II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1348 

To redesignate land within certain wilderness study areas in the State of 

Wyoming, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 27, 2023 

Mr. BARRASSO (for himself and Ms. LUMMIS) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To redesignate land within certain wilderness study areas 

in the State of Wyoming, 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 ‘‘Wyoming Public Lands 

5 Initiative Act of 2023’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) BUREAU.—The term ‘‘Bureau’’ means the 

9 Bureau of Land Management. 


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1 (2) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 

2 means the Department of the Interior. 

3 (3) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

4 the Director of the Bureau of Land Management. 

5 (4) EMERGENCY.—The term ‘‘emergency’’ 

6 means a situation that requires immediate action be7 cause of an imminent danger— 

8 (A) to the health or safety of people; or 

9 (B) of harm to property. 

10 (5) RANGE IMPROVEMENT.—The term ‘‘range 

11 improvement’’ has the meaning given the term in 

12 section 3 of the Public Rangelands Improvement Act 

13 of 1978 (43 U.S.C. 1902). 

14 (6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

15 of Wyoming. 

16 SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF LAND IN CARBON COUNTY, WYO17 MING. 

18 (a) DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS AREAS.— 

19 (1) ENCAMPMENT RIVER CANYON WILDER20 NESS.— 

21 (A) DESIGNATION.—In accordance with 

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

23 except as provided in subparagraph (B), the 

24 land within the boundaries of the Encampment 

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1 ignated as wilderness and as a component of 

2 the National Wilderness Preservation System, 

3 to be known as the ‘‘Encampment River Can4 yon Wilderness’’ (referred to in this paragraph 

5 as the ‘‘Wilderness’’). 

6 (B) EXCLUDED LAND.— 

7 (i) DEFINITION OF WATER VALLEY

8 ROAD.—In this subparagraph, the term 

9 ‘‘Water Valley Road’’ means the road in 

10 Carbon County, Wyoming, that is 50 feet 

11 wide and 17,340 feet long, consisting of 

12 approximately 19.904 acres of land in T. 

13 14 N., R. 84 W., including— 

14 (I) in sec. 22, land in— 

(aa) the NE1⁄4SW1 15 ⁄4; and 

(bb) the S1⁄2SW1 16 ⁄4; 

17 (II) in sec. 27, land in lots 4, 6, 

and 7 of the NW1⁄4SW1 18 ⁄4; 

19 (III) in sec. 28, land in lot 1 of 

the NE1⁄4SE1 20 ⁄4; 

21 (IV) in sec. 34, land in— 

(aa) the S1⁄2NE1 22 ⁄4; and 

(bb) the E1⁄2NW1 23 ⁄4; and 

24 (V) in sec. 35, land in— 

(aa) the N1⁄2SW1 25 ⁄4; 


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(bb) the NW1⁄4SE1 1 ⁄4; and 

(cc) the S1⁄2SE1 2 ⁄4. 

3 (ii) LAND EXCLUDED FROM THE WIL4 DERNESS.—The following land is not in5 cluded in the Wilderness: 

6 (I) Any land in the 

NW1⁄4NW1⁄4NW1 7 ⁄4 sec. 24, T. 14 N., 

8 R. 84 W. 

9 (II) Any land within 50 feet of 

10 the centerline of— 

11 (aa) County Road 353; or 

12 (bb) Water Valley Road. 

13 (C) MAINTENANCE OF ROADS.—Necessary 

14 maintenance or repairs to County Road 353 or 

15 Water Valley Road (as defined in subparagraph 

16 (B)) shall be permitted after the date of enact17 ment of this Act, consistent with the require18 ments of this subsection. 

19 (D) WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION.— 

20 (i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 

21 days after the date of enactment of this 

22 Act, the Director shall establish a fire sup23 pression plan for the protection of— 

24 (I) any individual or structure 

25 adjacent to the Wilderness; and 


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1 (II) the population centers of— 

2 (aa) Encampment, Wyo3 ming; and 

4 (bb) Riverside, Wyoming. 

5 (ii) COORDINATION.—In carrying out 

6 clause (i), the Director shall coordinate 

7 with— 

8 (I) the Wyoming State Forestry 

9 Division; and 

10 (II) Carbon County, Wyoming. 

11 (2) PROSPECT MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS.— 

12 (A) DESIGNATION.—In accordance with 

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

14 except as provided in subparagraph (B), the 

15 land within the boundaries of the Prospect 

16 Mountain Wilderness Study Area is designated 

17 as wilderness and as a component of the Na18 tional Wilderness Preservation System, to be 

19 known as the ‘‘Prospect Mountain Wilderness’’ 

20 (referred to in this paragraph as the ‘‘Wilder21 ness’’). 

22 (B) EXCLUDED LAND.—Any land within 

23 100 feet of the centerline of Prospect Road is 

24 not included in the Wilderness. 


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1 (C) MAINTENANCE OF PROSPECT ROAD.— 

2 Necessary maintenance or repairs to Prospect 

3 Road shall be permitted after the date of enact4 ment of this Act, consistent with the require5 ments of this subsection. 

6 (3) MANAGEMENT OF WILDERNESS AREAS.— 

7 (A) ADMINISTRATION.—Subject to valid 

8 existing rights, the wilderness areas designated 

9 in paragraphs (1) and (2) (referred to in this 

10 paragraph as the ‘‘Wilderness Areas’’) shall be 

11 administered by the Director in accordance 

12 with— 

13 (i) this paragraph; and 

14 (ii) the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 

15 1131 et seq.), except that any reference in 

16 that Act to the effective date of that Act 

17 shall be considered to be a reference to the 

18 date of enactment of this Act. 

19 (B) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in the 

20 Wilderness Areas, where established before the 

21 date of enactment of this Act, shall be allowed 

22 to continue in accordance with— 

23 (i) section 4(d)(4) of the Wilderness 

24 Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(4)); 


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1 (ii) the guidelines set forth in the re2 port of the Committee on Interior and In3 sular Affairs of the House of Representa4 tives accompanying H.R. 5487 of the 96th 

5 Congress (H. Rept. 96–617); and 

6 (iii) the guidelines set forth in appen7 dix A of the Report of the Committee on 

8 Interior and Insular Affairs to accompany 

9 H.R. 2570 of the 101st Congress (H. 

10 Rept. 101–405). 

11 (C) REVIEW OF POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND

12 REGULATIONS.— 

13 (i) IN GENERAL.—To ensure that the 

14 policies, practices, and regulations of the 

15 Department conform to and implement the 

16 intent of Congress regarding forest fires 

17 and the outbreak of disease or insects, not 

18 later than 180 days after the date of en19 actment of this Act, the Secretary of the 

20 Interior shall review all policies, practices, 

21 and regulations of the Department applica22 ble to the Wilderness Areas that pertain 

23 to— 

24 (I) wildland fires, including the 

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1 pression (including mechanical activ2 ity, as necessary); or 

3 (II) the outbreak of disease or in4 sect populations. 

5 (ii) REVISIONS.—On completion of the 

6 review under clause (i), the Secretary of 

7 the Interior shall revise or develop policies, 

8 practices, and regulations for the Wilder9 ness Areas— 

10 (I) to ensure the timely and effi11 cient control of fires, diseases, and in12 sects in the Wilderness Areas, in ac13 cordance with section 4(d)(1) of the 

14 Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 

15 1133(d)(1)); and 

16 (II) to provide, to the maximum 

17 extent practicable, adequate protection 

18 from forest fires, disease outbreaks, 

19 and insect infestations to any Federal, 

20 State, or private land adjacent to the 

21 Wilderness Areas. 

22 (b) DESIGNATION OF BENNETT MOUNTAINS SPE23 CIAL MANAGEMENT AREA.— 

24 (1) DESIGNATION.—The land within the Ben25 nett Mountains Wilderness Study Area is designated 


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1 as the ‘‘Bennett Mountains Special Management 

2 Area’’ (referred to in this subsection as the ‘‘Special 

3 Management Area’’). 

4 (2) ADMINISTRATION.—The Special Manage5 ment Area shall be administered by the Director. 

6 (3) ROADS; MOTORIZED VEHICLES.— 

7 (A) ROADS.— 

8 (i) PROHIBITION ON NEW PERMANENT

9 ROADS.—The construction of new perma10 nent roads in the Special Management 

11 Area shall not be allowed. 

12 (ii) TEMPORARY ROADS.—The Direc13 tor may authorize the construction of new 

14 temporary roads to respond to an emer15 gency. 

16 (B) MOTORIZED VEHICLES.—Except as 

17 needed for administrative purposes, to respond 

18 to an emergency, or to develop range improve19 ments, the use of motorized and mechanized ve20 hicles in the Special Management Area shall be 

21 allowed only on existing roads and trails des22 ignated for the use of motorized or mechanized 

23 vehicles by the travel management plan estab24 lished under subparagraph (C). 


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1 (C) TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN.—Not 

2 later than 2 years after the date of enactment 

3 of this Act, the Director shall establish a travel 

4 management plan for the Special Management 

5 Area. 

6 (4) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in the Spe7 cial Management Area shall be administered— 

8 (A) as a nondiscretionary use; and 

9 (B) in accordance with the laws generally 

10 applicable to land under the jurisdiction of the 

11 Bureau, including— 

12 (i) the Act of June 28, 1934 (com13 monly known as the ‘‘Taylor Grazing 

14 Act’’) (48 Stat. 1269, chapter 865; 43 

15 U.S.C. 315 et seq.); 

16 (ii) the Federal Land Policy and Man17 agement Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et 

18 seq.); and 

19 (iii) the Public Rangelands Improve20 ment Act of 1978 (43 U.S.C. 1901 et 

21 seq.). 

22 (5) FIRE MANAGEMENT AND SUPPRESSION.— 

23 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall 

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1 cordance with the laws generally applicable to 

2 land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau. 

3 (B) REVIEW OF POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND

4 REGULATIONS.— 

5 (i) IN GENERAL.—To ensure that the 

6 policies, practices, and regulations of the 

7 Bureau conform to and implement the in8 tent of Congress regarding forest fires, not 

9 later than 180 days after the date of en10 actment of this Act, the Director shall re11 view all policies, practices, and regulations 

12 of the Bureau applicable to the Special 

13 Management Area that pertain to wildland 

14 fires, including the use of modern methods 

15 of fire suppression. 

16 (ii) REVISION.—On completion of the 

17 review under clause (i), the Director shall 

18 revise or develop policies, practices, and 

19 regulations for the Special Management 

20 Area— 

21 (I) to ensure the timely and effi22 cient control of fires in the Special 

23 Management Area; and 

24 (II) to provide, to the maximum 

25 extent practicable, adequate protection 


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1 from forest fires to any Federal, 

2 State, or private land adjacent to the 

3 Special Management Area. 

4 (6) TIMBER HARVESTING.—Commercial timber 

5 harvesting shall not be allowed in the Special Man6 agement Area. 

7 (7) WITHDRAWAL.— 

8 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

9 subparagraph (B), subject to valid rights in ex10 istence on the date of enactment of this Act, 

11 the land within the boundaries of the Special 

12 Management Area is withdrawn from— 

13 (i) location, entry, and patent under 

14 the mining laws; and 

15 (ii) disposition under all laws relating 

16 to mineral and geothermal leasing. 

17 (B) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary of the In18 terior may lease oil and gas resources within 

19 the boundaries of the Special Management Area 

20 if— 

21 (i) the lease may only be accessed by 

22 directional drilling from a lease that is out23 side of the Special Management Area; and 

24 (ii) the lease prohibits, without excep25 tion or waiver, surface occupancy and surVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:29 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1348.IS S1348

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1 face disturbance within the Special Man2 agement Area for any activities, including 

3 activities related to exploration, develop4 ment, or production. 

5 (c) DESIGNATION OF BLACK CAT SPECIAL MANAGE6 MENT AREA.— 

7 (1) DESIGNATION.—The land described in 

8 paragraph (2) is designated as the ‘‘Black Cat Spe9 cial Management Area’’ (referred to in this sub10 section as the ‘‘Special Management Area’’). 

11 (2) INCLUDED LAND.—The Special Manage12 ment Area shall consist of— 

13 (A) the Federal land in T. 14 N., R. 81 

14 W., sec. 35, that is managed by the Forest 

15 Service; and 

16 (B) the portions of T. 14 N., R. 81 W., 

17 secs. 26, 35, and 36, that are south and west 

18 of the North Platte River. 

19 (3) ADMINISTRATION.—The Special Manage20 ment Area shall be administered by the Secretary of 

21 Agriculture. 

22 (4) ROADS; MOTORIZED VEHICLES.— 

23 (A) ROADS.— 

24 (i) PROHIBITION ON NEW PERMANENT

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1 nent roads in the Special Management 

2 Area shall not be allowed. 

3 (ii) TEMPORARY ROADS.—The Sec4 retary of Agriculture may authorize the 

5 construction of new temporary roads to re6 spond to an emergency. 

7 (B) MOTORIZED VEHICLES.—Except as 

8 needed for administrative purposes, to respond 

9 to an emergency, or to develop or maintain 

10 range improvements, the Secretary of Agri11 culture shall prohibit the use of motorized and 

12 mechanized vehicles in the Special Management 

13 Area. 

14 (5) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in the Spe15 cial Management Areas shall be administered— 

16 (A) as a nondiscretionary use; and 

17 (B) in accordance with the laws generally 

18 applicable to the National Forest System, in19 cluding— 

20 (i) the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield 

21 Act of 1960 (16 U.S.C. 528 et seq.); 

22 (ii) the Act of June 28, 1934 (com23 monly known as the ‘‘Taylor Grazing 

24 Act’’) (48 Stat. 1269, chapter 865; 43 

25 U.S.C. 315 et seq.); and 


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1 (iii) the Public Rangelands Improve2 ment Act of 1978 (43 U.S.C. 1901 et 

3 seq.). 

4 (6) FIRE MANAGEMENT AND SUPPRESSION.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agri6 culture shall carry out fire management and 

7 suppression activities in the Special Manage8 ment Area— 

9 (i) in accordance with the laws gen10 erally applicable to— 

11 (I) the National Forest System; 

12 and 

13 (II) the land within the bound14 aries of the Special Management 

15 Area; and 

16 (ii)(I) if a land management plan has 

17 been established for the Special Manage18 ment Area, in accordance with that land 

19 management plan; or 

20 (II) if a land management plan has 

21 not been established for the Special Man22 agement Area, in a manner consistent with 

23 land that is similarly situated to the land 

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1 agement Area, as determined by the Sec2 retary of Agriculture. 

3 (B) REVIEW OF POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND

4 REGULATIONS.— 

5 (i) IN GENERAL.—To ensure that the 

6 policies, practices, and regulations of the 

7 Department of Agriculture conform to and 

8 implement the intent of Congress regard9 ing forest fires, not later than 180 days 

10 after the date of enactment of this Act, the 

11 Secretary of Agriculture shall review all 

12 policies, practices, and regulations of the 

13 Department of Agriculture applicable to 

14 the Special Management Area that pertain 

15 to forest fires, including the use of modern 

16 methods of fire suppression. 

17 (ii) REVISION.—On completion of the 

18 review under clause (i), the Secretary of 

19 Agriculture shall revise or develop policies, 

20 practices, and regulations for the Special 

21 Management Area— 

22 (I) to ensure the timely and effi23 cient control of fires in the Special 

24 Management Area; and 


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1 (II) to provide, to the maximum 

2 extent practicable, adequate protection 

3 from forest fires to any Federal, 

4 State, or private land adjacent to the 

5 Special Management Area. 

6 (7) TIMBER HARVESTING.—Commercial timber 

7 harvesting shall not be allowed in the Special Man8 agement Area. 

9 (8) WITHDRAWAL.— 

10 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

11 subparagraph (B), subject to valid rights in ex12 istence on the date of enactment of this Act, 

13 the land within the boundaries of the Special 

14 Management Area is withdrawn from— 

15 (i) location, entry, and patent under 

16 the mining laws; and 

17 (ii) disposition under all laws relating 

18 to mineral and geothermal leasing. 

19 (B) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary of the In20 terior may, with the approval of the Secretary 

21 of Agriculture, lease oil and gas resources with22 in the boundaries of the Special Management 

23 Area if— 


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1 (i) the lease may only be accessed by 

2 directional drilling from a lease that is out3 side of the Special Management Area; and 

4 (ii) the lease prohibits, without excep5 tion or waiver, surface occupancy and sur6 face disturbance within the Special Man7 agement Area for any activities, including 

8 activities related to exploration, develop9 ment, or production. 

10 (d) RELEASE OF WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS.— 

11 (1) FINDING.—Congress finds that, for the pur12 poses of section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy 

13 and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)), 

14 any portion of a wilderness study area described in 

15 paragraph (2) that is not designated as wilderness 

16 by this section has been adequately studied for wil17 derness designation. 

18 (2) DESCRIPTION OF LAND.—The wilderness 

19 study areas referred to in paragraphs (1) and (3) 

20 are— 

21 (A) the Encampment River Canyon Wil22 derness Study Area; 

23 (B) the Prospect Mountain Wilderness 

24 Study Area; and 


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1 (C) the Bennett Mountains Wilderness 

2 Study Area. 

3 (3) RELEASE.—Any portion of a wilderness 

4 study area described in paragraph (2) that is not 

5 designated as wilderness by this section is no longer 

6 subject to section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy 

7 and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)). 

8 (4) MANAGEMENT OF RELEASED LAND.— 

9 (A) ENCAMPMENT RIVER CANYON WILDER10 NESS STUDY AREA.—The Director shall manage 

11 the portion of the Encampment River Canyon 

12 Wilderness Study Area released under para13 graph (3) in a manner consistent with a re14 source management plan that is applicable to 

15 any land that— 

16 (i) is adjacent to that released por17 tion; and 

18 (ii) is not included in the Encamp19 ment River Canyon Wilderness designated 

20 under subsection (a)(1). 

21 (B) PROSPECT MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS

22 STUDY AREA.—The portion of the Prospect 

23 Mountain Wilderness Study Area released 

24 under paragraph (3) shall be managed in ac25 cordance with— 


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1 (i) the Federal Land Policy and Man2 agement Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et 

3 seq.); and 

4 (ii) any other applicable law. 

5 (C) BENNETT MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS

6 STUDY AREA.—The Director shall manage the 

7 portion of the Bennett Mountains Wilderness 

8 Study Area released under paragraph (3) in ac9 cordance with subsection (b). 

10 SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF LAND IN FREMONT AND NATRONA 

11 COUNTIES, WYOMING. 

12 (a) DESIGNATION OF UPPER SWEETWATER CANYON

13 AND LOWER SWEETWATER CANYON WILDERNESS

14 AREAS.— 

15 (1) DESIGNATION.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with the 

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

18 land within the boundaries of the Sweetwater 

19 Canyon Wilderness Study Area is designated as 

20 wilderness and, as described in subparagraphs 

21 (B) and (C), as 2 components of the National 

22 Wilderness Preservation System, to be known 

23 as the ‘‘Upper Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness’’ 

24 (referred to in this subsection as the ‘‘Upper 

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1 yon Wilderness’’ (referred to in this subsection 

2 as the ‘‘Lower Wilderness’’). 

3 (B) UPPER SWEETWATER CANYON WIL4 DERNESS.— 

5 (i) BOUNDARY.— 

6 (I) IN GENERAL.—Except as pro7 vided in subclause (II), the boundary 

8 of the Upper Wilderness shall conform 

9 to the boundary of the Sweetwater 

10 Canyon Wilderness Study Area. 

11 (II) EASTERN BOUNDARY.—The 

12 eastern boundary of the Upper Wil13 derness shall be 100 feet from the 

14 western edge of the north-south road 

15 bisecting the Upper Wilderness and 

16 the Lower Wilderness, known as 

17 ‘‘Strawberry Creek Road’’. 

18 (ii) EXCLUSION OF EXISTING

19 ROADS.—Any established legal route with 

20 authorized motorized use in existence on 

21 the date of enactment of this Act that en22 ters the Upper Wilderness in T. 28 N., R. 

23 98 W., sec. 4, or the Lower Wilderness in 

24 T. 29 N., R. 97 W., sec. 33, is not in25 cluded in the Upper Wilderness. 


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1 (C) LOWER SWEETWATER CANYON WIL2 DERNESS.— 

3 (i) BOUNDARY.— 

4 (I) IN GENERAL.—Except as pro5 vided in subclauses (II) and (III), the 

6 boundary of the Lower Wilderness 

7 shall conform to the boundary of the 

8 Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness Study 

9 Area. 

10 (II) WESTERN BOUNDARY.—The 

11 western boundary of the Lower Wil12 derness shall be 100 feet from the 

13 eastern edge of the north-south road 

14 bisecting the Upper Wilderness and 

15 the Lower Wilderness, known as 

16 ‘‘Strawberry Creek Road’’. 

17 (III) NORTHERN BOUNDARY.— 

18 The northern boundary of the Lower 

19 Wilderness shall begin where the bi20 secting road referred to in subclause 

21 (II) enters the Sweetwater Canyon 

22 Wilderness Study Area at the border 

23 of T. 29 N., R. 98 W., sec. 36, and 

24 T. 28 N., R. 98 W., sec. 2, and shall 

25 run east along the boundary of T. 29 


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1 N., R. 97 W., sec. 31, to the center2 line of T. 29 N., R. 97 W., sec. 31, 

3 then north along that centerline to the 

4 midpoint of T. 29 N., R. 97 W., sec. 

5 31, then east along that centerline to 

6 the boundary of T. 29 N., R. 97 W., 

7 sec. 32, then following the existing 

8 boundary of the Sweetwater Canyon 

9 Wilderness Study Area to the mid10 point of T. 29 N., R. 97 W., sec. 32, 

11 then east along the centerline of T. 29 

12 N., R. 97 W., secs. 32 and 33, to the 

13 existing boundary of the Sweetwater 

14 Canyon Wilderness Study Area. 

15 (ii) EXCLUSION OF EXISTING

16 ROADS.—Any established legal route with 

17 authorized motorized use in existence on 

18 the date of enactment of this Act that en19 ters the Upper Wilderness in T. 29 N., R. 

20 98 W., sec. 4, or the Lower Wilderness in 

21 T. 29 N., R. 97 W., sec. 33, is not in22 cluded in the Lower Wilderness. 

23 (2) MANAGEMENT.— 

24 (A) ADMINISTRATION.—Subject to valid 

25 existing rights, the Upper Wilderness and the 


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1 Lower Wilderness shall be administered by the 

2 Director in accordance with— 

3 (i) this paragraph; and 

4 (ii) the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 

5 1131 et seq.), except that any reference in 

6 that Act to the effective date of that Act 

7 shall be considered to be a reference to the 

8 date of enactment of this Act. 

9 (B) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in the 

10 Upper Wilderness and the Lower Wilderness, 

11 where established before the date of enactment 

12 of this Act, shall be allowed to continue in ac13 cordance with— 

14 (i) section 4(d)(4) of the Wilderness 

15 Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(4)); 

16 (ii) the guidelines set forth in the re17 port of the Committee on Interior and In18 sular Affairs of the House of Representa19 tives accompanying H.R. 5487 of the 96th 

20 Congress (H. Rept. 96–617); and 

21 (iii) the guidelines set forth in appen22 dix A of the Report of the Committee on 

23 Interior and Insular Affairs to accompany 

24 H.R. 2570 of the 101st Congress (H. 

25 Rept. 101–405). 


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1 (C) MAINTENANCE OF EXISTING ROADS.— 

2 Necessary maintenance or repairs to any road 

3 described in subparagraph (B) or (C) of para4 graph (1) shall be permitted after the date of 

5 enactment of this Act, consistent with the re6 quirements of this subsection. 

7 (D) RANGE IMPROVEMENTS.—The con8 struction, reconstruction, and maintenance of 

9 range improvements shall be allowed in the 

10 Upper Wilderness and the Lower Wilderness. 

11 (E) BUFFER ZONES.— 

12 (i) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this 

13 paragraph creates a protective perimeter or 

14 buffer zone around the Upper Wilderness 

15 or the Lower Wilderness. 

16 (ii) ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE WILDERNESS

17 AREAS.—The fact that an activity or use 

18 on land outside the Upper Wilderness or 

19 the Lower Wilderness can be seen or heard 

20 within the Upper Wilderness or the Lower 

21 Wilderness, respectively, shall not preclude 

22 the activity or use outside the boundary of 

23 the Upper Wilderness or the Lower Wil24 derness. 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (3) RELEASE OF WILDERNESS STUDY AREA.— 

2 Congress finds that, for the purposes of section 

3 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management 

4 Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)), the land within 

5 the Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness Study Area not 

6 designated as wilderness by this subsection has been 

7 adequately studied for wilderness designation and is 

8 no longer subject to section 603(c) of the Federal 

9 Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 

10 U.S.C. 1782(c)). 

11 (b) DESIGNATION OF SWEETWATER ROCKS SPECIAL

12 MANAGEMENT AREA.— 

13 (1) DESIGNATION.—The land within the 

14 Lankin Dome, Split Rock, Savage Peak, and Miller 

15 Springs Wilderness Study Areas is designated as the 

16 ‘‘Sweetwater Rocks Special Management Area’’ (re17 ferred to in this subsection as the ‘‘Special Manage18 ment Area’’). 

19 (2) ADMINISTRATION.—The Special Manage20 ment Area shall be administered by the Director in 

21 a manner that protects— 

22 (A) valid existing rights; 

23 (B) agricultural uses; 

24 (C) primitive recreational opportunities; 

25 and 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (D) natural, historic, and scenic resources. 

2 (3) MOTORIZED VEHICLES.— 

3 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

4 subparagraph (B), the use of motorized vehicles 

5 in the Special Management Area shall be al6 lowed only on established legal routes with au7 thorized motorized use existing on the date of 

8 enactment of this Act. 

9 (B) EXCEPTIONS.—Notwithstanding sub10 paragraph (A), the use of motorized vehicles 

11 may be allowed in the Special Management 

12 Area for the construction, reconstruction, or 

13 maintenance of necessary infrastructure, as de14 termined by the Director. 

15 (4) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in the Spe16 cial Management Area shall be administered in ac17 cordance with the laws generally applicable to land 

18 under the jurisdiction of the Bureau. 

19 (5) PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN OVERHEAD TOW20 ERS.—No new overhead transmission or communica21 tions tower shall be constructed in the Special Man22 agement Area. 

23 (6) UNDERGROUND RIGHTS-OF-WAY.—The Di24 rector may expand any underground right-of-way in 


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•S 1348 IS

1 the Special Management Area that exists as of the 

2 date of enactment of this Act. 

3 (7) BUFFER ZONES.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this sub5 section creates a protective perimeter or buffer 

6 zone around the Special Management Area. 

7 (B) ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE SPECIAL MAN8 AGEMENT AREA.—The fact that an activity or 

9 use on land outside the Special Management 

10 Area can be seen or heard within the Special 

11 Management Area shall not preclude the activ12 ity or use outside the boundary of the Special 

13 Management Area. 

14 (8) LAND EXCHANGES AND EASEMENTS.— 

15 (A) LAND EXCHANGES.— 

16 (i) IN GENERAL.—The Director may 

17 propose to, and carry out with, an indi18 vidual or entity owning land in the vicinity 

19 of the Special Management Area any land 

20 exchange that— 

21 (I) increases access to the Special 

22 Management Area; and 

23 (II) does not result in a net loss 

24 of Federal land. 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (ii) PROCESS.—The Director may 

2 carry out clause (i)— 

3 (I) through the use of existing 

4 processes; or 

5 (II) by establishing a process for 

6 proposing and carrying out land ex7 changes under that clause. 

8 (B) EASEMENTS.—Notwithstanding any 

9 other provision of law, the Director may acquire 

10 from an individual or entity owning land in the 

11 vicinity of the Special Management Area an 

12 easement for the purpose of increasing access 

13 to the Special Management Area. 

14 (9) WITHDRAWALS.— 

15 (A) MINING, MINERAL, AND GEOTHERMAL

16 WITHDRAWAL.— 

17 (i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 

18 in clause (ii), subject to valid rights in ex19 istence on the date of enactment of this 

20 Act, the land within the boundaries of the 

21 Special Management Area is withdrawn 

22 from— 

23 (I) location, entry, and patent 

24 under the mining laws; and 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (II) disposition under all laws re2 lating to mineral and geothermal leas3 ing. 

4 (ii) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary of 

5 the Interior may lease oil and gas re6 sources within the boundaries of the Spe7 cial Management Area if— 

8 (I) the lease may only be 

9 accessed by directional drilling from a 

10 lease that is outside of the Special 

11 Management Area; and 

12 (II) the lease prohibits, without 

13 exception or waiver, surface occupancy 

14 and surface disturbance within the 

15 Special Management Area for any ac16 tivities, including activities related to 

17 exploration, development, or produc18 tion. 

19 (B) WIND AND SOLAR ENERGY WITH20 DRAWAL.—Subject to valid rights in existence 

21 on the date of enactment of this Act, the land 

22 within the boundaries of the Special Manage23 ment Area is withdrawn from right-of-way leas24 ing and disposition under all laws relating to 

25 wind or solar energy. 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (10) RELEASE OF WILDERNESS STUDY

2 AREAS.—Congress finds that, for the purposes of 

3 section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Man4 agement Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)), the land 

5 within the Lankin Dome, Split Rock, Savage Peak, 

6 and Miller Springs Wilderness Study Areas has been 

7 adequately studied for wilderness designation and is 

8 no longer subject to section 603(c) of the Federal 

9 Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 

10 U.S.C. 1782(c)). 

11 (c) RELEASE OF THE DUBOIS BADLANDS WILDER12 NESS STUDY AREA.— 

13 (1) DIVISION.—The Director shall divide the 

14 land within the Dubois Badlands Wilderness Study 

15 Area by installing a fence, or repairing or relocating 

16 an existing fence, in T. 41 N., R. 106 W., sec. 5, 

17 that— 

18 (A) follows existing infrastructure and nat19 ural barriers; 

20 (B) begins at an intersection with North 

Mountain View Road in the NE1⁄4NW1 21 ⁄4 sec. 5, 

22 T. 41 N., R. 106 W.; 

23 (C) from the point described in subpara24 graph (B), proceeds southeast to a point near 


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•S 1348 IS

the midpoint of the NE1 1 ⁄4 sec. 5, T. 41 N., R. 

2 106 W.; and 

3 (D) from the point described in subpara4 graph (C), proceeds southwest to a point in the 

SW1⁄4NE1 5 ⁄4 sec. 5, T. 41 N., R. 106 W., that 

6 intersects with the boundary of the Dubois 

7 Badlands Wilderness Study Area. 

8 (2) DUBOIS MOTORIZED RECREATION AREA.— 

9 (A) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is estab10 lished the Dubois Motorized Recreation Area 

11 (referred to in this paragraph as the ‘‘Recre12 ation Area’’) in the State, to be managed by the 

13 Director. 

14 (B) AREA INCLUDED.—The Recreation 

15 Area shall consist of— 

16 (i) any land within the boundaries of 

17 the Dubois Badlands Wilderness Study 

18 Area that is west of the fence described in 

19 paragraph (1); and 

20 (ii) any Federal land in T. 41 N., R. 

21 106 W., secs. 5 and 6 that— 

22 (I) is managed by the Bureau; 

23 and 

24 (II) is west of North Mountain 

25 View Road. 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (C) MANAGEMENT.— 

2 (i) BOUNDARY FENCE.— 

3 (I) IN GENERAL.—The Director 

4 shall construct a fence along the west5 ern boundary of the Recreation Area 

6 on any land that— 

7 (aa) is managed by the Bu8 reau; and 

9 (bb) is west of North Moun10 tain View Road. 

11 (II) COORDINATION.—In design12 ing, locating, and constructing the 

13 fence described in subclause (I), the 

14 Director shall coordinate with the 

15 owners of any land adjacent to the 

16 land described in that subclause. 

17 (ii) TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN.—As 

18 soon as practicable after the date of com19 pletion of the fence described in clause (i), 

20 the Director shall establish a travel man21 agement plan for the Recreation Area to 

22 maximize the use of motorized off-road ve23 hicles in the Recreation Area. 

24 (3) DUBOIS BADLANDS NATIONAL CONSERVA25 TION AREA.— 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (A) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is estab2 lished the Dubois Badlands National Conserva3 tion Area (referred to in this paragraph as the 

4 ‘‘Conservation Area’’) in the State, to be man5 aged by the Director. 

6 (B) AREA INCLUDED.—The Conservation 

7 Area shall consist of any land within the bound8 aries of the Dubois Badlands Wilderness Study 

9 Area that is east of the fence described in para10 graph (1). 

11 (C) MANAGEMENT.— 

12 (i) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall 

13 manage the Conservation Area in a man14 ner that protects— 

15 (I) valid existing rights; 

16 (II) agricultural uses; 

17 (III) primitive recreational oppor18 tunities; and 

19 (IV) natural, historic, and scenic 

20 resources. 

21 (D) MOTORIZED VEHICLES.— 

22 (i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 

23 in clause (ii), the use of motorized vehicles 

24 in the Conservation Area shall not be al25 lowed. 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (ii) EXCEPTIONS.—The Director may 

2 allow the use of motorized vehicles in the 

3 Conservation Area for— 

4 (I) habitat improvement; 

5 (II) the construction, reconstruc6 tion, or maintenance of range im7 provements; and 

8 (III) to respond to an emergency. 

9 (E) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in the 

10 Conservation Area shall be administered in ac11 cordance with the laws generally applicable to 

12 land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau. 

13 (F) RIGHTS-OF-WAY.—No major right-of14 way shall be allowed within the boundaries of 

15 the Conservation Area. 

16 (G) WITHDRAWAL.— 

17 (i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid 

18 rights in existence on the date of enact19 ment of this Act, the land within the 

20 boundaries of the Conservation Area is 

21 withdrawn from— 

22 (I) location, entry, and patent 

23 under the mining laws; and 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (II) disposition under all laws re2 lating to mineral and geothermal leas3 ing. 

4 (4) RELEASE.—Congress finds that, for the 

5 purposes of section 603(c) of the Federal Land Pol6 icy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 

7 1782(c)), the land within the Dubois Badlands Wil8 derness Study Area has been adequately studied for 

9 wilderness designation and is no longer subject to 

10 section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Man11 agement Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)). 

12 (d) RELEASE OF CERTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY

13 AREAS.— 

14 (1) COPPER MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY

15 AREA.— 

16 (A) RELEASE.—Congress finds that, for 

17 the purposes of section 603(c) of the Federal 

18 Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 

19 U.S.C. 1782(c)), the land within the Copper 

20 Mountain Wilderness Study Area— 

21 (i) has been adequately studied for 

22 wilderness designation; 

23 (ii) is no longer subject to section 

24 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and 


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•S 1348 IS

1 Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 

2 1782(c)); and 

3 (iii) shall be managed in accordance 

4 with this paragraph. 

5 (B) MANAGEMENT OF RELEASED LAND.— 

6 (i) IN GENERAL.—The land described 

7 in subparagraph (A) shall be administered 

8 by the Director in accordance with the 

9 laws generally applicable to land under the 

10 jurisdiction of the Bureau. 

11 (ii) MINERAL LEASING.— 

12 (I) IN GENERAL.—Subject to 

13 surface occupancy requirements and 

14 any other provision of law, the Direc15 tor may enter mineral leases for any 

16 land described in subparagraph (A) 

17 that has a slope of less than 25 per18 cent. 

19 (II) UNDERGROUND RIGHTS-OF20 WAY.—The Director may grant under21 ground rights-of-way for any mineral 

22 lease entered into under subclause (I). 

23 (iii) PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN

24 LEASES.—Subject to valid rights in exist25 ence on the date of enactment of this Act, 


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•S 1348 IS

1 the Director shall not issue a new lease for 

2 a wind or solar project, an overhead trans3 mission line, or a communication tower on 

4 the land described in subparagraph (A). 

5 (C) AUTHORITY TO EXCHANGE LAND.—In 

6 carrying out any land exchange involving any of 

7 the land described in subparagraph (A), the Di8 rector shall ensure that the exchange does not 

9 result in a net loss of Federal land. 

10 (2) WHISKEY MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY

11 AREA.— 

12 (A) RELEASE.—Congress finds that, for 

13 the purposes of section 603(c) of the Federal 

14 Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 

15 U.S.C. 1782(c)), the land within the Whiskey 

16 Mountain Wilderness Study Area— 

17 (i) has been adequately studied for 

18 wilderness designation; 

19 (ii) is no longer subject to section 

20 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and 

21 Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 

22 1782(c)); and 

23 (iii) shall be managed in accordance 

24 with this paragraph. 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (B) MANAGEMENT OF RELEASED LAND.— 

2 The land described in subparagraph (A) shall 

3 be administered by the Director in accordance 

4 with— 

5 (i) a resource management plan that 

6 is applicable to any land adjacent to the 

7 land described in subparagraph (A); and 

8 (ii) the Whiskey Mountain Coopera9 tive Agreement between the Wyoming 

10 Game and Fish Commission, the Forest 

11 Service, and the Bureau, including any 

12 amendment to that agreement relating to 

13 the management of bighorn sheep. 

14 (e) MANAGEMENT OF LAND IN FREMONT COUNTY, 

15 WYOMING.— 

16 (1) DEFINITION OF COUNTY.—In this sub17 section, the term ‘‘County’’ means Fremont County, 

18 Wyoming. 

19 (2) LANDER SLOPE AND RED CANYON AREAS

20 OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN.— 

21 (A) TRANSFERS.—The Director shall pur22 sue transfers in which land managed by the Bu23 reau in the County is exchanged for land owned 

24 by the State that is within the boundaries of— 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (i) the Lander Slope Area of Critical 

2 Environmental Concern; or 

3 (ii) the Red Canyon Area of Critical 

4 Environmental Concern. 

5 (B) REQUIREMENTS.—A transfer under 

6 subparagraph (A) shall— 

7 (i) comply with all requirements of 

8 law, including any required analysis; and 

9 (ii) be subject to appropriation. 

10 (3) STUDY.— 

11 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall 

12 carry out a study to evaluate the potential for 

13 the development of special motorized recreation 

14 areas in the County. 

15 (B) REQUIREMENTS.—The study under 

16 subparagraph (A) shall evaluate— 

17 (i) the potential for the development 

18 of special motorized recreation areas on all 

19 land managed by the Bureau in the Coun20 ty except— 

21 (I) T. 40 N., R. 94 W., secs. 15, 

22 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 

and the N1 23 ⁄2 sec. 34; and 

24 (II) any land that is subject to a 

25 restriction on the use of off-road vehiVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:29 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1348.IS S1348

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•S 1348 IS

1 cles under any Federal law, including 

2 this Act; 

3 (ii) the suitability of the land for off4 road vehicles, including rock crawlers; and 

5 (iii) the parking, staging, and camp6 ing necessary to accommodate special mo7 torized recreation. 

8 (C) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after 

9 the date of enactment of this Act, the Director 

10 shall submit to the Committee on Energy and 

11 Natural Resources of the Senate and the Com12 mittee on Natural Resources of the House of 

13 Representatives a report describing the findings 

14 of the study under subparagraph (A). 

15 (4) FREMONT COUNTY IMPLEMENTATION

16 TEAM.— 

17 (A) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 

18 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 

19 the Secretary of the Interior shall establish a 

20 team, to be known as the ‘‘Fremont County Im21 plementation Team’’ (referred to in this para22 graph as the ‘‘Team’’) to advise and assist the 

23 Director with respect to the implementation of 

24 the management requirements described in this 


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•S 1348 IS

1 section that are applicable to land in the Coun2 ty. 

3 (B) MEMBERSHIP.—The team shall consist 

4 of— 

5 (i) the Secretary of the Interior (or a 

6 designee of the Secretary of the Interior); 

7 and 

8 (ii) 1 or more individuals appointed by 

9 the Board of County Commissioners of the 

10 County. 

11 (C) NONAPPLICABILITY OF THE FEDERAL

12 ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.—The team shall 

13 not be subject to the requirements of chapter 

14 10 of title 5, United States Code (commonly re15 ferred to as the ‘‘Federal Advisory Committee 

16 Act’’). 

17 SEC. 5. DESIGNATION OF LAND IN JOHNSON AND CAMP18 BELL COUNTIES, WYOMING. 

19 (a) DESIGNATIONS.— 

20 (1) FORTIFICATION CREEK MANAGEMENT

21 AREA.—The land within the Fortification Creek Wil22 derness Study Area is designated as the ‘‘Fortifica23 tion Creek Management Area’’. 

24 (2) FRAKER MOUNTAIN MANAGEMENT AREA.— 

25 The land within the Gardner Mountain Wilderness 


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•S 1348 IS

1 Study Area is designated as the ‘‘Fraker Mountain 

2 Management Area’’. 

3 (3) NORTH FORK MANAGEMENT AREA.—The 

4 land within the North Fork Wilderness Study Area 

5 is designated as the ‘‘North Fork Management 

6 Area’’. 

7 (b) MANAGEMENT.— 

8 (1) ADMINISTRATION.—The management areas 

9 designated by subsection (a) (referred to in this sub10 section as the ‘‘Management Areas’’) shall be admin11 istered by the Director in a manner that— 

12 (A) promotes nonmotorized backcountry 

13 recreation, including hunting; and 

14 (B) supports ongoing projects to maintain 

15 and improve— 

16 (i) wildlife habitat; 

17 (ii) forest health; 

18 (iii) watershed protection; and 

19 (iv) ecological and cultural values. 

20 (2) ROADS.— 

21 (A) PROHIBITION ON NEW PERMANENT

22 ROADS.—The construction of new permanent 

23 roads in the Management Areas shall not be al24 lowed. 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (B) TEMPORARY ROADS.—The Secretary 

2 of the Interior may authorize the construction 

3 of new temporary roads in the Management 

4 Areas— 

5 (i) for— 

6 (I) fire suppression; 

7 (II) forest health and restoration; 

8 (III) weed and pest control; 

9 (IV) habitat management; 

10 (V) livestock management; or 

11 (VI) the construction, reconstruc12 tion, or maintenance of a range im13 provement; or 

14 (ii) to respond to an emergency. 

15 (3) MOTORIZED VEHICLES.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

17 subparagraph (B), the use of motorized or 

18 mechanized vehicles in the Management Areas 

19 shall not be allowed. 

20 (B) EXCEPTIONS.—The Director may 

21 allow the use of motorized or mechanized vehi22 cles in the Management Areas— 

23 (i) for— 

24 (I) fire suppression; 

25 (II) forest health and restoration; 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (III) weed and pest control; 

2 (IV) habitat management; 

3 (V) livestock management; or 

4 (VI) the construction, reconstruc5 tion, or maintenance of a range im6 provement; or 

7 (ii) to respond to an emergency. 

8 (4) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in the Man9 agement Areas shall be administered in accordance 

10 with the laws generally applicable to land under the 

11 jurisdiction of the Bureau. 

12 (5) PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN INFRASTRUC13 TURE.—The development, construction, or installa14 tion of infrastructure for recreational use shall not 

15 be allowed in— 

16 (A) the Fraker Mountain Management 

17 Area; or 

18 (B) the North Fork Management Area. 

19 (6) WITHDRAWAL.— 

20 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

21 subparagraph (B), subject to valid rights in ex22 istence on the date of enactment of this Act, 

23 the land within the boundaries of the Manage24 ment Areas is withdrawn from— 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (i) location, entry, and patent under 

2 the mining laws; and 

3 (ii) disposition under all laws relating 

4 to mineral and geothermal leasing. 

5 (B) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary of the In6 terior may lease oil and gas resources within 

7 the boundaries of a management area des8 ignated by paragraph (1) if— 

9 (i) the lease may only be accessed by 

10 directional drilling from a lease that is out11 side of the management area; and 

12 (ii) the lease prohibits, without excep13 tion or waiver, surface occupancy and sur14 face disturbance within the management 

15 area for any activities, including activities 

16 related to exploration, development, or pro17 duction. 

18 (7) RELEASE OF WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS.— 

19 Congress finds that, for the purposes of section 

20 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management 

21 Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)), the land within 

22 the Fortification Creek Wilderness Study Area, the 

23 Gardner Mountain Wilderness Study Area, and the 

24 North Fork Wilderness Study Area has been ade25 quately studied for wilderness designation and is no 


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•S 1348 IS

1 longer subject to section 603(c) of the Federal Land 

2 Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 

3 1782(c)). 

4 SEC. 6. DESIGNATION OF LAND IN WASHAKIE AND HOT 

5 SPRINGS COUNTIES, WYOMING. 

6 (a) DESIGNATION OF BOBCAT DRAW WILDER7 NESS.— 

8 (1) DESIGNATION.— 

9 (A) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with the 

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

11 approximately 6,200 acres of land within the 

12 Bobcat Draw Wilderness Study Area described 

13 in subparagraph (B) is designated as wilderness 

14 and as a component of the National Wilderness 

15 Preservation System, to be known as the ‘‘Bob16 cat Draw Wilderness’’ (referred to in this sub17 section as the ‘‘Wilderness’’). 

18 (B) INCLUDED LAND.—The Wilderness 

19 shall consist of— 

20 (i) in T. 48 N., R. 97 W., secs. 2, 3, 

21 10, 11, 15, 22, 23, 26, and 27, any land 

22 in the Bobcat Draw Wilderness Study 

23 Area that is in Washakie County, Wyo24 ming; 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (ii) in T. 48 N., R. 97 W., sec. 4, the 

2 land in— 

(I) the E1⁄2SE1 3 ⁄4; 

4 (II) lots 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 and 14 

of the NE1 5 ⁄4; 

(III) the east 1 6 ⁄2 of lot 10 of the 

NW1 7 ⁄4; and 

(IV) the northeast 1 8 ⁄4 of lot 15 of 

the NW1 9 ⁄4; 

10 (iii) in T. 48 N., R. 97 W., sec. 9, the 

11 land in— 

(I) the E1⁄2NE1 12 ⁄4; 

(II) the SW1⁄4NE1 13 ⁄4; 

(III) the E1⁄2NW1⁄4NE1 14 ⁄4; 

(IV) the SE1⁄4SE1⁄4NW1 15 ⁄4; 

(V) the SE1 16 ⁄4; 

(VI) the E1⁄2NE1⁄4SW1 17 ⁄4; 

(VII) the SW1⁄4NE1⁄4SW1 18 ⁄4; 

(VIII) the SE1⁄4SW1 19 ⁄4; and 

(IX) the E1⁄2SW1⁄4SW1 20 ⁄4; 

21 (iv) in T. 48 N., R. 97 W., sec. 14, 

22 the land in— 

(I) the W1 23 ⁄2; 

(II) the W1⁄2NE1 24 ⁄4; 

(III) the W1⁄2SE1 25 ⁄4; and 


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•S 1348 IS

(IV) the SE1⁄4SE1 1 ⁄4; 

2 (v) in T. 48 N., R. 97 W., sec. 21, the 

3 land in— 

(I) the NE1 4 ⁄4; 

(II) the E1⁄2NE1⁄4NW1 5 ⁄4; 

(III) the E1⁄2SE1⁄4NW1 6 ⁄4; 

(IV) the E1⁄2NE1⁄4SW1 7 ⁄4; 

8 (V) that part of the 

E1⁄2SE1⁄4SW1 9 ⁄4 within the boundary 

10 of the Bobcat Draw Wilderness Study 

11 Area; and 

(VI) that part of the SE1 12 ⁄4 within 

13 the boundary of the Bobcat Draw 

14 Wilderness Study Area; and 

15 (vi) in T. 48 N., R. 97 W., sec. 24, 

16 the land in— 

(I) the W1⁄2NW1 17 ⁄4; and 

(II) that part of the NW1⁄4SW1 18 ⁄4

19 within the boundary of the Bobcat 

20 Draw Wilderness Study Area. 

21 (2) MANAGEMENT.— 

22 (A) ADMINISTRATION.—Subject to valid 

23 existing rights, the Wilderness shall be adminis24 tered by the Director in accordance with— 

25 (i) this paragraph; and 


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•S 1348 IS

1 (ii) the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 

2 1131 et seq.), except that any reference in 

3 that Act to the effective date of that Act 

4 shall be considered to be a reference to the 

5 date of enactment of this Act. 

6 (B) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in the 

7 Wilderness, where established before the date of 

8 enactment of this Act, shall be allowed to con9 tinue in accordance with— 

10 (i) section 4(d)(4) of the Wilderness 

11 Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(4)); 

12 (ii) the guidelines set forth in the re13 port of the Committee on Interior and In14 sular Affairs of the House of Representa15 tives accompanying H.R. 5487 of the 96th 

16 Congress (H. Rept. 96–617); and 

17 (iii) the guidelines set forth in appen18 dix A of the Report of the Committee on 

19 Interior and Insular Affairs to accompany 

20 H.R. 2570 of the 101st Congress (H. 

21 Rept. 101–405). 

22 (C) REVIEW OF POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND

23 REGULATIONS.— 

24 (i) IN GENERAL.—To ensure that the 

25 policies, practices, and regulations of the 


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1 Department conform to and implement the 

2 intent of Congress regarding forest fires 

3 and the outbreak of disease or insects, not 

4 later than 180 days after the date of en5 actment of this Act, the Secretary of the 

6 Interior shall review all policies, practices, 

7 and regulations of the Department applica8 ble to the Wilderness that pertain to— 

9 (I) forest fires, including the use 

10 of modern methods of fire suppression 

11 (including mechanical activity, as nec12 essary); or 

13 (II) the outbreak of disease or in14 sect populations. 

15 (ii) REVISIONS.—On completion of the 

16 review under clause (i), the Secretary of 

17 the Interior shall revise or develop policies, 

18 practices, and regulations for the Wilder19 ness— 

20 (I) to ensure the timely and effi21 cient control of fires, diseases, and in22 sects in the Wilderness; and 

23 (II) to provide, to the maximum 

24 extent practicable, adequate protection 

25 from forest fires, disease outbreaks, 


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1 and insect infestations to any Federal, 

2 State, or private land adjacent to the 

3 Wilderness. 

4 (3) RELEASE OF WILDERNESS STUDY AREA.— 

5 (A) RELEASE.—Congress finds that, for 

6 the purposes of section 603(c) of the Federal 

7 Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 

8 U.S.C. 1782(c)), the land within the Bobcat 

9 Draw Wilderness Study Area not designated as 

10 wilderness by this subsection has been ade11 quately studied for wilderness designation and 

12 is no longer subject to section 603(c) of the 

13 Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 

14 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)). 

15 (B) CLASSIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT

16 OF RELEASED LAND.— 

17 (i) CLASSIFICATION.—The Director 

18 shall designate the land described in sub19 paragraph (A) as visual resource manage20 ment class II. 

21 (ii) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock 

22 on the land described in subparagraph (A) 

23 shall be administered— 

24 (I) as a nondiscretionary use; 

25 and 


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1 (II) in accordance with the laws 

2 generally applicable to land under the 

3 jurisdiction of the Bureau. 

4 (C) TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

5 (i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 

6 years after the date of enactment of this 

7 Act, the Director shall develop a travel 

8 management plan for the land described in 

9 subparagraph (A). 

10 (ii) REQUIREMENTS.—The travel 

11 management plan under clause (i) shall— 

12 (I) identify all existing roads and 

13 trails on the land described in sub14 paragraph (A); 

15 (II) designate each road or trail 

16 available for— 

17 (aa) motorized or mecha18 nized recreation; or 

19 (bb) agriculture practices; 

20 (III) prohibit the construction of 

21 any new road or trail for motorized or 

22 mechanized recreation use; and 

23 (IV) permit the continued use of 

24 nonmotorized trails. 

25 (D) WITHDRAWAL.— 


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1 (i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 

2 in clause (ii), subject to valid rights in ex3 istence on the date of enactment of this 

4 Act, the land described in subparagraph 

5 (A) is withdrawn from— 

6 (I) location, entry, and patent 

7 under the mining laws; and 

8 (II) disposition under all laws re9 lating to mineral and geothermal leas10 ing. 

11 (ii) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary of 

12 the Interior may lease oil and gas re13 sources within the land described in sub14 paragraph (A) if— 

15 (I) the lease may only be 

16 accessed by directional drilling from a 

17 lease that is outside of the land de18 scribed in subparagraph (A); and 

19 (II) the lease prohibits, without 

20 exception or waiver, surface occupancy 

21 and surface disturbance on the land 

22 described in subparagraph (A) for any 

23 activities, including activities related 

24 to exploration, development, or pro25 duction. 


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1 (b) DESIGNATION OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN SPECIAL

2 MANAGEMENT AREA.— 

3 (1) DESIGNATION.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

5 subparagraph (B), the land within the Cedar 

6 Mountain Wilderness Study Area is designated 

7 as the ‘‘Cedar Mountain Special Management 

8 Area’’ (referred to in this subsection as the 

9 ‘‘Special Management Area’’). 

10 (B) EXCLUDED LAND.— 

11 (i) IN GENERAL.—The land described 

12 in clause (ii) is not included in the Special 

13 Management Area. 

14 (ii) LAND DESCRIBED.—The land re15 ferred to in clause (i) is the land des16 ignated by the Bureau as not suitable for 

17 wilderness in— 

(I) the NE1⁄4NW1 18 ⁄4 sec. 5, T. 44 

19 N., R. 94 W; 

(II) the NE1⁄4SE1 20 ⁄4 sec. 5, T. 44 

21 N., R. 94 W; 

(III) the SW1⁄4NE1 22 ⁄4 sec. 5, T. 

23 44 N., R. 94 W; and 

(IV) the SW1⁄4SW1 24 ⁄4 sec. 32, T. 

25 45 N., R. 94 W. 


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1 (2) ADMINISTRATION.—The Special Manage2 ment Area shall be administered by the Director in 

3 a manner that— 

4 (A) maintains the recreational, scenic, cul5 tural, ecological, wildlife, and livestock produc6 tion values of the Special Management Area; 

7 and 

8 (B) promotes continued use of the Special 

9 Management Area for recreational activities, in10 cluding hunting and wildlife viewing. 

11 (3) TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

12 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years 

13 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Di14 rector shall develop a travel management plan 

15 for the Special Management Area. 

16 (B) REQUIREMENTS.—The travel manage17 ment plan under subparagraph (A) shall— 

18 (i) identify all existing roads and 

19 trails in the Special Management Area; 

20 (ii) designate each road or trail avail21 able for— 

22 (I) motorized or mechanized 

23 recreation; or 

24 (II) agriculture practices; 


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1 (iii) prohibit the construction of any 

2 new road or trail for motorized or mecha3 nized recreation use; and 

4 (iv) permit the continued use of non5 motorized trails. 

6 (4) MOTORIZED VEHICLES.— 

7 (A) USE OF MOTORIZED VEHICLES FOR

8 LIVESTOCK.—The use of motorized vehicles 

9 shall be allowed on any road in the Special 

10 Management Area for— 

11 (i) the construction, reconstruction, or 

12 maintenance of range improvements; or 

13 (ii) other livestock-management pur14 poses. 

15 (B) USE OF MOTORIZED VEHICLES FOR

16 EMERGENCIES.—The use of motorized vehicles 

17 shall be allowed in the Special Management 

18 Area— 

19 (i) for fire suppression; 

20 (ii) for weed and pest management; 

21 and 

22 (iii) to respond to an emergency. 

23 (5) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in the Spe24 cial Management Area shall be administered— 

25 (A) as a nondiscretionary use; and 


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1 (B) in accordance with the laws generally 

2 applicable to land under the jurisdiction of the 

3 Bureau. 

4 (6) WITHDRAWAL.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

6 subparagraph (B), subject to valid rights in ex7 istence on the date of enactment of this Act, 

8 the land within the boundaries of the Special 

9 Management Area is withdrawn from— 

10 (i) location, entry, and patent under 

11 the mining laws; and 

12 (ii) disposition under all laws relating 

13 to mineral and geothermal leasing. 

14 (B) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary of the In15 terior may lease oil and gas resources within 

16 the boundaries of the Special Management Area 

17 if— 

18 (i) the lease may only be accessed by 

19 directional drilling from a lease that is out20 side of the Special Management Area; and 

21 (ii) the lease prohibits, without excep22 tion or waiver, surface occupancy and sur23 face disturbance within the Special Man24 agement Area for any activities, including 


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1 activities related to exploration, develop2 ment, or production. 

3 (7) RELEASE OF WILDERNESS STUDY AREA.— 

4 (A) RELEASE.—Congress finds that, for 

5 the purposes of section 603(c) of the Federal 

6 Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 

7 U.S.C. 1782(c)), the land within the Cedar 

8 Mountain Wilderness Study Area has been ade9 quately studied for wilderness designation and 

10 is no longer subject to section 603(c) of the 

11 Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 

12 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)). 

13 (B) MANAGEMENT OF CERTAIN RELEASED

14 LAND.—The Director shall manage any land 

15 described in subparagraph (A) that is not in16 cluded in the Special Management Area in a 

17 manner consistent with a resource management 

18 plan that is applicable to any land that— 

19 (i) is managed by the Bureau; and 

20 (ii) is similarly situated to the land 

21 described in subparagraph (A) that is not 

22 included in the Special Management Area. 

23 (c) RELEASE OF HONEYCOMBS WILDERNESS STUDY

24 AREA.— 


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1 (1) RELEASE.—Congress finds that, for the 

2 purposes of section 603(c) of the Federal Land Pol3 icy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 

4 1782(c)), the land within the Honeycombs Wilder5 ness Study Area— 

6 (A) has been adequately studied for wilder7 ness designation; 

8 (B) is no longer subject to section 603(c) 

9 of the Federal Land Policy and Management 

10 Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)); and 

11 (C) shall be managed in accordance with 

12 this subsection. 

13 (2) MANAGEMENT OF RELEASED LAND.—The 

14 land described in paragraph (1) shall be adminis15 tered by the Director in accordance with— 

16 (A) the Federal Land Policy and Manage17 ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and 

18 (B) a resource management plan that is 

19 applicable to any land adjacent to the land de20 scribed in paragraph (1). 

21 (d) STUDY OF LAND IN HOT SPRINGS AND

22 WASHAKIE COUNTIES.— 

23 (1) DEFINITION OF COUNTIES.—In this sub24 section, the term ‘‘Counties’’ means each of the fol25 lowing counties in the State: 


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1 (A) Hot Springs County. 

2 (B) Washakie County. 

3 (2) STUDY.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall 

5 carry out a study to evaluate the potential for 

6 the development of new special motorized recre7 ation areas in the Counties. 

8 (B) REQUIREMENTS.— 

9 (i) LAND INCLUDED.—The study 

10 under subparagraph (A) shall evaluate the 

11 potential for the development of new spe12 cial motorized recreation areas on all land 

13 managed by the Bureau in the Counties 

14 except any land that is subject to a restric15 tion on the use of motorized or mechanized 

16 vehicles under any Federal law, including 

17 this Act. 

18 (ii) PUBLIC INPUT; COLLABORA19 TION.—In carrying out the study under 

20 subparagraph (A), the Director shall— 

21 (I) offer opportunities for public 

22 input; and 

23 (II) collaborate with— 

24 (aa) Wyoming Parks, His25 toric Sites, and Trails; and 


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1 (bb) the Counties. 

2 (C) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after 

3 the date of enactment of this Act, the Director 

4 shall submit to the Committee on Energy and 

5 Natural Resources of the Senate and the Com6 mittee on Natural Resources of the House of 

7 Representatives a report describing the findings 

8 of the study under subparagraph (A). 

9 SEC. 7. APPLICATION OF BLM RULE. 

10 The proposed rule of the Bureau entitled ‘‘Conserva11 tion and Landscape Health’’ (88 Fed. Reg. 19583 (April 

12 3, 2023)) or any substantially similar rule shall not apply 

13 to the land covered by this Act. 

Æ 


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