49–006 

114TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 114–229 

SAWTOOTH NATIONAL RECREATION AREA AND JERRY 

PEAK WILDERNESS ADDITIONS ACT 

JULY 27, 2015.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. BISHOP of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 1138] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 1138) to establish certain wilderness areas in central 

Idaho and to authorize various land conveyances involving National Forest System land and Bureau of Land Management land 

in central Idaho, and for other purposes, having considered the 

same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 1138 is to establish certain wilderness areas 

in central Idaho and to authorize various land conveyances involving National Forest System land and Bureau of Land Management 

land in central Idaho. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

H.R. 1138 would create three new Wilderness areas totaling 

275,655 acres on U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) lands, would release four Wilderness Study 

Areas (WSA) totaling 153,883 federal acres back to multiple-use, 

and transfer 12 parcels of federal land totaling 913 acres to local 

counties and cities in central Idaho. The areas subject to this bill 

attract a number of outdoor recreationists, including snowmobilers, 

hunters, backpackers, hikers, mountain bikers, outfitters, campers 

and others. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
2 

There is strong local opposition to these or other areas in Idaho 

being designated as a national monument by the President under 

the Antiquities Act of 1906 (16 U.S.C. 431 et seq.). In response to 

this threat, Congressman Michael K. Simpson (R–ID) has developed and introduced several bills over the last decade that would 

designate new Wilderness, release WSAs back into multiple-use, 

and transfer federal lands to local cities and counties. Congressman 

Simpson first introduced the Central Idaho Economic Development 

and Recreation Act (CIEDRA) in 2004. That bill would have designated 332,000 acres as new Wilderness and released 131,000 

acres from existing WSAs. The bill was passed by the House in 

2006 during the 109th Congress, but was not taken up in the Senate. 

Congressman Simpson introduced the bill in subsequent Congressional sessions, but revamped the proposal in the 114th Congress and introduced the newly-titled bill in February 2015. The revamped bill increases the acreage released from WSAs and decreases the amount of acreage designated as Wilderness so that no 

motorized roads or trails will be closed and snowmobiling areas will 

be left open. 

The areas designated as Wilderness include the HemingwayBoulders Wilderness, White Clouds Wilderness, and the Jim 

McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness. The WSAs that would be released 

include the Jerry Peak WSA, Jerry Peak West WSA, Corral-Horse 

Basin WSA, and Boulder Creek WSA. The bill requires the conveyance or transfer of 12 parcels of BLM and USFS land to Blaine and 

Custer Counties and several cities in central Idaho. This land will 

be used for a variety of public purposes, including housing for seasonal workers, fire protection, waste transfer, cemeteries, and other 

local needs. 

The bill features a number of other special provisions. Grazing 

permittees with allotments within certain areas designated as Wilderness would be allowed to voluntarily retire their permits and be 

eligible for compensation from a third party conservation group. 

Any retired permits would be permanently closed to future grazing. 

No roads that are currently open to vehicles or trails that are currently open to two wheeled motorized-use would be closed. The legislation does not restrict or preclude low-level overflights of military aircraft, flight testing, or the designation of new special-use 

airspace over the Wilderness areas. The bill does not include any 

protective perimeter or buffer zone around the Wilderness areas 

and does not restrict activities or the use of lands outside the Wilderness areas that can be seen or heard within the area. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 1138 was introduced on February 26, 2015, by Congressman 

Michael K. Simpson (R–ID). The bill was referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands. The Subcommittee held a hearing on 

the bill on June 16, 2015. On July 8, 2015, the Natural Resources 

Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments were offered and 

the bill was ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent on July 9, 2015. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
3 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 

Natural Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII 

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(2)(B) of that rule provides 

that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Under clause 

3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 

section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

H.R. 1138—Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak 

Wilderness Additions Act 

H.R. 1138 would require federal agencies to manage 276,000 

acres of federal land located in Idaho for conservation purposes. 

The bill also would require the Bureau of Land Management 

(BLM) and the Forest Service to convey parcels of federal land totaling roughly 700 acres to various local governments in Idaho. 

Based on information provided by the affected agencies and assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates that 

implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 2016– 

2020 period. Because enacting H.R. 1138 would not affect direct 

spending or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

The bill would designate 276,000 acres of federal land administered by the Forest Service and BLM as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Based on information provided by the affected agencies, CBO estimates that they would 

spend less than $250,000 over the next five years to develop new 

management plans and install new signs, assuming appropriation 

of the necessary amounts. 

The legislation also would require BLM and the Forest Service 

to convey parcels totaling roughly 700 acres of federal land in 

Idaho to various county and city governments. Based on information regarding the cost of carrying out similar; activities, CBO estimates that completing the conveyances and removing a barn from 

one of the parcels, as required under the bill, would cost less than 

$250,000, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. Because the affected lands are not expected to generate any offsetting 

receipts over the next 10 years, CBO estimates that completing the 

conveyances would not affect direct spending. 

H.R. 1138 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. The bill 

would benefit Blaine and Custer Counties and the cities of Challis, 

Clayton, and Stanley in Idaho. Any costs incurred by those entities 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
4 

resulting from the land conveyances would be incurred voluntarily 

as conditions of receiving federal assistance. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeff LaFave. The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required by 

clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, 

this bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or 

tax expenditures. According to the Congressional Budget Office, implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 over 2016–2020, 

assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. 

3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 

clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or objective 

of this bill is to establish certain wilderness areas in central Idaho 

and to authorize various land conveyances involving National Forest System land and Bureau of Land Management land in central 

Idaho. 

EARMARK STATEMENT

This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined under clause 9(e), 

9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4 

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5 

Directed Rule Making. The Chairman does not believe that this 

bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any specific 

rule-making proceedings. 

Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not establish or 

reauthorize a program of the federal government known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was not included in 

any report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress 

pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111–139 or identified in the 

most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program Information Act (Public Law 95–220, 

as amended by Public Law 98–169) as relating to other programs. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets and existing law in which no 

change is proposed is shown in roman): 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
5 

ACT OF AUGUST 22, 1972 

(Public Law 92-400) 

AN ACT To establish the Sawtooth National Recreation Area in the State of Idaho, 

to temporarily withdraw certain national forest land in the State of Idaho from 

the operation of the United States mining laws, and for other purposes. 

* * * * * * * 

øSEC. 5. The Secretary shall, as soon as practicable after the enactment of this Act, review the undeveloped and unimproved portion or portions of the recreation area as to suitability or nonsuitability for preservation as a part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. In conducting his review, the Secretary shall comply with the provisions of subsection 3(d) of the Wilderness Act of 

September 3, 1964 (78 Stat. 892), relating to public notice, public 

hearings, and review by State and other agencies, and shall advise 

the Senate and House of Representatives of his recommendations 

with respect to the designation as wilderness of the area or areas 

reviewed.¿ 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS