I

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5097

To provide interim protection for certain lands in the Arapaho and Roosevelt

National Forests in Colorado, to study other management options for

some lands, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 27, 2000

Mr. UDALL of Colorado introduced the following bill; which was referred to

the Committee on Resources

A BILL

To provide interim protection for certain lands in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, to study

other management options for some lands, and for other

purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Northern Front Range

5 Roadless Area and Mountain Backdrop Protection Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. PROTECTED ROADLESS AREAS.

7 (a) AREAS DESIGNATED.—Subject to the require8 ments of subsection (c), the following lands within the
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1 Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado shall

2 be managed as protected roadless areas:

3 (1) INDIAN PEAKS WILDERNESS ADJACENT

4 AREAS.—

5 (A) Certain lands in the Roosevelt Na6 tional Forest comprising approximately 10,804

7 acres, as generally depicted on a map entitled

8 ‘‘Indian Peaks Adjacent Area Unit C’’ dated

9 July 2000, and which shall be known as ‘‘South

10 St. Vrain Protected Roadless Area’’.

11 (B) Certain lands in the Roosevelt Na12 tional Forest comprising approximately 1,085

13 acres, as generally depicted on a map entitled

14 ‘‘Indian Peaks Adjacent Area Unit A’’ dated

15 July 2000, and which shall be known as

16 ‘‘Fourth of July Protected Roadless Area’’.

17 (2) MOUNT EVANS WILDERNESS ADJACENT

18 AREAS.—

19 (A) Certain lands in the Arapaho National

20 Forest comprising approximately 5,741 acres as

21 generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Mount

22 Evans Adjacent Area Unit A’’ dated July 2000,

23 and which shall be known as ‘‘South Chicago

24 Creek Protected Roadless Area’’.
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1 (B) Certain lands in the Arapaho National

2 Forest comprising approximately 717 acres as

3 generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Mount

4 Evans Adjacent Area Unit B’’ dated July 2000,

5 and which shall be known as ‘‘Mount Goliath

6 Protected Roadless Area’’.

7 (C) Certain lands in the Arapaho National

8 Forest comprising approximately 1,038 acres as

9 generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Mount

10 Evans Adjacent Area Unit C’’ dated July 2000,

11 and which shall be known as ‘‘Chief Mountain

12 Protected Roadless Area’’.

13 (D) Certain lands in the Arapaho National

14 Forest comprising approximately 2,787 acres as

15 generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Mount

16 Evans Adjacent Area Unit D’’ dated July 2000,

17 and which shall be known as ‘‘Bear Creek Pro18 tected Roadless Area’’.

19 (3) VASQUEZ PEAK WILDERNESS ADJACENT

20 AREAS.—Certain lands in the Arapaho National

21 Forest comprising approximately 6,133 acres as gen22 erally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Vasquez Adjacent

23 Area’’ dated July 2000, and which shall be known

24 as ‘‘Jones Pass Protected Roadless Area’’.

25 (4) OTHER AREAS.—
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1 (A) Certain lands in the Arapaho National

2 Forest comprising approximately 25,382 acres

3 as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Bard

4 Creek’’ dated July 2000, and which shall be

5 known as ‘‘Bard Creek Protected Roadless

6 Area’’.

7 (B) Certain lands in the Arapaho National

8 Forest comprising approximately 8,317 acres as

9 generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Mt.

10 Sniktau’’ dated July 2000, and which shall be

11 known as ‘‘Mt. Sniktau Protected Roadless

12 Area’’.

13 (C) Certain lands in the Roosevelt Na14 tional Forest comprising approximately 11,718

15 acres as generally depicted on a map entitled

16 ‘‘North St. Vrain’’ dated July 2000, and which

17 shall be known as ‘‘North St. Vrain Protected

18 Roadless Area’’.

19 (D) Certain lands in the Arapaho National

20 Forest comprising approximately 6,444 acres as

21 generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Square

22 Top Mtn.’’ dated July 2000, and which shall be

23 known as ‘‘Square Top Mountain Protected

24 Roadless Area’’.
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1 (b) MAPS AND DESCRIPTIONS.—As soon as prac2 ticable after the date of the enactment of this Act, the

3 Secretary of Agriculture shall file with the Committee on

4 Resources of the House of Representatives and the Com5 mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate

6 a map and a boundary description of each of the areas

7 designated as protected roadless areas in subsection (a).

8 Such maps and boundary descriptions shall be on file and

9 available for public inspection in the Office of the Chief

10 of the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture.

11 (c) MANAGEMENT.—The lands identified in sub12 section (a) shall be managed and administered by the Sec13 retary of Agriculture in the same manner as lands in14 cluded in the ‘‘recommended for wilderness’’ category for

15 management direction in the 1997 Revision of the Land

16 and Resource Management Plan for the Arapaho and Roo17 sevelt National Forests and the Pawnee National Grass18 lands so as to maintain their presently existing roadless

19 character and potential for inclusion in the National Wil20 derness Preservation System until Congress determines

21 otherwise. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, with

22 respect to the grazing of livestock, such lands shall be

23 managed according to the laws generally applicable to the

24 National Forest System.
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1 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years following the

2 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agri3 culture shall report to Congress recommendations on the

4 suitability or unsuitability of the lands identified in sub5 section (a) for inclusion in the National Wilderness Pres6 ervation System and such other recommendations as the

7 Secretary may wish to make regarding management of

8 such lands.

9 SEC. 3. ROCKY FLATS FRONT RANGE MOUNTAIN BACK10 DROP PROTECTION AREA STUDY.

11 (a) STUDY AND REPORT.—The Secretary of Agri12 culture, in consultation with appropriate State and local

13 agencies, shall review the lands within the area specified

14 in subsection (b) and not later than 1 year after the date

15 of the enactment of this Act shall report to Congress

16 regarding—

17 (1) the present ownership of such lands;

18 (2) which of such lands are undeveloped land

19 (as defined in subsection (b)(2)) but may be at risk

20 of development; and

21 (3) what actions could be taken by the United

22 States, the State of Colorado, or any other parties

23 to preserve the open and undeveloped character of

24 such lands.

25 (b) STUDY AREA AND DEFINITION.—
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1 (1) STUDY AREA.—The study required by this

2 section shall include all lands in southern Boulder,

3 northern Jefferson, and northern Gilpin Counties,

4 Colorado, situated west of Colorado State Highway

5 93, south and east of Colorado State Highway 119,

6 and north of Colorado State Highway 46, excluding

7 lands within the city limits of the city of Boulder or

8 Golden, Colorado.

9 (2) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the

10 term ‘‘undeveloped land’’ means land that is pri11 marily undeveloped open space that is part of the

12 Front Range Mountain Backdrop west of the Rocky

13 Flats Environmental Technology Site in Jefferson

14 County, Colorado.

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