George Washington National Forest Mount Pleasant Scenic Area Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``George Washington National Forest 
Mount Pleasant Scenic Area Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act with respect to the George Washington 
National Forest Mount Pleasant Scenic Area are to--
        (1) ensure appropriate protection and preservation of the 
    scenic quality, water quality, natural characteristics, and water 
    resources;
        (2) protect and manage vegetation to provide wildlife and fish 
    habitat, consistent with paragraph (1);
        (3) provide areas that may develop characteristics of old-
    growth forests; and
        (4) provide a variety of recreation opportunities that are not 
    inconsistent with the preceding purposes.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF MOUNT PLEASANT NATIONAL SCENIC AREA.

    (a) In General.--
        (1) Establishment.--There is hereby established in the George 
    Washington National Forest, Virginia, the George Washington 
    National Forest Mount Pleasant Scenic Area (in this section 
    referred to as the ``scenic area'').
        (2) Lands included in scenic area.--The scenic area shall 
    consist of certain lands in the George Washington National Forest, 
    Virginia, which comprise approximately seven thousand five hundred 
    and eighty acres, as generally depicted on a map entitled ``Mount 
    Pleasant National Scenic Area--Proposed'', dated June 21, 1993.
        (3) Maps and descriptions.--As soon as practicable after the 
    date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall file a map 
    and boundary description of the scenic area with the Committee on 
    Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the 
    Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives. The map 
    and description shall have the same force and effect as if included 
    in this Act, except that the Secretary is authorized to correct 
    clerical and typographical errors in such boundary description and 
    map. Such map and boundary description shall be on file and 
    available for public inspection in the Office of the Chief of the 
    Forest Service, Department of Agriculture. In the case of any 
    discrepancy between the acreage and the map described in paragraph 
    (2), the map shall control.
    (b) Administration.--
        (1) In general.--The Secretary of Agriculture (in this section 
    referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall administer the scenic area 
    in accordance with this Act and the laws and regulations generally 
    applicable to the National Forest System. In the event of conflict 
    between this Act and other laws and regulations, this Act shall 
    take precedence.
        (2) Management plan.--Within three years after the date of the 
    enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a management 
    plan for the scenic area as an amendment to the Land and Resource 
    Management Plan for the George Washington National Forest. Such an 
    amendment shall conform to the provisions of this Act. Nothing in 
    this Act shall require the Secretary to revise the Land and 
    Resource Management Plan for the George Washington National Forest 
    pursuant to section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable 
    Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604).
    (c) Roads.--After the date of the enactment of this Act, no new 
permanent roads shall be constructed within the scenic area, except 
that this prohibition shall not be construed to deny access to private 
lands or interests therein in the scenic area.
    (d) Vegetation Management.--No timber harvest shall be allowed 
within the scenic area, except as may be necessary in the control of 
fire, insects, and diseases and to provide for public safety and trail 
access. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Secretary may engage in 
vegetation manipulation practices for maintenance of existing wildlife 
clearings and visual quality. Firewood may be harvested for personal 
use along perimeter roads under such conditions as the Secretary may 
impose.
    (e) Motorized Travel.--
        (1) Authorized routes.--Motorized travel in the scenic area 
    shall be allowed on State Route 635. Subject to such conditions as 
    the Secretary may impose, motorized travel in the scenic area shall 
    also be allowed on Forest Development Road 51.
        (2) Other areas.--Other than as provided in paragraph (1), 
    motorized travel shall not be permitted within the scenic area, 
    except that the Secretary may authorize motorized travel within the 
    scenic area as necessary for administrative use in furtherance of 
    the purposes of this Act and on temporary routes in support of 
    wildlife management projects.
    (f) Fire.--Wildfires shall be suppressed in a manner consistent 
with the purposes of this Act, using such means as the Secretary 
considers appropriate.
    (g) Insects and Disease.--Insect and disease outbreaks may be 
controlled in the scenic area to maintain scenic quality, prevent tree 
mortality, reduce hazards to visitors, or protect private lands.
    (h) Water.--The scenic area shall be administered so as to maintain 
or enhance existing water quality.
    (i) Mining Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, all 
federally owned lands in the scenic area are hereby withdrawn from 
location, entry, and patent under the mining laws of the United States 
and from leasing claims under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws 
of the United States, including amendments to such laws.







                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.







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

Summary: George Washington National Forest Mount Pleasant Scenic Area Act - Establishes in the George Washington National Forest, Virginia, the George Washington National Forest Mount Pleasant Scenic Area. Sets forth provisions regarding administration of, and new roads, vegetation management, motorized travel, fire suppression, insects and disease control, and water quality in, the Area. Withdraws all federally-owned lands in the Area from US mining and mineral and geothermal leasing laws. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a management plan for the Area as an amendment to the Land and Resource Management Plan for the George Washington National Forest.