II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2206 

To release certain wilderness study areas in the State of Montana. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 7, 2017 

Mr. DAINES introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To release certain wilderness study areas in the State of 

Montana. 

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 ‘‘Protect Public Use 

5 of Public Lands Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. RELEASE OF CERTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS 

7 IN THE STATE OF MONTANA. 

8 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

9 (1) under the Montana Wilderness Study Act of 

10 1977 (Public Law 95–150; 91 Stat. 1243), 9 wilder11 ness study areas comprising a total of 973,000 acres 


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1 of land in the State of Montana were set aside for 

2 the Secretary of Agriculture to evaluate the suit3 ability of the wilderness study areas for designation 

4 as wilderness in accordance with the Wilderness Act 

5 (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), with the evaluation to be 

6 completed not later than 5 years after the date of 

7 enactment of the Montana Wilderness Study Act of 

8 1977 (Public Law 95–150; 91 Stat. 1243); 

9 (2) between 1979 and 1986, the Chief of the 

10 Forest Service completed the studies of the 9 wilder11 ness study areas and determined that 608,700 acres 

12 of the original 973,000 acres designated as wilder13 ness study areas by the Montana Wilderness Study 

14 Act of 1977 (Public Law 95–150; 91 Stat. 1243) 

15 were unsuitable for inclusion in the National Wilder16 ness Preservation System; 

17 (3) since the completion of the studies required 

18 under the Montana Wilderness Study Act of 1977 

19 (Public Law 95–150; 91 Stat. 1243), of the land 

20 designated as wilderness study areas by that Act— 

21 (A) 171,000 acres have been designated as 

22 wilderness by Congress; and 

23 (B) 663,000 acres remain as wilderness 

24 study areas until Congress acts; 


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1 (4) Congress has failed to act on the rec2 ommendations of the Chief of the Forest Service 

3 with respect to the remaining 7 wilderness study 

4 areas; 

5 (5) the Montana State legislature passed House 

6 Joint Resolution 9, a resolution asking Congress to 

7 address the remaining 7 wilderness study areas; 

8 (6) County commissions, sportsmen, farmers 

9 and ranchers, and outdoor recreation groups in the 

10 State of Montana support Congress acting to remove 

11 the land in the State described in subsection (c) to 

12 protect public use of public land; and 

13 (7) for the purposes of section 3(a) of the Mon14 tana Wilderness Study Act of 1977 (Public Law 95– 

15 150; 91 Stat. 1244), the land in the State of Mon16 tana described in subsection (c) has been adequately 

17 studied for wilderness designation. 

18 (b) RELEASE.—The land described in subsection (c) 

19 is no longer subject to section 3(a) of the Montana Wilder20 ness Study Act of 1977 (Public Law 95–150; 91 Stat. 

21 1244). 

22 (c) DESCRIPTION OF LAND.—The land referred to in 

23 paragraphs (6) and (7) of subsection (a) and subsection 

24 (b) is— 


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1 (1) the approximately 151,000 acres of land 

2 comprising the West Pioneer Wilderness Study Area; 

3 (2) the approximately 32,500 acres of land 

4 within the Blue Joint Wilderness Study Area not 

5 recommended for wilderness classification in the 

6 record of decision prepared by the Forest Service en7 titled ‘‘Bitterroot National Forest Plan’’ and dated 

8 September 1987; 

9 (3) the approximately 94,000 acres of land 

10 comprising the Sapphire Wilderness Study Area; 

11 (4) the approximately 81,000 acres of land 

12 comprising the Middle Fork Judith Wilderness 

13 Study Area; and 

14 (5) the approximately 91,000 acres of land 

15 comprising the Big Snowies Wilderness Study Area. 

Æ 


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