilities to be developed, 
        expanded, or improved for the Recreation Area, including one or 
        more visitor centers to accommodate both local and out-of-State 
        visitors;
            (C) plans for the management of natural and cultural 
        resources in the Recreation Area, with emphasis on the 
        preservation and long-term scientific use of archaeological 
        resources, with priority in development given to the enforcement 
        of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (16 
        U.S.C. 470aa et seq.) and the National Historic Preservation Act 
        (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.) within the Recreation Area;
            (D) wildlife and fish resource management plans for the 
        Recreation Area prepared in consultation with appropriate 
        departments of the State of Nevada and using other available 
        studies of the Recreation Area;
            (E) recreation management plans for the Recreation Area in 
        consultation with appropriate departments of the State of 
        Nevada;
            (F) wild horse and burro herd management plans for the 
        Recreation Area prepared in consultation with appropriate 
        departments and commissions of the State of Nevada; and
            (G) an inventory of all lands within the Recreation Area not 
        presently managed as National Forest lands that will permit the 
        Secretary to evaluate possible future acquisitions.
        (3) Consultation.--The plans for the management of natural and 
    cultural resources described in paragraph (2)(C) shall be prepared 
    in consultation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 
    established by title II of the National Historic Preservation Act 
    (16 U.S.C. 470i et seq.) and the Nevada State Department of 
    Conservation and Natural Resources, Division of Historic 
    Preservation and Archaeology.
    (b) Wilderness Study Areas.--
        (1) Recommendations.--The general management plan for the 
    Recreation Area shall include the recommendations of the Bureau of 
    Land Management as to the suitability or nonsuitability for 
    preservation as wilderness those lands within the Recreation Area 
    identified as the Mt. Stirling, La Madre Mountains, and Pine Creek 
    Wilderness Study Areas on the Bureau of Land Management Wilderness 
    Status Map, dated March 1990.
        (2) Management.--Pending submission of a recommendation and 
    until otherwise directed by Act of Congress, the Secretary, acting 
    through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall manage the lands and 
    waters within the wilderness study areas referred to in paragraph 
    (1) so as to maintain their potential for inclusion within the 
    National Wilderness Preservation System.

SEC. 7. ACQUISITION OF LANDS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to acquire lands and 
interests therein within the boundaries of the Recreation Area by 
donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, exchange, or 
transfer from another Federal agency, except that such lands or 
interests owned by the State of Nevada or a political subdivision 
thereof may be acquired only by donation or exchange.
    (b) Incorporation of Acquired Lands.--Any lands, waters, or 
interests in lands or interests therein located within the Recreation 
Area that are acquired by the United States or administratively 
transferred to the Secretary after the date of enactment of this Act 
shall be incorporated into the Recreation Area and managed in accordance 
with the laws, rules, and regulations applicable to the National Forest 
System and the provisions of this Act.
    (c) Land and Water Conservation Fund.--For purposes of section 7 of 
the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l-9), 
where such boundaries are established for units of the National Forest 
System, such established boundaries shall be treated as if they were the 
boundaries of the National Forests as of January 1, 1965. Money 
appropriated from the Land and Water Conservation Fund shall be 
available for the acquisition of lands and interests therein in 
furtherance of the purposes of this Act.

SEC. 8. WITHDRAWAL.

    (a) In General.--Subject to valid existing rights and except for 
lands described in subsection (b), all Federal lands within the 
Recreation Area are withdrawn from--
        (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the 
    public land laws;
        (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
        (3) operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing 
    laws.
    (b) Exception.--The lands referred to in subsection (a) are 
described as follows:
    W\1/2\E\1/2\ and W\1/2\, Sec. 27, T23S, R58E, Mt. Diablo Meridian.

SEC. 9. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.

    In order to encourage unified and cost-effective management and 
interpretation of natural and cultural resources in southern Nevada, the 
Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with other Federal, 
State, and local agencies, and with nonprofit entities, that provide for 
the management and interpretation of natural and cultural resources.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act.







                                Speaker of the House of Representatives.







                             Vice President of the United States and    
                                                President of the Senate.