H. R. 2942

One Hundred Third Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,

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

An Act

To designate certain lands in the Commonwealth of Virginia as the George

Washington National Forest Mount Pleasant Scenic Area.

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 ‘‘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 oldgrowth 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
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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
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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.