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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1109 Introduced in House (IH)]

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.

    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 ``Wild Monongahela Act: A National 
Legacy for West Virginia's Special Places''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS, MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST, WEST 
              VIRGINIA.

    (a) Designation.--In furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following Federal lands within the 
Monongahela National Forest in the State of West Virginia are 
designated as wilderness and as either a new component of the National 
Wilderness Preservation System or as an addition to an existing 
component of the National Wilderness Preservation System:
            (1) Certain Federal land comprising approximately 5,144 
        acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled ``Big Draft 
        Proposed Wilderness'' and dated March 11, 2008, which shall be 
        known as the ``Big Draft Wilderness''.
            (2) Certain Federal land comprising approximately 11,951 
        acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled ``Cranberry 
        Expansion Proposed Wilderness'' and dated March 11, 2008, which 
        shall be added to and administered as part of the Cranberry 
        Wilderness designated by section 1(1) of Public Law 97-466 (96 
        Stat. 2538).
            (3) Certain Federal land comprising approximately 7,156 
        acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled ``Dolly Sods 
        Expansion Proposed Wilderness'' and dated March 11, 2008, which 
        shall be added to and administered as part of the Dolly Sods 
        Wilderness designated by section 3(a)(13) of Public Law 93-622 
        (88 Stat. 2098).
            (4) Certain Federal land comprising approximately 698 
        acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled ``Otter Creek 
        Expansion Proposed Wilderness'' and dated March 11, 2008, which 
        shall be added to and administered as part of the Otter Creek 
        Wilderness designated by section 3(a)(14) of Public Law 93-622 
        (88 Stat. 2098).
            (5) Certain Federal land comprising approximately 6,792 
        acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled ``Roaring 
        Plains Proposed Wilderness'' and dated March 11, 2008, which 
        shall be known as the ``Roaring Plains West Wilderness''.
            (6) Certain Federal land comprising approximately 6,030 
        acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled ``Spice Run 
        Proposed Wilderness'' and dated March 11, 2008, which shall be 
        known as the ``Spice Run Wilderness''.
    (b) Maps and Legal Description.--
            (1) Filing and availability.--As soon as practicable after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
        Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, 
        shall file with the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
        of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
        Resources of the Senate a map and legal description of each 
        wilderness area designated or expanded by subsection (a). The 
        maps and legal descriptions shall be on file and available for 
        public inspection in the office of the Chief of the Forest 
        Service and the office of the Supervisor of the Monongahela 
        National Forest.
            (2) Force and effect.--The maps and legal descriptions 
        referred to in this subsection shall have the same force and 
        effect as if included in this Act, except that the Secretary 
        may correct errors in the maps and descriptions.
    (c) Administration.--Subject to valid existing rights, the Federal 
lands designated as wilderness by subsection (a) shall be administered 
by the Secretary in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 
et seq.). The Secretary may continue to authorize the competitive 
running event permitted from 2003 through 2008 in the vicinity of the 
boundaries of the Dolly Sods Wilderness addition designated by 
paragraph (3) of subsection (a) and the Roaring Plains West Wilderness 
Area designated by paragraph (5) of such subsection, in a manner 
compatible with the preservation of such areas as wilderness.
    (d) Effective Date of Wilderness Act.--With respect to the Federal 
lands designated as wilderness by subsection (a), any reference in the 
Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) to the effective date of the 
Wilderness Act shall be deemed to be a reference to the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
    (e) Fish and Wildlife.--As provided in section 4(d)(7) of the 
Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(7)), nothing in this section affects 
the jurisdiction or responsibility of the State of West Virginia with 
respect to wildlife and fish.

SEC. 3. BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT, LAUREL FORK SOUTH WILDERNESS, MONONGAHELA 
              NATIONAL FOREST.

    (a) Boundary Adjustment.--The boundary of the Laurel Fork South 
Wilderness designated by section 1(3) of Public Law 97-466 (96 Stat. 
2538) is modified to exclude two parcels of land, as generally depicted 
on the map entitled ``Monongahela National Forest Laurel Fork South 
Wilderness Boundary Modification'' and dated March 11, 2008, and more 
particularly described according to the site-specific maps and legal 
descriptions on file in the office of the Forest Supervisor, 
Monongahela National Forest. The general map shall be on file and 
available for public inspection in the Office of the Chief of the 
Forest Service.
    (b) Management.--Federally owned land delineated on the maps 
referred to in subsection (a) as the Laurel Fork South Wilderness, as 
modified by such subsection, shall continue to be administered by the 
Secretary of Agriculture in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 
U.S.C. 1131 et seq.).

SEC. 4. MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST BOUNDARY CONFIRMATION.

    (a) Boundary Adjustment.--The boundary of the Monongahela National 
Forest is confirmed to include the tracts of land as generally depicted 
on the map entitled ``Monongahela National Forest Boundary 
Confirmation'' and dated March 13, 2008, and all Federal lands under 
the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 
Chief of the Forest Service, encompassed within such boundary shall be 
managed under the laws and regulations pertaining to the National 
Forest System.
    (b) Land and Water Conservation Fund.--For the purposes of section 
7 of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l-
9), the boundaries of the Monongahela National Forest, as confirmed by 
subsection (a), shall be considered to be the boundaries of the 
Monongahela National Forest as of January 1, 1965.

SEC. 5. ENHANCED TRAIL OPPORTUNITIES.

    (a) Plan.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Agriculture, in 
        consultation with interested parties, shall develop a plan to 
        provide for enhanced nonmotorized recreation trail 
        opportunities on lands not designated as wilderness within the 
        Monongahela National Forest.
            (2) Nonmotorized recreation trail defined.--For the 
        purposes of this subsection, the term ``nonmotorized recreation 
        trail'' means a trail designed for hiking, bicycling, and 
        equestrian use.
    (b) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to 
Congress a report on the implementation of the plan required under 
subsection (a), including the identification of priority trails for 
development.
    (c) Consideration of Conversion of Forest Roads to Recreational 
Uses.--In considering possible closure and decommissioning of a Forest 
Service road within the Monongahela National Forest after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, in accordance 
with applicable law, may consider converting the road to nonmotorized 
uses to enhance recreational opportunities within the Monongahela 
National Forest.
                                 <all>
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