I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1109 

To designate as wilderness additional National Forest System lands in the 

Monongahela National Forest in the State of West Virginia, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 23, 2009 

Mr. RAHALL (for himself, Mr. MOLLOHAN, and Mrs. CAPITO) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, 

and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 

such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To designate as wilderness additional National Forest System 

lands in the Monongahela National Forest in the State 

of West Virginia, 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 ‘‘Wild Monongahela Act: 

5 A National Legacy for West Virginia’s Special Places’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS, MONONGAHELA NA2 TIONAL FOREST, WEST VIRGINIA. 

3 (a) DESIGNATION.—In furtherance of the purposes of 

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

5 Federal lands within the Monongahela National Forest in 

6 the State of West Virginia are designated as wilderness 

7 and as either a new component of the National Wilderness 

8 Preservation System or as an addition to an existing com9 ponent of the National Wilderness Preservation System: 

10 (1) Certain Federal land comprising approxi11 mately 5,144 acres, as generally depicted on the 

12 map entitled ‘‘Big Draft Proposed Wilderness’’ and 

13 dated March 11, 2008, which shall be known as the 

14 ‘‘Big Draft Wilderness’’. 

15 (2) Certain Federal land comprising approxi16 mately 11,951 acres, as generally depicted on the 

17 map entitled ‘‘Cranberry Expansion Proposed Wil18 derness’’ and dated March 11, 2008, which shall be 

19 added to and administered as part of the Cranberry 

20 Wilderness designated by section 1(1) of Public Law 

21 97–466 (96 Stat. 2538). 

22 (3) Certain Federal land comprising approxi23 mately 7,156 acres, as generally depicted on the 

24 map entitled ‘‘Dolly Sods Expansion Proposed Wil25 derness’’ and dated March 11, 2008, which shall be 

26 added to and administered as part of the Dolly Sods 


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1 Wilderness designated by section 3(a)(13) of Public 

2 Law 93–622 (88 Stat. 2098). 

3 (4) Certain Federal land comprising approxi4 mately 698 acres, as generally depicted on the map 

5 entitled ‘‘Otter Creek Expansion Proposed Wilder6 ness’’ and dated March 11, 2008, which shall be 

7 added to and administered as part of the Otter 

8 Creek Wilderness designated by section 3(a)(14) of 

9 Public Law 93–622 (88 Stat. 2098). 

10 (5) Certain Federal land comprising approxi11 mately 6,792 acres, as generally depicted on the 

12 map entitled ‘‘Roaring Plains Proposed Wilderness’’ 

13 and dated March 11, 2008, which shall be known as 

14 the ‘‘Roaring Plains West Wilderness’’. 

15 (6) Certain Federal land comprising approxi16 mately 6,030 acres, as generally depicted on the 

17 map entitled ‘‘Spice Run Proposed Wilderness’’ and 

18 dated March 11, 2008, which shall be known as the 

19 ‘‘Spice Run Wilderness’’. 

20 (b) MAPS AND LEGAL DESCRIPTION.— 

21 (1) FILING AND AVAILABILITY.—As soon as 

22 practicable after the date of the enactment of this 

23 Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 

24 Chief of the Forest Service, shall file with the Com25 mittee on Natural Resources of the House of RepVerDate Nov 24 2008 05:29 Feb 24, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1109.IH H1109

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1 resentatives and the Committee on Energy and Nat2 ural Resources of the Senate a map and legal de3 scription of each wilderness area designated or ex4 panded by subsection (a). The maps and legal de5 scriptions shall be on file and available for public in6 spection in the office of the Chief of the Forest Serv7 ice and the office of the Supervisor of the 

8 Monongahela National Forest. 

9 (2) FORCE AND EFFECT.—The maps and legal 

10 descriptions referred to in this subsection shall have 

11 the same force and effect as if included in this Act, 

12 except that the Secretary may correct errors in the 

13 maps and descriptions. 

14 (c) ADMINISTRATION.—Subject to valid existing 

15 rights, the Federal lands designated as wilderness by sub16 section (a) shall be administered by the Secretary in ac17 cordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et 

18 seq.). The Secretary may continue to authorize the com19 petitive running event permitted from 2003 through 2008 

20 in the vicinity of the boundaries of the Dolly Sods Wilder21 ness addition designated by paragraph (3) of subsection 

22 (a) and the Roaring Plains West Wilderness Area des23 ignated by paragraph (5) of such subsection, in a manner 

24 compatible with the preservation of such areas as wilder25 ness. 


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1 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE OF WILDERNESS ACT.—With 

2 respect to the Federal lands designated as wilderness by 

3 subsection (a), any reference in the Wilderness Act (16 

4 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) to the effective date of the Wilderness 

5 Act shall be deemed to be a reference to the date of the 

6 enactment of this Act. 

7 (e) FISH AND WILDLIFE.—As provided in section 

8 4(d)(7) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(7)), 

9 nothing in this section affects the jurisdiction or responsi10 bility of the State of West Virginia with respect to wildlife 

11 and fish. 

12 SEC. 3. BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT, LAUREL FORK SOUTH 

13 WILDERNESS, MONONGAHELA NATIONAL 

14 FOREST. 

15 (a) BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.—The boundary of the 

16 Laurel Fork South Wilderness designated by section 1(3) 

17 of Public Law 97–466 (96 Stat. 2538) is modified to ex18 clude two parcels of land, as generally depicted on the map 

19 entitled ‘‘Monongahela National Forest Laurel Fork 

20 South Wilderness Boundary Modification’’ and dated 

21 March 11, 2008, and more particularly described accord22 ing to the site-specific maps and legal descriptions on file 

23 in the office of the Forest Supervisor, Monongahela Na24 tional Forest. The general map shall be on file and availVerDate Nov 24 2008 05:29 Feb 24, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1109.IH H1109

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1 able for public inspection in the Office of the Chief of the 

2 Forest Service. 

3 (b) MANAGEMENT.—Federally owned land delineated 

4 on the maps referred to in subsection (a) as the Laurel 

5 Fork South Wilderness, as modified by such subsection, 

6 shall continue to be administered by the Secretary of Agri7 culture in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 

8 1131 et seq.). 

9 SEC. 4. MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST BOUNDARY 

10 CONFIRMATION. 

11 (a) BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.—The boundary of the 

12 Monongahela National Forest is confirmed to include the 

13 tracts of land as generally depicted on the map entitled 

14 ‘‘Monongahela National Forest Boundary Confirmation’’ 

15 and dated March 13, 2008, and all Federal lands under 

16 the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture, acting 

17 through the Chief of the Forest Service, encompassed 

18 within such boundary shall be managed under the laws 

19 and regulations pertaining to the National Forest System. 

20 (b) LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND.—For 

21 the purposes of section 7 of the Land and Water Con22 servation Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l–9), the 

23 boundaries of the Monongahela National Forest, as con24 firmed by subsection (a), shall be considered to be the 


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1 boundaries of the Monongahela National Forest as of Jan2 uary 1, 1965. 

3 SEC. 5. ENHANCED TRAIL OPPORTUNITIES. 

4 (a) PLAN.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agri6 culture, in consultation with interested parties, shall 

7 develop a plan to provide for enhanced nonmotorized 

8 recreation trail opportunities on lands not des9 ignated as wilderness within the Monongahela Na10 tional Forest. 

11 (2) NONMOTORIZED RECREATION TRAIL DE12 FINED.—For the purposes of this subsection, the 

13 term ‘‘nonmotorized recreation trail’’ means a trail 

14 designed for hiking, bicycling, and equestrian use. 

15 (b) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the date 

16 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture 

17 shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation 

18 of the plan required under subsection (a), including the 

19 identification of priority trails for development. 

20 (c) CONSIDERATION OF CONVERSION OF FOREST

21 ROADS TO RECREATIONAL USES.—In considering possible 

22 closure and decommissioning of a Forest Service road 

23 within the Monongahela National Forest after the date of 

24 the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, 

25 in accordance with applicable law, may consider converting 


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1 the road to nonmotorized uses to enhance recreational op2 portunities within the Monongahela National Forest. 

Æ 


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