Union Calendar No. 376

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 2942

[Report No. 103–686]

A BILL

To designate certain lands in the Commonwealth of

for other purposes.use, protection of wildlife and their habitat, andof the watershed and scenic values, recreationVirginia as a National Scenic Area for protection

AUGUST 8, 1994

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Commitordered to be printed tee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and
IB

Union Calendar No. 376

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 2942

[Report No. 103–686]

To designate certain lands in the Commonwealth of Virginia as a National

Scenic Area for protection of the watershed and scenic values, recreation

use, protection of wildlife and their habitat, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

AUGUST 6, 1993

Mr. GOODLATTE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Agriculture

AUGUST 8, 1994

Additional sponsors: Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. LEWIS of Florida, Mr. EMERSON, Mr.

DOOLITTLE, Mr. BOEHNER, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. EWING, Mr. GUNDERSON, Mr. BATEMAN, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. WOLF, Mr. BLILEY, Mr. DICKEY,

Mr. SMITH of Michigan, Mr. SISISKY, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr. PAYNE of Virginia, Mrs. BYRNE, Mr. SCOTT, Mr. BAESLER, Mr. INSLEE, Mr.

POMEROY, Ms. LONG, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. MORAN, Mr. PICKETT,

Mr. VOLKMER, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. DIXON, Mr. BROWN of California,

Mrs. THURMAN, Mr. STENHOLM, Mr. CONDIT, Mr. MINGE, Mr. COMBEST, Mr. POMBO, Mr. SMITH of Oregon, Mr. CANADY, Mr. EVERETT,

Mr. ALLARD, Mr. BISHOP, Mr. NUSSLE, Mr. ROSE, and Mr. PETERSON

of Minnesota

AUGUST 8, 1994

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on August 6, 1993]
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A BILL

To designate certain lands in the Commonwealth of Virginia

as a National Scenic Area for protection of the watershed

and scenic values, recreation use, protection of wildlife

and their habitat, 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 ‘‘Mount Pleasant Na5 tional Scenic Area Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

7 The purposes of this Act with respect to the Mount

8 Pleasant National Scenic Area are to—

9 (1) ensure appropriate protection and preserva10 tion of the scenic quality, water quality, natural

11 characteristics, and water resources;

12 (2) protect and manage vegetation to provide

13 wildlife and fish habitat, consistent with paragraph

14 (1);

15 (3) provide areas that may develop characteris16 tics of old-growth forests; and

17 (4) provide a variety of recreation opportunities

18 that are not inconsistent with the preceding purposes.

19 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF MOUNT PLEASANT NATIONAL

20 SCENIC AREA.

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—
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1 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby estab2 lished in the George Washington National Forest, Vir3 ginia, the Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area (in

4 this section referred to as the ‘‘scenic area’’).

5 (2) LANDS INCLUDED IN SCENIC AREA.—The sce6 nic area shall consist of certain lands in the George

7 Washington National Forest, Virginia, which com8 prise approximately seven thousand five hundred and

9 eighty acres, as generally depicted on a map entitled

10 ‘‘Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area—Proposed’’,

11 dated June 21, 1993.

12 (3) MAPS AND DESCRIPTIONS.—As soon as prac13 ticable after the date of the enactment of this Act, the

14 Secretary shall file a map and boundary description

15 of the scenic area with the Committee on Agriculture,

16 Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Com17 mittee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives.

18 The map and description shall have the same force

19 and effect as if included in this Act, except that the

20 Secretary is authorized to correct clerical and typo21 graphical errors in such boundary description and

22 map. Such map and boundary description shall be on

23 file and available for public inspection in the Office

24 of the Chief of the Forest Service, Department of Agri25 culture. In the case of any discrepancy between the
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1 acreage and the map described in paragraph (2), the

2 map shall control.

3 (b) ADMINISTRATION.—

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture

5 (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall

6 administer the scenic area in accordance with this

7 Act and the laws and regulations generally applicable

8 to the National Forest System. In the event of conflict

9 between this Act and other laws and regulations, this

10 Act shall take precedence.

11 (2) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—Within three years

12 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec13 retary shall develop a management plan for the scenic

14 area as an amendment to the Land and Resource

15 Management Plan for the George Washington Na16 tional Forest. Such an amendment shall conform to

17 the provisions of this Act. Nothing in this Act shall

18 require the Secretary to revise the Land and Resource

19 Management Plan for the George Washington Na20 tional Forest pursuant to section 6 of the Forest and

21 Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of

22 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604).

23 (c) ROADS.—After the date of the enactment of this

24 Act, no new permanent roads shall be constructed within

25 the scenic area, except that this prohibition shall not be con-
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1 strued to deny access to private lands or interests therein

2 in the scenic area.

3 (d) VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.—No timber harvest

4 shall be allowed within the scenic area, except as may be

5 necessary in the control of fire, insects, and diseases and

6 to provide for public safety and trail access. Notwithstand7 ing the foregoing, the Secretary may engage in vegetation

8 manipulation practices for maintenance of existing wildlife

9 clearings and visual quality. Firewood may be harvested

10 for personal use along perimeter roads under such condi11 tions as the Secretary may impose.

12 (e) MOTORIZED TRAVEL.—

13 (1) AUTHORIZED ROUTES.—Motorized travel in

14 the scenic area shall be allowed on State Route 635.

15 Subject to such conditions as the Secretary may im16 pose, motorized travel in the scenic area shall also be

17 allowed on Forest Development Road 51.

18 (2) OTHER AREAS.—Other than as provided in

19 paragraph (1), motorized travel shall not be per20 mitted within the scenic area, except that the Sec21 retary may authorize motorized travel within the sce22 nic area as necessary for administrative use in fur23 therance of the purposes of this Act and on temporary

24 routes in support of wildlife management projects.
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1 (f) FIRE.—Wildfires shall be suppressed in a manner

2 consistent with the purposes of this Act, using such means

3 as the Secretary considers appropriate.

4 (g) INSECTS AND DISEASE.—Insect and disease out5 breaks may be controlled in the scenic area to maintain

6 scenic quality, prevent tree mortality, reduce hazards to

7 visitors, or protect private lands.

8 (h) WATER.—The scenic area shall be administered so

9 as to maintain or enhance existing water quality.

10 (i) MINING WITHDRAWAL.—Subject to valid existing

11 rights, all federally owned lands in the scenic area are here12 by withdrawn from location, entry, and patent under the

13 mining laws of the United States and from leasing claims

14 under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws of the

15 United States, including amendments to such laws.