H. R. 63

One Hundred Third Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,

the fifth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-three

An Act

To establish the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area in Nevada, and for

other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Spring Mountains National

Recreation Area Act’’.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

As used in this Act:

(1) NATIONAL FOREST LANDS.—The term ‘‘National Forest

lands’’ means lands included in the National Forest System

(as defined in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a))). (2) RECREATION AREA.—The term ‘‘Recreation Area’’ means

the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area established

by this Act.

(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary

of Agriculture.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

The purposes of this Act are to—

(1) preserve scenic, scientific, historic, cultural, natural,

wilderness, watershed, riparian, wildlife, threatened and endangered species, and other values contributing to public enjoyment

and biological diversity in the Spring Mountains of Nevada;

(2) ensure appropriate conservation and management of

natural and recreation resources in the Spring Mountains; and

(3) provide for the development of public recreation

opportunities in the Spring Mountains for the enjoyment of

present and future generations.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF RECREATION AREA.

(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid existing rights, there is established the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area in Nevada.

(b) BOUNDARIES AND MAP.—The Recreation Area shall consist

of approximately 316,000 acres of federally owned lands and

interests therein in the Toiyabe National Forest, as generally

depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Spring Mountain National Recreation

Area—Proposed’’, numbered NV–CH, and dated August 2, 1992.

(c) MAP FILING.—As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall file a map of the Recreation

Area with the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of
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the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House

of Representatives. (d) PUBLIC INSPECTION.—The map shall be on file and available

for public inspection in the offices of the Chief of the Forest Service,

Department of Agriculture. (e) DISCREPANCIES.—In the case of any discrepancy between or among the acreage referred to in subsection (b) and the map

described in subsection (b), the map described in subsection (b)

shall control any question concerning the boundaries of the Recreation Area.

SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT.

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall manage the Recreation Area in accordance

with the laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to the National

Forest System and this Act to provide for— (1) the conservation of scenic, scientific, historic, cultural,

and other values contributing to public enjoyment; (2) the conservation of fish and wildlife populations and

habitat, including the use of prescribed fire to improve or

maintain habitat;

(3) the protection of watersheds and the maintenance of

free flowing streams and the quality of ground and surface

waters in accordance with applicable law; (4) public outdoor recreation benefits, including, but not limited to, hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, horseback riding,

backpacking, rock climbing, camping, and nature study; (5) wilderness areas as designated by Congress; and

(6) the management and use of natural resources in a manner compatible with the purposes for which the Recreation

Area is established.

(b) HUNTING, TRAPPING, AND FISHING.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary shall permit hunting, trapping, fishing, and habitat management within the Recreation Area in accordance with the laws

of the United States and the State of Nevada.

(2) EXCEPTIONS.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Nevada Department of Wildlife, may designate zones where

and periods when hunting, trapping, or fishing shall not be

permitted for reasons of public safety, administration, or public

use and enjoyment.

(c) GRAZING.—The grazing of livestock on Federal lands may be permitted to continue pursuant to Federal law and subject to

such reasonable regulations, policies, and practices as the Secretary

considers necessary. (d) PREVENTIVE MEASURES.—Nothing in this Act shall preclude such reasonable measures as the Secretary considers necessary

to protect the land and resources from fire or insect or disease

infestation in the Recreation Area.

SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT PLAN.

(a) IN GENERAL.— (1) PROCEDURES.—Not later than 3 full fiscal years after

the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop

a general management plan for the Recreation Area as an

amendment to the Toiyabe National Forest Land and Resource

Management Plan. Such an amendment shall reflect the

establishment of the Recreation Area and be consistent with
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the provisions of this Act, except that nothing in this Act

shall require the Secretary to revise the Toiyabe National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan pursuant to section

6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning

Act of 1974. The provisions of the national forest land and

resource management plan relating to the recreation area shall

also be available to the public in a document separate from

the rest of the forest plan.

(2) CONTENTS.—The management plan described in paragraph (1) shall be developed with full public participation and

shall include—

(A) implementation plans for a continuing program

of interpretation and public education about the resources

and values of the Recreation Area;

(B) proposals for public facilities to be developed,

expanded, or improved for the Recreation Area, including

one or more visitor centers to accommodate both local and

out-of-State visitors;

(C) plans for the management of natural and cultural

resources in the Recreation Area, with emphasis on the

preservation and long-term scientific use of archaeological

resources, with priority in development given to the

enforcement of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act

of 1979 (16 U.S.C. 470aa et seq.) and the National Historic

Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.) within the Recreation Area;

(D) wildlife and fish resource management plans for

the Recreation Area prepared in consultation with appropriate departments of the State of Nevada and using other

available studies of the Recreation Area;

(E) recreation management plans for the Recreation

Area in consultation with appropriate departments of the

State of Nevada;

(F) wild horse and burro herd management plans for

the Recreation Area prepared in consultation with appropriate departments and commissions of the State of

Nevada; and

(G) an inventory of all lands within the Recreation

Area not presently managed as National Forest lands that

will permit the Secretary to evaluate possible future

acquisitions.

(3) CONSULTATION.—The plans for the management of natu- ral and cultural resources described in paragraph (2)(C) shall

be prepared in consultation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation established by title II of the National Historic

Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470i et seq.) and the Nevada State

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Division

of Historic Preservation and Archaeology.

(b) WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS.—

(1) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The general management plan for

the Recreation Area shall include the recommendations of the

Bureau of Land Management as to the suitability or

nonsuitability for preservation as wilderness those lands within

the Recreation Area identified as the Mt. Stirling, La Madre

Mountains, and Pine Creek Wilderness Study Areas on the

Bureau of Land Management Wilderness Status Map, dated

March 1990.
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(2) MANAGEMENT.—Pending submission of a recommendation and until otherwise directed by Act of Congress, the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall

manage the lands and waters within the wilderness study

areas referred to in paragraph (1) so as to maintain their

potential for inclusion within the National Wilderness Preservation System.

SEC. 7. ACQUISITION OF LANDS.

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized to acquire lands

and interests therein within the boundaries of the Recreation Area

by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds,

exchange, or transfer from another Federal agency, except that

such lands or interests owned by the State of Nevada or a political

subdivision thereof may be acquired only by donation or exchange.

(b) INCORPORATION OF ACQUIRED LANDS.—Any lands, waters,

or interests in lands or interests therein located within the Recreation Area that are acquired by the United States or administratively transferred to the Secretary after the date of enactment

of this Act shall be incorporated into the Recreation Area and

managed in accordance with the laws, rules, and regulations

applicable to the National Forest System and the provisions of

this Act.

(c) LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND.—For purposes of

section 7 of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965

(16 U.S.C. 460l–9), where such boundaries are established for units

of the National Forest System, such established boundaries shall

be treated as if they were the boundaries of the National Forests

as of January 1, 1965. Money appropriated from the Land and

Water Conservation Fund shall be available for the acquisition

of lands and interests therein in furtherance of the purposes of

this Act.

SEC. 8. WITHDRAWAL.

(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid existing rights and except

for lands described in subsection (b), all Federal lands within the

Recreation Area are withdrawn from—

(1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under

the public land laws;

(2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws;

and

(3) operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal

leasing laws.

(b) EXCEPTION.—The lands referred to in subsection (a) are

described as follows:

W1⁄2E1⁄2 and W1⁄2, Sec. 27, T23S, R58E, Mt. Diablo Meridian.

SEC. 9. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.

In order to encourage unified and cost-effective management

and interpretation of natural and cultural resources in southern

Nevada, the Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with

other Federal, State, and local agencies, and with nonprofit entities,

that provide for the management and interpretation of natural

and cultural resources.
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SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may

be necessary to carry out this Act.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.