I

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1500

To designate certain Federal lands in the State of Utah as wilderness,

and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 7, 1995

Mr. HINCHEY (for himself, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. BEILENSON, Mr. BERMAN,

Mr. BONIOR, Mr. BROWN of California, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. DELLUMS, Mr. EVANS, Mr. FARR, Mr. FILNER, Mr. FRANK

of Massachusetts, Ms. FURSE, Mr. JACOBS, Mr. JOHNSTON of Florida,

Mr. KLUG, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Ms. LOFGREN, Mrs.

LOWEY, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. MINETA,

Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mr. MORAN, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. MURTHA, Mr.

NADLER, Mr. OWENS, Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. SANDERS, Mrs. SCHROEDER, Mr.

SERRANO, Mr. SHAYS, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr.

SPRATT, Mr. STARK, Mr. TORRES, Mr. TORRICELLI, Mr. TOWNS, Mr.

WAXMAN, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. SKAGGS)

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources

A BILL

To designate certain Federal lands in the State of Utah

as wilderness, 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,
2

•HR 1500 IH

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘America’s Red Rock

3 Wilderness Act of 1995’’.

4 SEC. 2. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

5 (a) NAME.—Each wilderness area named in a table

6 contained in title I shall be—

7 (1) the area referenced in the table, as gen8 erally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Utah BLM Wil9 derness Proposed by H.R. 1500, 102d Congress’’;

10 and

11 (2) known by the name given to it in that table.

12 (b) MAP AND DESCRIPTION.—As soon as practicable

13 after enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall file a map

14 and a legal description of each wilderness area designated

15 under this Act with the Committee on Natural Resources

16 of the House of Representatives and with the Committee

17 on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. Each

18 such map and description shall have the same force and

19 effect as if included in this Act, except that correction of

20 clerical and typographical errors in such legal description

21 and map may be made. Each such map and legal descrip22 tion shall be on file and available for public inspection in

23 the Office of the Director of the Bureau of Land Manage24 ment, Department of the Interior.

25 (c) SECRETARY.—For the purposes of this Act, the

26 term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of the Interior.
3

•HR 1500 IH

1 TITLE I—DESIGNATION OF

2 WILDERNESS

3 SEC. 101. GREAT BASIN WILDERNESS AREAS.

4 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that the Great

5 Basin region of western Utah is comprised of starkly beau6 tiful mountain ranges which rise as islands from the desert

7 floor. Some, like Wah Wah Mountains, are arid and aus8 tere, with massive cliff faces and leathery slopes speckled

9 with pinyon and juniper. Others, like the Deep Creek and

10 Stansbury Mountains, are high enough to draw moisture

11 from passing clouds and support ecosystems found no12 where else on earth. From bristlecone pine, the world’s

13 oldest living thing, to newly flowered mountain meadows,

14 these islands of nature support remarkable biological di15 versity and provide opportunities to experience the colossal

16 silence of the Great Basin.

17 (b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage

18 so as to preserve the natural conditions of the Great Basin

19 wilderness areas in western Utah and in furtherance of

20 the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et

21 seq.), the following lands in the State of Utah are hereby

22 designated as wilderness and therefore as components of

23 the National Wilderness Preservation System:

Approximate

Name of Wilderness Area Acreage

Cedar Mountains Wilderness ............................................ 62,100

Conger Mountain Wilderness ............................................ 20,400

Deep Creek Mountains Wilderness ................................... 90,200
4

•HR 1500 IH

Dugway Mountains Wilderness ......................................... 23,100

Fish Springs Range Wilderness ........................................ 55,200

Granite Peak Wilderness .................................................. 16,000

House Range Wilderness .................................................. 139,400

King Top Wilderness ........................................................ 78,800

Little Goose Creek Wilderness .......................................... 1,300

Newfoundland Mountains Wilderness ............................... 23,300

Rockwell Wilderness .......................................................... 13,400

Silver Island Mountains Wilderness ................................. 27,200

Stansbury Mountains Wilderness ..................................... 22,500

Wah Wah Mountains Wilderness ...................................... 109,700

White Rock Range Wilderness .......................................... 3,900

1 SEC. 102. ZION AND MOJAVE DESERT WILDERNESS AREAS.

2 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that Zion Na3 tional Park’s renowned landscape of soaring cliff walls,

4 forested plateaus, and deep narrow gorges extends beyond

5 the boundaries of the park onto surrounding public lands

6 managed by the Secretary through the Bureau of Land

7 Management. From the pink sand dunes of Moquith

8 Mountain to the golden pools of Beaver Dam Wash, the

9 Zion and Mojave Desert wilderness areas encompass three

10 major provinces of the Southwest: the sculpted canyon

11 country of the Colorado Plateau, the Mojave Desert, and

12 portions of the Great Basin—a rich mosaic of biological,

13 archeological, and scenic diversity. One of the last remain14 ing populations of endangered desert tortoise is found

15 within this wilderness.

16 (b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage

17 so as to preserve the natural conditions of the Zion and

18 Mojave Desert wilderness areas of Utah and in further19 ance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C.

20 1131 et seq.), the following lands in the State of Utah
5

•HR 1500 IH

1 are hereby designated as wilderness and therefore as com2 ponents of the National Wilderness Preservation System:

Approximate

Name of Wilderness Area and Unit Acreage

Beaver Dam Slopes Wilderness:

Beaver Dam Wash .................................................... 24,900

Joshua Tree .............................................................. 13,500

Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness ................................ 11,500

Cougar Creek-Docs Pass Wilderness ........................ 29,400

Upper Kanab Creek Wilderness ................................ 42,200

Moquith Mountain Wilderness .................................. 26,500

Red Mountain Wilderness ......................................... 18,500

Zion Wilderness:

Beartrap Canyon ....................................................... 40

Black Ridge ............................................................... 21,800

Canaan Mountain ...................................................... 52,100

Deep Creek ................................................................ 7,100

Goose Creek ............................................................... 89

LaVerkin Creek ......................................................... 567

Orderville Canyon ...................................................... 6,500

North Fork Virgin River ........................................... 1,040

Parunuweap Canyon ................................................. 37,700

Red Butte .................................................................. 804

Spring Canyon ........................................................... 4,400

Taylor Creek Canyon ................................................ 35

The Watchman .......................................................... 600

3 SEC. 103. GRAND STAIRCASE AND KAIPAROWITS PLATEAU

4 WILDERNESS AREAS.

5 (a) GRAND STAIRCASE.—

6 (1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that the

7 area known as the Grand Staircase rises more than

8 6,000 feet in a series of great cliffs and plateaus

9 from the depths of the Grand Canyon to the forested

10 rim of Bryce Canyon. It spans six major life zones,

11 from the lower Sonoran Desert to alpine forest, and

12 encompasses geologic formations which display

13 3,000,000,000 years of earth history. Wildlands,

14 managed by the Secretary through the Bureau of
6

•HR 1500 IH

1 Land Management, line the intricate canyon system

2 of the Paria River and form a vital wilderness cor3 ridor connection to the deserts and forests of these

4 national parks.

5 (2) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and

6 manage so as to preserve the natural conditions of

7 the wilderness area known as the Great Staircase

8 and in furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness

9 Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in

10 the State of Utah are hereby designated as wilder11 ness and therefore as components of the National

12 Wilderness Preservation System:

Approximate

Name of Wilderness Area and Unit Acreage

Grand Staircase Wilderness:

Box Canyon ................................................... 2,300

Cockscomb ..................................................... 10,300

East of Bryce ................................................. 900

Mud Spring Canyon ....................................... 55,100

Paria-Hackberry ............................................ 158,700

Squaw and Willis Creek ................................. 22,300

The Blues-Table Cliff .................................... 18,700

13 (b) KAIPAROWITS PLATEAU.—

14 (1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that east

15 of the Paria River lies the Kaiparowitz Plateau, one

16 of the most rugged and isolated wilderness regions

17 in the United States, a lonely, windswept land of

18 harsh beauty, distant vistas, and a remarkable vari19 ety of plant and animal species. Ancient forests,

20 abundant big game animals, and 22 species of
7

•HR 1500 IH

1 raptors thrive undisturbed on its grassland mesa

2 tops.

3 (2) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and

4 manage so as to preserve the Kaiparowitz Plateau

5 and in furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness

6 Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in

7 the State of Utah are hereby designated as wilder8 ness and therefore as components of the National

9 Wilderness Preservation System:

Approximate

Name of Wilderness Area and Unit Acreage

Kaiparowits Wilderness:

Burning Hills ................................................. 68,400

Carcass Canyon ............................................. 72,600

Cave Point ..................................................... 4,800

Fiftymile Bench ............................................. 11,100

Fiftymile Mountain ........................................ 173,900

Horse Spring Canyon .................................... 27,900

Nipple Bench ................................................. 31,600

Squaw Canyon ............................................... 11,200

Wahweap-Paradise Canyon ........................... 228,000

Warm Creek ................................................... 21,000

10 SEC. 104. ESCALANTE CANYONS WILDERNESS AREAS.

11 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that enchanting

12 glens and coves carved in massive sandstone cliffs, spring13 watered hanging gardens, and the silence of ancient

14 Anasazi ruins are exemplary of the unique features that

15 entice hikers, campers, and sightseers from around the

16 world to Escalante Canyon. This wilderness links the

17 spruce fir forests of the 11,000 foot Aquarius Plateau with

18 winding slickrock canyons that flow into Lake Powell. It

19 protects critical habitat for deer, elk, and wild bighorn
8

•HR 1500 IH

1 sheep, as well as the scenic integrity of one of Utah’s most

2 popular natural areas.

3 (b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage

4 so as to preserve Escalante Canyon wilderness areas and

5 in furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16

6 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in the State of

7 Utah are hereby designated as wilderness and therefore

8 as components of the National Wilderness Preservation

9 System:

Approximate

Name of Wilderness Area Acreage

Colt Mesa .......................................................................... 23,500

Dogwater Creek ................................................................ 3,500

Fortymile Gulch ................................................................ 640

Fremont Gorge .................................................................. 19,400

Hurricane Wash ................................................................ 4,300

Long Canyon ..................................................................... 16,400

North Escalante Canyons ................................................. 144,000

Notom Bench .................................................................... 8,400

Phipps-Death Hollow ........................................................ 43,500

Scorpion ............................................................................ 38,100

Steep Creek ....................................................................... 34,400

Studhorse Peaks ............................................................... 9,500

10 SEC. 105. HENRY MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS AREAS.

11 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that the last

12 mountain range to be discovered and named by early ex13 plorers in the contiguous United States, the Henry Moun14 tains, still retains its wild and mysterious character.

15 Fluted badlands adorn the flanks of 11,000 foot Mount

16 Ellen and Mount Pennell, containing islands of critical

17 habitat for mule deer and the largest herd of free-roaming

18 buffalo in the Nation. Despite their relative accessibility,
9

•HR 1500 IH

1 the Henry Mountains remain one of the wildest, least2 known ranges in the United States.

3 (b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage

4 so as to preserve the Henry Mountains and in furtherance

5 of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131

6 et seq.), the following lands in the State of Utah are here7 by designated as wilderness and therefore as components

8 of the National Wilderness Preservation System:

Name of Wilderness Area and Unit Approximate

Henry Mountains Wilderness: Acreage

Bull Mountain ........................................................... 12,400

Bullfrog Creek ........................................................... 36,900

Mount Ellen-Blue Hills ............................................. 116,900

Mount Hillers ............................................................ 18,600

Mount Pennell ........................................................... 141,200

Ragged Mountain ...................................................... 23,300

9 SEC. 106. DIRTY DEVIL RIVER WILDERNESS AREAS.

10 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that the Dirty

11 Devil River, once the fortress hideout of outlaw Butch

12 Cassidy’s Wild Bunch, has sculpted a maze of slickrock

13 canyons through an imposing landscape of monoliths and

14 inaccessible mesas. This isolated and remote area, long a

15 barrier to civilization and would-be colonists, now beckons

16 a different type of explorer, the modern recreationist, who

17 seeks to experience solitude and isolation amid spectacular

18 beauty.

19 (b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage

20 so as to preserve the Dirty Devil River wilderness areas

21 in southeast Utah and in furtherance of the purposes of

22 the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following
10

•HR 1500 IH

1 lands in the State of Utah are hereby designated as wilder2 ness and therefore as components of the National Wilder3 ness Preservation System:

Approximate

Name of Wilderness Area and Unit Acreage

Dirty Devil Wilderness:

Dirty Devil-French Springs ...................................... 175,300

Fiddler Butte ............................................................ 88,200

4 SEC. 107. CEDAR MESA WILDERNESS AREAS.

5 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that over a thou6 sand years ago, the Anasazi Indian culture flourished in

7 the slickrock canyons and on the pinyon-covered mesas of

8 southeastern Utah. Evidence of their ancient presence per9 vades the Cedar Mesa area where haunting cliff dwellings,

10 rock art, and ceremonial kivas embellish sandstone over11 hangs and isolated benchlands. This area cries out for pro12 tection from the vandalism and theft of these unique cul13 tural resources. These wilderness areas are drawn to pro14 tect both the Nation’s archaeological heritage and extraor15 dinary wilderness scenic and ecological values.

16 (b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage

17 so as to preserve the Cedar Mesa wilderness areas and

18 in furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16

19 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in the State of

20 Utah are hereby designated as wilderness and therefore

21 as components of the National Wilderness Preservation

22 System:
11

•HR 1500 IH

Approximate

Name of Wilderness Area and Unit Acreage

White Canyon Wilderness:

Gravel and Long Canyon .......................................... 35,000

Cheesebox Canyon ..................................................... 28,500

Harmony Flat ........................................................... 9,100

Fortknocker Canyon .................................................. 12,400

San Juan-Anasazi Wilderness:

Arch and Mule Canyon ............................................. 15,300

Comb Ridge ............................................................... 15,000

Fish and Owl Creek .................................................. 59,000

Grand Gulch .............................................................. 139,800

Nokai dome ............................................................... 93,400

Road Canyon ............................................................. 60,100

San Juan River ......................................................... 13,200

Squaw and Cross Canyons Wilderness:

Squaw and Papoose Canyons .................................... 6,580

Cross Canyon ............................................................ 1,000

Dark Canyon Wilderness:

Dark Canyon ............................................................. 126,500

Sheep Canyon ............................................................ 3,700

Glen Canyon Wilderness:

Mancos Mesa ............................................................. 108,700

Little Rockies ............................................................ 60,000

1 SEC. 108. CANYONLANDS WILDERNESS AREAS.

2 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that Arches and

3 Canyonlands National Parks safeguard only a small por4 tion of the extraordinary red-hued, cliff-walled canyonland

5 region of the Colorado Plateau. Canyons with rushing pe6 rennial streams, natural arches, bridges, and towers, and

7 the gorges of the Green, Colorado, and Dolores Rivers lie

8 on adjacent wildlands managed by the Secretary through

9 the Bureau of Land Management. Designation of this wil10 derness achieves a wholeness of protection for this

11 erosional masterpiece of nature and the rich pockets of

12 wildlife found within its expanded boundaries.

13 (b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage

14 so as to preserve the canyonland wilderness areas near
12

•HR 1500 IH

1 Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and in further2 ance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C.

3 1131 et seq.), the following lands in the State of Utah

4 are hereby designated as wilderness and therefore as com5 ponents of the National Wilderness Preservation System:

Approximate

Name of Wilderness Area and Unit Acreage

Canyonlands Basin Wilderness:

Bridger Jack Mesa .................................................... 32,700

Butler Wash .............................................................. 28,300

Goose Neck ................................................................ 8,300

Harts Point ............................................................... 62,800

Indian Creek .............................................................. 27,000

Shafer Canyon ........................................................... 3,000

Labyrinth Wilderness:

Labyrinth Canyon ..................................................... 120,000

Horseshoe Canyon ..................................................... 51,700

Arches-Lost Spring Wilderness ................................. 16,900

La Sal Canyons Wilderness:

Beaver Creek ............................................................. 28,200

Fisher Towers ........................................................... 15,100

Granite Creek ............................................................ 5,100

Mary Jane Canyon .................................................... 24,200

Mill Creek .................................................................. 15,700

Negro Bill Canyon ..................................................... 20,600

Seweump Mesa .......................................................... 600

Behind-The-Rocks Wilderness:

Hunter Canyon .......................................................... 4,000

Goldbar Canyon ......................................................... 12,500

Hatch Wash .............................................................. 14,300

Behind-The-Rocks ..................................................... 20,300

Westwater Wilderness:

Black Ridge ............................................................... 5,100

Westwater Canyon ..................................................... 32,500

6 SEC. 109. SAN RAFAEL SWELL WILDERNESS AREAS.

7 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that the San

8 Rafael Swell towers above the desert like a wilderness cas9 tle, ringed by thousand-foot ramparts of Navajo Sand10 stone. Its highlands have been fractured by uplift and

11 scooped hollow by erosion over countless millennia, leaving

12 a tremendous basin punctuated by mesas, buttes, and can-
13

•HR 1500 IH

1 yons and traversed by sediment-laden desert streams.

2 Among other places, the San Rafael wilderness offers ex3 ceptional back country opportunities in the colorful Wild

4 Horse Badlands, the monoliths of North Caineville Mesa,

5 the rock towers of Cliff Wash, and the dark volcanic

6 mountains bordering Capitol Reef National Park. The

7 mountains within this wilderness are among Utah’s most

8 productive habitat for Desert Bighorn Sheep.

9 (b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage

10 so as to preserve the San Rafael Swell wilderness areas

11 and in furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act

12 (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in the State

13 of Utah are hereby designated as wilderness and therefore

14 as components of the National Wilderness Preservation

15 System:

Approximate

Name of Wilderness Area and Unit Acreage

San Rafael Wilderness:

Cedar Mountain ................................................................ 14,500

Devils Canyon ................................................................... 21,500

Hondu Country ................................................................. 18,900

Jones Bench ...................................................................... 2,800

Limestone Cliffs ................................................................ 21,300

Mexican Mountain ............................................................. 102,600

Muddy Creek ..................................................................... 246,300

Mussentuchit Badlands ..................................................... 23,000

Red Desert ........................................................................ 36,800

San Rafael Reef ................................................................ 95,000

Sids Mountain ................................................................... 95,800

Upper Muddy Creek .......................................................... 17,000

Wild Horse Mesa .............................................................. 57,400
14

•HR 1500 IH

1 SEC. 110. BOOK CLIFFS AND UINTA BASIN WILDERNESS

2 AREAS.

3 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that the Book

4 Cliffs and Uinta Basin wilderness areas offer a unique

5 quality of wilderness big game hunting opportunities in

6 verdant high-plateau forests, multi-day float trips down

7 the Green River in Desolation Canyon, and opportunity

8 for calm water canoe weekends on the White River. The

9 long rampart of the Book Cliffs bounds the area on the

10 south, while seldom-visited uplands, dissected by the rivers

11 and streams, slope away to the north into the Uinta Basin.

12 Bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, bear, and cougar all flour13 ish in the back country of the Book Cliffs.

14 (b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage

15 so as to preserve the Book Cliffs area and in furtherance

16 of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131

17 et seq.), the following lands in the State of Utah are here18 by designated as wilderness and therefore as components

19 of the National Wilderness Preservation System:

Approximate

Name of Wilderness Area and Unit Acreage

Desolation Canyon Wilderness:

Eastern Book Cliffs ................................................... 154,600

Desolation Canyon .................................................... 527,100

Turtle Canyon ........................................................... 36,900

White River Wilderness ............................................. 9,700

Greater Dinosaur Wilderness:

Bull Canyon ............................................................... 500

Diamond Breaks ....................................................... 7,800

Daniels Canyon ......................................................... 5,300

Moonshine Draw ....................................................... 3,500

Cold Springs Mountain ............................................. 3,400

Wild Mountain ........................................................... 600
15

•HR 1500 IH

1 TITLE II—ADMINISTRATIVE

2 PROVISIONS

3 SEC. 201. ADMINISTRATION.

4 Subject to valid existing rights, the wilderness areas

5 designated under this Act shall be administered by the

6 Secretary in accordance with section 603 of the Federal

7 Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C.

8 1782) and the provisions of the Wilderness Act governing

9 areas designated by that Act as wilderness.

10 SEC. 202. WATER.

11 (a) RESERVATION.—(1) With respect to each wilder12 ness area designated by this Act, Congress hereby reserves

13 a quantity of water sufficient to fulfill the purposes of this

14 Act. The priority date of such reserved rights shall be the

15 date of enactment of this Act.

16 (2) The Secretary and all other officers of the United

17 States shall take all steps necessary to protect the rights

18 reserved by paragraph (1), including the filing by the Sec19 retary of a claim for the quantification of such rights in

20 any present or future appropriate stream adjudication in

21 the courts of the State of Utah in which the United States

22 is or may be joined and which is conducted in accordance

23 with section 208 of the Act of July 10, 1952 (66 Stat.

24 56; 44 U.S.C. 666, commonly referred to as the

25 ‘‘McCarran Act’’).
16

•HR 1500 IH

1 (b) PRIOR RIGHTS NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in this

2 Act shall be construed as a relinquishment or reduction

3 of any water rights reserved or appropriated by the United

4 States in the State of Utah on or before the date of enact5 ment of this Act.

6 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—The Federal water

7 rights reserved by this Act are specific to the wilderness

8 areas located in the State of Utah designated by this Act.

9 Nothing in this Act related to reserved Federal water shall

10 be construed as establishing a precedent with regard to

11 any future designations, nor shall it constitute an interpre12 tation of any other Act or any designation made pursuant

13 thereto.

Æ