A bill to enhance ecosystem protection and the range of outdoor opportunities protected by statute in the Skykomish River valley of the State of Washington by designating certain lower-elevation Federal lands as wilderness, and for other purposes.

Summary: Wild Sky Wilderness Act of 2003 - (Sec. 2) Designates certain lands in the Skykomish River valley, Washington, as the Wild Sky Wilderness, to be managed by the Secretary of Agriculture.

(Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary to establish a trail plan. Authorizes the use of helicopter access to construct and maintain a joint Forest Service-Snohomish County telecommunications repeater site to provide improved communication for safety, health, and emergency purposes. Allows the continued use of floatplanes on Lake Isabel in the Wild Sky Wilderness, subject to reasonable restrictions. Provides that such wilderness designation shall not preclude the operation and maintenance of the existing Evergreen Mountain Lookout in the same manner and degree in which the operation and maintenance were occurring as of the enactment of this Act.

(Sec. 4) Authorizes the Secretary to acquire lands in the Wild Sky Wilderness by purchase, donation, or exchange, with priority to be given to specified Priority Acquisition Lands. Requires the boundaries of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and the Wild Sky Wilderness to be adjusted to encompass any lands so acquired. Directs the Secretary to ensure adequate access to private in-holdings within the Wild Sky Wilderness. States that valuation of private lands shall be determined without reference to any restrictions on access or use which arise out of designation as a wilderness area.

(Sec. 5) Requires the Secretary to accept specified lands within the Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington, from the Chelan County Public Utility District if the District offers such lands to the Secretary (in title acceptable to the Secretary, and provided there is no hazardous material on the site) in exchange for a permanent easement, including helicopter access, to maintain an existing telemetry site to monitor snow pack on land within the Wenatchee National Forest, Washington. Provides for extinguishment of the easement and reversion of all conveyed rights to the United States if the District no longer needs to maintain a telemetry site.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wild Sky Wilderness Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS PRESERVATION SYSTEM.

    (a) Additions.--The following Federal lands in the State of 
Washington are hereby designated as wilderness and, therefore, as 
components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: certain 
lands which comprise approximately 106,000 acres, as generally depicted 
on a map entitled ``Wild Sky Wilderness Proposal'', ``Map #1'', and 
dated January 7, 2003, which shall be known as the Wild Sky Wilderness.
    (b) Maps and Legal Descriptions.--As soon as practicable after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall file 
a map and a legal description for the wilderness area designated under 
this Act with the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
United States Senate and the Committee on Resources of the United 
States House of Representatives. The map and description shall have the 
same force and effect as if included in this Act, except that the 
Secretary of Agriculture may correct clerical and typographical errors 
in the legal description and map. The map and legal description shall 
be on file and available for public inspection in the office of the 
Chief of the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture.

SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATION PROVISIONS.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Subject to valid existing rights, lands designated as 
        wilderness by this Act shall be managed by the Secretary of 
        Agriculture in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
        1131 et seq.) and this Act, except that, with respect to any 
        wilderness areas designated by this Act, any reference in the 
        Wilderness Act to the effective date of the Wilderness Act 
        shall be deemed to be a reference to the date of enactment of 
        this Act.
            (2) To fulfill the purposes of this Act and the Wilderness 
        Act and to achieve administrative efficiencies, the Secretary 
        of Agriculture may manage the area designated by this Act as a 
        comprehensive part of the larger complex of adjacent and nearby 
        wilderness areas.
    (b) New Trails.--
            (1) The Secretary of Agriculture shall consult with 
        interested parties and shall establish a trail plan for Forest 
        Service lands in order to develop:
                    (a) a system of hiking and equestrian trails within 
                the wilderness designated by this Act in a manner 
                consistent with the Wilderness Act, Public Law 88-577 
                (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.); and
                    (b) a system of trails adjacent to or to provide 
                access to the wilderness designated by this Act.
            (2) Within two years after the date of enactment of this 
        Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall complete a report on 
        the implementation of the trail plan required under this Act. 
        This report shall include the identification of priority trail 
        for development.
    (c) Repeater Site.--Within the Wild Sky Wilderness, the Secretary 
of Agriculture is authorized to use helicopter access to construct and 
maintain a joint Forest Service and Snohomish County telecommunications 
repeater site, in compliance with a Forest Service approved 
communications site plan, for the purposes of improving communications 
for safety, health, and emergency services.
    (d) Float Plane Access.--As provided by section 4(d)(1) of the 
Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)), the use of floatplanes on Lake 
Isabel, where such use has already become established, shall be 
permitted to continue subject to such reasonable restrictions as the 
Secretary of Agriculture determines to be desirable.
    (e) Evergreen Mountain Lookout.--The designation under this Act 
shall not preclude the operation and maintenance of the existing 
Evergreen Mountain Lookout in the same manner and degree in which the 
operation and maintenance of such lookout was occurring as of the date 
of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION FOR LAND ACQUISITION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to 
acquire lands and interests therein, by purchase, donation, or 
exchange, and shall give priority consideration to those lands 
identified as ``Priority Acquisition Lands'' on the map described in 
section 2(a)(1). The boundaries of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National 
Forest and the Wild Sky Wilderness shall be adjusted to encompass any 
lands acquired pursuant to this section.
    (b) Access.--Consistent with section 5(a) of the Wilderness Act 
(Public Law 88-577; 16 U.S.C. 1134(a)), the Secretary of Agriculture 
shall ensure adequate access to private inholdings within the Wild Sky 
Wilderness.
    (c) Appraisal.--Valuation of private lands shall be determined 
without reference to any restrictions on access or use which arise out 
of designation as a wilderness area as a result of this Act.

SEC. 5. LAND EXCHANGES.

    The Secretary of Agriculture shall exchange lands and interests in 
lands, as generally depicted on a map entitled Chelan County Public 
Utility District Exchange and dated May 22, 2002, with the Chelan 
County Public Utility District in accordance with the following 
provisions:
            (1) If the Chelan County Public Utility District, within 
        ninety days after the date of enactment of this Act, offers to 
        the Secretary of Agriculture approximately 371.8 acres within 
        the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in the State of 
        Washington, the Secretary shall accept such lands.
            (2) Upon acceptance of title by the Secretary of 
        Agriculture to such lands and interests therein, the Secretary 
        of Agriculture shall convey to the Chelan County Public Utility 
        District a permanent easement, including helicopter access, 
        consistent with such levels as used as of date of enactment, to 
        maintain an existing telemetry site to monitor snow pack on 
        1.82 acres on the Wenatchee National Forest in the State of 
        Washington.
            (3) The exchange directed by this Act shall be consummated 
        if Chelan County Public Utility District conveys title 
        acceptable to the Secretary and provided there is no hazardous 
        material on the site, which is objectionable to the Secretary.
            (4) In the event Chelan County Public Utility District 
        determines there is no longer a need to maintain a telemetry 
        site to monitor the snow pack for calculating expected runoff 
        into the Lake Chelan hydroelectric project and the 
        hydroelectric projects in the Columbia River Basin, the 
        Secretary shall be notified in writing and the easement shall 
        be extinguished and all rights conveyed by this exchange shall 
        revert to the United States.

            Passed the Senate November 24, 2003.

            Attest:

                                             EMILY J. REYNOLDS,

                                                             Secretary.