Western Colorado Wilderness Study Area Release Act

Summary: Western Colorado Wilderness Study Area Release Act This bill releases the following areas in Colorado from further review for designation as wilderness: (1) any public lands in the North Sand Hills Instant Study Area, (2) any portions of the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Study Area within the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area not designated as wilderness, and (3) any portions of the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Study Area within the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area not designated as wilderness. The bill states that in areas in which the Colorado River is used as a reference for defining the boundary of McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, the boundary shall: (1) be located at the edge of the river, and (2) change according to the river's level.  The bill prohibits the inclusion of any portion of the Colorado River, regardless of its level, within the conservation area.  The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 is amended to authorize the Department of the Interior to enter into land exchanges within the conservation area which would enhance the values for which it was established.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Western Colorado Wilderness Study 
Area Release Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--
            (1) 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 public lands in the North Sand Hills 
        Instant Study Area in Jackson County, Colorado, have been 
        adequately studied for wilderness designation; and
                    (A) the Bureau of Land Management in 1980 found the 
                North Sand Hills Instant Study Area did not meet 
                wilderness criteria; and
                    (B) in 2011, the Bureau of Land Management Colorado 
                Northwest Resource Advisory Council Resolution 2011-01 
                supported the release of the North Sand Hills Instant 
                Study Area from further consideration of wilderness 
                designation.
            (2) 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 public lands, as defined by section 103(e) 
        of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 
        U.S.C. 1702(e)), in the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Study Area 
        in Mesa and Delta Counties, Colorado, and the public lands, as 
        defined by section 103(e) of the Federal Land Policy and 
        Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702(e)), in the Black Ridge 
        Canyons Wilderness Study Area in Mesa County, Colorado, have 
        been adequately studied for wilderness designation and the 
        remaining Wilderness Study Area acreage in the Dominguez Canyon 
        Wilderness Study Area and the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness 
        Study Area was excluded from their respective wilderness 
        designations.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to release certain 
Wilderness Study Areas from further consideration of wilderness 
designation, and to direct the Secretary of the Interior to manage 
those areas according to applicable land use plans.

SEC. 3. RELEASE OF WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS.

    (a) North Sand Hills Instant Study Area.--Any public land in the 
North Sand Hills Instant Study Area--
            (1) 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
            (2) shall be managed according to the applicable land use 
        plan adopted under section 202 of that Act (43 U.S.C. 1712).
    (b) Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Study Area.--Any portion of the 
Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Study Area within the Dominguez-Escalante 
National Conservation Area, as designated by Public Law 111-11, and not 
designated as wilderness by that Act, or any subsequent Act--
            (1) is no longer subject to section 603(c) of the Federal 
        Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c));
            (2) shall be included in the non-wilderness component of 
        the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area; and
            (3) shall be managed according to the applicable National 
        Conservation Area land use plan adopted under section 202 of 
        that Act (43 U.S.C. 1712).
    (c) Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Study Area.--Any portion of the 
Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Study Area within the McInnis Canyons 
National Conservation Area, as designated by Public Law 106-353, and 
not designated as wilderness by that Act, or any subsequent Act--
            (1) is no longer subject to section 603(c) of the Federal 
        Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c));
            (2) shall be included in the non-wilderness component of 
        the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area; and
            (3) shall be managed according to the applicable National 
        Conservation Area land use plan adopted under section 202 of 
        that Act (43 U.S.C. 1712).

SEC. 4. BOUNDARIES ALONG COLORADO RIVER.

    Section 6(l)(5) of Public Law 106-353 (16 U.S.C. 460mmm-4(l)(5)) is 
amended--
            (1) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
            ``(A) In areas in which the Colorado River is used as a 
        reference for defining the boundary of the Conservation Area, 
        the boundary shall--
                    ``(i) be located at the edge of the river; and
                    ``(ii) change according to the river level.''; and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (A), the following (and 
        redesignating the subsequent subparagraphs accordingly):
            ``(B) Regardless of the level of the Colorado River, no 
        portion of the Colorado River shall be included in the 
        Conservation Area.''.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION FOR CERTAIN LAND EXCHANGES.

    Section 2405 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (16 
U.S.C. 460zzz-4) is amended by adding at the end of subsection (d) the 
following:
            ``(3) Certain conservation area exchanges.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In order to protect and 
                consolidate Federal land within the boundary of the 
                Conservation Area and to resolve inadvertent 
                trespasses, and subject to subparagraph (B), the 
                Secretary may enter into an agreement with any owner of 
                private land within the boundaries of the Conservation 
                Area to exchange any private land for Federal land in 
                the Conservation Area, if the Secretary determines that 
                the exchange would enhance the values for which the 
                Conservation Area is established.
                    ``(B) Conditions.--An exchange of land under 
                subparagraph (A) shall--
                            ``(i) be carried out consistent with any 
                        applicable laws (including regulations, 
                        including laws relating to appraisals and equal 
                        value exchanges); and
                            ``(ii) be subject to--
                                    ``(I) valid existing rights; and
                                    ``(II) any terms and conditions 
                                that the Secretary may require.''.