118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1348 

AN ACT 

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, 
2 

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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wyoming Public Lands 

3 Initiative Act of 2023’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

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

7 Bureau of Land Management. 

8 (2) RANGE IMPROVEMENT.—The term ‘‘range 

9 improvement’’ has the meaning given the term in 

10 section 3 of the Public Rangelands Improvement Act 

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

12 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

13 the Secretary of the Interior. 

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

15 of Wyoming. 

16 (5) WILDERNESS AREA.—The term ‘‘wilderness 

17 area’’ means a wilderness area designated by section 

18 3. 

19 SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS AREAS. 

20 In accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 

21 1131 et seq.), the following areas in the State are des22 ignated as wilderness and as components of the National 

23 Wilderness Preservation System: 

24 (1) ENCAMPMENT RIVER CANYON WILDER25 NESS.— 
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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—Certain Federal land 

2 administered by the Bureau in the State, com3 prising approximately 4,523.84 acres, as gen4 erally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Proposed 

5 Encampment River Wilderness’’ and dated De6 cember 5, 2023, which shall be known as the 

7 ‘‘Encampment River Canyon Wilderness’’. 

8 (B) EXCLUDED LAND.—The following land 

9 is not included in the Encampment River Can10 yon Wilderness: 

(i) Any land in the NW1⁄4NW1⁄4NW1 11 ⁄4

12 sec. 24, T. 14 N., R. 84 W. 

13 (ii) Any land within 100 feet of the 

14 centerline of— 

15 (I) County Road 353; or 

16 (II) Water Valley Road. 

17 (2) PROSPECT MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS.— 

18 (A) IN GENERAL.—Certain Federal land 

19 administered by the Bureau in the State, com20 prising approximately 1,099.76 acres, as gen21 erally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Proposed 

22 Prospect Mountain Wilderness’’ and dated De23 cember 8, 2023, which shall be known as the 

24 ‘‘Prospect Mountain Wilderness’’. 
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1 (B) EXCLUDED LAND.—Any land within 

2 100 feet of the centerline of Prospect Road is 

3 not included in the Prospect Mountain Wilder4 ness. 

5 (3) UPPER SWEETWATER CANYON WILDER6 NESS.— 

7 (A) IN GENERAL.—Certain Federal land 

8 administered by the Bureau in the State, com9 prising approximately 2,877.35 acres, as gen10 erally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Proposed 

11 Upper Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness’’ and 

12 dated December 6, 2023, which shall be known 

13 as the ‘‘Upper Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness’’. 

14 (B) BOUNDARY.— 

15 (i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 

16 in clause (ii), the boundary of the Upper 

17 Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness shall con18 form to the boundary of the Sweetwater 

19 Canyon Wilderness Study Area. 

20 (ii) EASTERN BOUNDARY.—The east21 ern boundary of the Upper Sweetwater 

22 Canyon Wilderness shall be 100 feet from 

23 the western edge of the north-south road 

24 bisecting the Upper Sweetwater Canyon 

25 Wilderness and the Lower Sweetwater 
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1 Canyon Wilderness, known as ‘‘Strawberry 

2 Creek Road’’. 

3 (iii) EXCLUSION OF EXISTING

4 ROADS.—Any established legal route with 

5 authorized motorized use in existence on 

6 the date of enactment of this Act that en7 ters the Upper Sweetwater Canyon Wilder8 ness in T. 28 N., R. 98 W., sec. 4, or the 

9 Lower Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness in 

10 T. 29 N., R. 97 W., sec. 33, is not in11 cluded in the Upper Sweetwater Canyon 

12 Wilderness. 

13 (4) LOWER SWEETWATER CANYON WILDER14 NESS.— 

15 (A) IN GENERAL.—Certain Federal land 

16 administered by the Bureau in the State, com17 prising approximately 5,665.19 acres, as gen18 erally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Lower 

19 Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness’’ and dated De20 cember 5, 2023, which shall be known as the 

21 ‘‘Lower Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness’’. 

22 (B) BOUNDARY.— 

23 (i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 

24 in clause (ii), the boundary of the Lower 

25 Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness shall con-
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1 form to the boundary of the Sweetwater 

2 Canyon Wilderness Study Area. 

3 (ii) WESTERN BOUNDARY.—The west4 ern boundary of the Lower Sweetwater 

5 Canyon Wilderness shall be 100 feet from 

6 the eastern edge of the north-south road 

7 bisecting the Upper Sweetwater Canyon 

8 Wilderness and the Lower Sweetwater 

9 Canyon Wilderness, known as ‘‘Strawberry 

10 Creek Road’’. 

11 (iii) EXCLUSION OF EXISTING

12 ROADS.—Any established legal route with 

13 authorized motorized use in existence on 

14 the date of enactment of this Act that en15 ters the Upper Sweetwater Canyon Wilder16 ness in T. 29 N., R. 98 W., sec. 4, or the 

17 Lower Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness in 

18 T. 29 N., R. 97 W., sec. 33, is not in19 cluded in the Lower Sweetwater Canyon 

20 Wilderness. 

21 (5) BOBCAT DRAW WILDERNESS.—Certain Fed22 eral land administered by the Bureau in the State, 

23 comprising approximately 6,246.84 acres, as gen24 erally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Proposed Bob25 cat Draw Wilderness’’ and dated December 8, 2023, 
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1 which shall be known as the ‘‘Bobcat Draw Wilder2 ness’’. 

3 SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF WILDERNESS AREAS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid existing rights, 

5 the Secretary shall administer the wilderness areas in ac6 cordance with this section and the Wilderness Act (16 

7 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), except that— 

8 (1) any reference in that Act to the effective 

9 date of that Act shall be considered to be a reference 

10 to the date of enactment of this Act; and 

11 (2) any reference in that Act to the Secretary 

12 of Agriculture shall be considered to be a reference 

13 to the Secretary. 

14 (b) FIRE MANAGEMENT AND RELATED ACTIVI15 TIES.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may carry out 

17 any activities in a wilderness area as are necessary 

18 for the control of fire, insects, or disease in accord19 ance with section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act (16 

20 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)). 

21 (2) COORDINATION.—In carrying out para22 graph (1), the Secretary shall coordinate with— 

23 (A) the Wyoming Forestry Division; and 

24 (B) the applicable county in the State in 

25 which the wilderness area is located. 
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1 (3) FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN.—Not later than 

2 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 

3 Secretary shall establish a fire management plan for 

4 the wilderness areas— 

5 (A) to ensure the timely and efficient con6 trol of fires, diseases, and insects in the wilder7 ness areas, in accordance with section 4(d)(1) 

8 of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)); 

9 and 

10 (B) to provide, to the maximum extent 

11 practicable, adequate protection from forest 

12 fires, disease outbreaks, and insect infestations 

13 to any Federal, State, or private land adjacent 

14 to the wilderness areas. 

15 (c) GRAZING.—The grazing of livestock in a wilder16 ness area, if established before the date of enactment of 

17 this Act, shall be administered in accordance with— 

18 (1) section 4(d)(4) of the Wilderness Act (16 

19 U.S.C. 1133(d)(4)); and 

20 (2) the guidelines set forth in Appendix A of 

21 House Report 101–405, accompanying H.R. 2570 of 

22 the 101st Congress, for land under the jurisdiction 

23 of the Secretary of the Interior. 

24 (d) BUFFER ZONES.— 
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this section es2 tablishes a protective perimeter or buffer zone 

3 around a wilderness area. 

4 (2) OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES OR USES.—The fact 

5 that a nonwilderness activity or use can be seen or 

6 heard from within a wilderness area shall not pre7 clude the activity or use outside the boundary of the 

8 wilderness area. 

9 SEC. 5. RELEASE OF WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS. 

10 (a) FINDING.—Congress finds that, for purposes of 

11 section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Manage12 ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)), any portion of a 

13 wilderness study area described in subsection (b) that is 

14 not designated as a wilderness area by section 3 has been 

15 adequately studied for wilderness designation. 

16 (b) DESCRIPTION OF LAND.—The wilderness study 

17 areas referred to in subsections (a) and (c) are the fol18 lowing: 

19 (1) The Encampment River Canyon Wilderness 

20 Study Area. 

21 (2) The Prospect Mountain Wilderness Study 

22 Area. 

23 (3) The Bennett Mountains Wilderness Study 

24 Area. 
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1 (4) The Sweetwater Canyon Wilderness Study 

2 Area. 

3 (5) The Lankin Dome Wilderness Study Area. 

4 (6) The Split Rock Wilderness Study Area. 

5 (7) The Savage Peak Wilderness Study Area. 

6 (8) The Miller Springs Wilderness Study Area. 

7 (9) The Dubois Badlands Wilderness Study 

8 Area. 

9 (10) The Copper Mountain Wilderness Study 

10 Area. 

11 (11) The Whiskey Mountain Wilderness Study 

12 Area. 

13 (12) The Fortification Creek Wilderness Study 

14 Area. 

15 (13) The Gardner Mountain Wilderness Study 

16 Area. 

17 (14) The North Fork Wilderness Study Area. 

18 (15) The portion of the Bobcat Draw Wilder19 ness Study Area located in Washakie County, Wyo20 ming. 

21 (16) The Cedar Mountain Wilderness Study 

22 Area. 

23 (17) The Honeycombs Wilderness Study Area. 

24 (c) RELEASE.—Any portion of a wilderness study 

25 area described in subsection (b) that is not designated as 
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1 a wilderness area by section 3 is no longer subject to sec2 tion 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management 

3 Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)). 

4 (d) MANAGEMENT OF RELEASED LAND.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall manage 

6 the portions of the wilderness study areas released 

7 under subsection (c) in accordance with— 

8 (A) the Federal Land Policy and Manage9 ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); 

10 (B) applicable land management plans; 

11 (C) applicable management provisions 

12 under paragraph (2); and 

13 (D) any other applicable law. 

14 (2) SPECIFIC MANAGEMENT PROVISIONS.— 

15 (A) BENNETT MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS

16 STUDY AREA.—The Secretary shall manage the 

17 portion of the Bennett Mountains Wilderness 

18 Study Area released under subsection (c) in ac19 cordance with section 8(a). 

20 (B) DUBOIS BADLANDS WILDERNESS

21 STUDY AREA.— 

22 (i) DIVISION.—The Secretary shall di23 vide the land within the Dubois Badlands 

24 Wilderness Study Area by authorizing the 

25 installation of a fence or the repair or relo-
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1 cation of an existing fence in T. 41 N., R. 

2 106 W., sec. 5, that— 

3 (I) follows existing infrastructure 

4 and natural barriers; 

5 (II) begins at an intersection 

6 with North Mountain View Road in 

the NE1⁄4NW1 7 ⁄4 sec. 5, T. 41 N., R. 

8 106 W.; 

9 (III) from the point described in 

10 subclause (II), proceeds southeast to a 

point near the midpoint of the NE1 11 ⁄4

12 sec. 5, T. 41 N., R. 106 W.; and 

13 (IV) from the point described in 

14 subclause (III), proceeds southwest to 

a point in the SW1⁄4NE1 15 ⁄4 sec. 5, T. 

16 41 N., R. 106 W., that intersects with 

17 the boundary of the Dubois Badlands 

18 Wilderness Study Area. 

19 (ii) MANAGEMENT.—The Secretary 

20 shall manage the portion of the Dubois 

21 Badlands Wilderness Study Area released 

22 under subsection (c) in accordance with— 

23 (I) paragraph (1); and 

24 (II) sections 6 and 7. 
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1 (C) COPPER MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS

2 STUDY AREA.— 

3 (i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

4 manage the portion of the Copper Moun5 tain Wilderness Study Area released under 

6 subsection (c) in accordance with para7 graph (1). 

8 (ii) MINERAL LEASING.— 

9 (I) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary 

10 may lease oil and gas resources within 

11 the land released from the Copper 

12 Mountain Wilderness Study Area 

13 under subsection (c) if— 

14 (aa) the lease may only be 

15 accessed by directional drilling 

16 from a lease that is outside of 

17 the land released from the Cop18 per Mountain Wilderness Study 

19 Area; and 

20 (bb) the lease prohibits, 

21 without exception or waiver, sur22 face occupancy and surface dis23 turbance on the land released 

24 from the Copper Mountain Wil25 derness Study Area for any ac-
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1 tivities, including activities relat2 ing to exploration, development, 

3 or production. 

4 (II) UNDERGROUND RIGHTS-OF5 WAY.—The Secretary may grant un6 derground rights-of-way for any min7 eral lease entered into under sub8 clause (I). 

9 (III) PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN

10 LEASES.—Subject to valid rights in 

11 existence on the date of enactment of 

12 this Act, the Secretary shall not issue 

13 a new lease for a wind or solar 

14 project, an overhead transmission line, 

15 or a communication tower on the land 

16 released from the Copper Mountain 

17 Wilderness Study Area under sub18 section (c). 

19 (IV) AUTHORITY TO EXCHANGE

20 LAND.—In carrying out any land ex21 change involving any of the land re22 leased from the Copper Mountain Wil23 derness Study Area under subsection 

24 (c), the Secretary shall ensure that 
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1 the exchange does not result in a net 

2 loss of Federal land. 

3 (D) WHISKEY MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS

4 STUDY AREA.—The Secretary shall manage the 

5 portion of the Whiskey Mountain Wilderness 

6 Study Area released under subsection (c) in ac7 cordance with— 

8 (i) paragraph (1); and 

9 (ii) the Whiskey Mountain Coopera10 tive Agreement between the Wyoming 

11 Game and Fish Commission, the Forest 

12 Service, and the Bureau, including any 

13 amendment to that agreement relating to 

14 the management of bighorn sheep. 

15 (E) BOBCAT DRAW WILDERNESS STUDY

16 AREA.— 

17 (i) TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

18 (I) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 

19 2 years after the date of enactment of 

20 this Act, the Secretary shall develop a 

21 travel management plan for the land 

22 released from the Bobcat Draw Wil23 derness Study Area under subsection 

24 (c). 
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1 (II) REQUIREMENTS.—The travel 

2 management plan under subclause (I) 

3 shall— 

4 (aa) identify all existing 

5 roads and trails on the land re6 leased from the Bobcat Draw 

7 Wilderness Study Area under 

8 subsection (c); 

9 (bb) designate each road or 

10 trail available for— 

11 (AA) motorized or 

12 mechanized recreation; or 

13 (BB) agriculture prac14 tices; 

15 (cc) prohibit the construc16 tion of any new road or trail for 

17 motorized or mechanized recre18 ation use; and 

19 (dd) permit the continued 

20 use of nonmotorized trails. 

21 (ii) WITHDRAWAL.— 

22 (I) IN GENERAL.—Except as pro23 vided in subclause (II), subject to 

24 valid rights in existence on the date of 

25 enactment of this Act, the land re-
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1 leased from the Bobcat Draw Wilder2 ness Study Area under subsection (c) 

3 is withdrawn from— 

4 (aa) all forms of appropria5 tion or disposal under the public 

6 land laws; 

7 (bb) location, entry, and 

8 patent under the mining laws; 

9 and 

10 (cc) disposition under laws 

11 relating to mineral and geo12 thermal leasing. 

13 (II) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary 

14 may lease oil and gas resources within 

15 the land released from the Bobcat 

16 Draw Wilderness Study Area under 

17 subsection (c) if— 

18 (aa) the lease may only be 

19 accessed by directional drilling 

20 from a lease that is outside of 

21 the land released from the Bob22 cat Draw Wilderness Study Area; 

23 and 

24 (bb) the lease prohibits, 

25 without exception or waiver, sur-
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1 face occupancy and surface dis2 turbance on the land released 

3 from the Bobcat Draw Wilder4 ness Study Area for any activi5 ties, including activities related to 

6 exploration, development, or pro7 duction. 

8 SEC. 6. ESTABLISHMENT OF DUBOIS BADLANDS NATIONAL 

9 CONSERVATION AREA. 

10 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subject to valid existing 

11 rights, there is established the Dubois Badlands National 

12 Conservation Area (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Con13 servation Area’’), comprising approximately 4,446.46 

14 acres of Federal land administered by the Bureau in the 

15 State, as generally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Proposed 

16 Badlands National Conservation Area’’ and dated Novem17 ber 15, 2023. 

18 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Conservation 

19 Area is to conserve, protect, and enhance for the benefit 

20 and enjoyment of present and future generations the eco21 logical, wildlife, recreational, scenic, cultural, historical, 

22 and natural resources of the Area. 

23 (c) MANAGEMENT.—Subject to valid rights in exist24 ence on the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

25 shall manage the Conservation Area— 
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1 (1) in a manner that only allows uses of the 

2 Conservation Area that the Secretary determines 

3 would further the purpose of the Conservation Area 

4 described in subsection (b); and 

5 (2) in accordance with— 

6 (A) the Federal Land Policy and Manage7 ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); 

8 (B) this section; and 

9 (C) any other applicable law. 

10 (d) MOTORIZED VEHICLES.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The use of motorized vehi12 cles in the Conservation Area shall be permitted only 

13 on existing roads, trails, and areas designated by the 

14 Secretary for use by such vehicles as of the date of 

15 enactment of this Act. 

16 (2) EXCEPTIONS.—The Secretary may allow 

17 the use of motorized vehicles in the Conservation 

18 Area as needed for administrative purposes and 

19 emergency response. 

20 (e) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in the Conserva21 tion Area shall be administered in accordance with the 

22 laws generally applicable to land under the jurisdiction of 

23 the Bureau. 

24 (f) WITHDRAWAL.—Subject to valid rights in exist25 ence on the date of enactment of this Act, the land within 
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1 the boundaries of the Conservation Area is withdrawn 

2 from— 

3 (1) all forms of appropriation or disposal under 

4 the public land laws; 

5 (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining 

6 laws; and 

7 (3) disposition under laws relating to mineral 

8 and geothermal leasing. 

9 SEC. 7. ESTABLISHMENT OF DUBOIS MOTORIZED RECRE10 ATION AREA. 

11 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subject to valid existing 

12 rights, there is established the Dubois Motorized Recre13 ation Area (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Recreation 

14 Area’’), comprising approximately 367.72 acres of Federal 

15 land administered by the Bureau in the State, as generally 

16 depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Proposed Dubois Motorized 

17 Recreation Area’’ and dated November 15, 2023. 

18 (b) MANAGEMENT.— 

19 (1) BOUNDARY FENCE.—The Secretary shall 

20 authorize the construction of a fence along the west21 ern boundary of the Recreation Area on any Federal 

22 land that— 

23 (A) is managed by the Bureau; and 

24 (B) is west of North Mountain View Road. 
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1 (2) TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN.—As soon as 

2 practicable after the date of completion of the fence 

3 described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall es4 tablish a travel management plan for the Recreation 

5 Area that efficiently coordinates the use of motor6 ized off-road vehicles in the Recreation Area. 

7 SEC. 8. ESTABLISHMENT OF SPECIAL MANAGEMENT 

8 AREAS. 

9 (a) BENNET MOUNTAINS SPECIAL MANAGEMENT

10 AREA.— 

11 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subject to valid existing 

12 rights, there is established the Bennett Mountains 

13 Special Management Area (referred to in this sub14 section as the ‘‘Special Management Area’’), com15 prising approximately 6,165.05 acres of Federal 

16 land in the State administered by the Bureau, as 

17 generally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Proposed 

18 Bennet Mountains Special Management Area’’ and 

19 dated November 15, 2023. 

20 (2) ADMINISTRATION.—The Special Manage21 ment Area shall be administered by the Secretary. 

22 (3) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Special 

23 Management Area is to enhance the natural, his24 toric, scenic, and recreational, values of the area. 

25 (4) MANAGEMENT.— 
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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

2 manage the Special Management Area— 

3 (i) in furtherance of the purpose de4 scribed in paragraph (3); and 

5 (ii) in accordance with— 

6 (I) the laws (including regula7 tions) generally applicable to the Bu8 reau; 

9 (II) this subsection; and 

10 (III) any other applicable law (in11 cluding regulations). 

12 (B) ROADS; MOTORIZED VEHICLES.— 

13 (i) ROADS.—The construction of new 

14 permanent roads in the Special Manage15 ment Area shall not be allowed. 

16 (ii) MOTORIZED VEHICLES.—Except 

17 as needed for administrative purposes, 

18 emergency response, fire management, for19 est health and restoration, weed and pest 

20 control, habitat management, livestock 

21 management, and range improvement, the 

22 use of motorized and mechanized vehicles 

23 in the Special Management Area shall be 

24 allowed only on existing roads and trails 
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1 designated for the use of motorized or 

2 mechanized vehicles. 

3 (iii) TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

4 Not later than 2 years after the date of en5 actment of this Act, the Secretary shall es6 tablish a travel management plan for the 

7 Special Management Area. 

8 (C) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in the 

9 Special Management Area shall be administered 

10 in accordance with the laws generally applicable 

11 to land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau. 

12 (D) TIMBER HARVESTING.—Commercial 

13 timber harvesting shall not be allowed in the 

14 Special Management Area. 

15 (5) WITHDRAWAL.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid exist17 ing rights and subparagraph (B), the Special 

18 Management Area is withdrawn from— 

19 (i) all forms of appropriation or dis20 posal under the public land laws; 

21 (ii) location, entry, and patent under 

22 the mining laws; and 

23 (iii) disposition under laws relating to 

24 mineral and geothermal leasing. 
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1 (B) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary may 

2 lease oil and gas resources within the bound3 aries of the Special Management Area if— 

4 (i) the lease may only be accessed by 

5 directional drilling from a lease that is out6 side of the Special Management Area; and 

7 (ii) the lease prohibits, without excep8 tion or waiver, surface occupancy and sur9 face disturbance within the Special Man10 agement Area for any activities, including 

11 activities related to exploration, develop12 ment, or production. 

13 (b) BLACK CAT SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA.— 

14 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subject to valid existing 

15 rights, there is established the Black Cat Special 

16 Management Area (referred to in this subsection as 

17 the ‘‘Special Management Area’’), comprising ap18 proximately 1,178 acres of Federal land in Carbon 

19 County, Wyoming, as generally depicted on the map 

20 entitled ‘‘Black Cat Special Management Area’’ and 

21 dated November 13, 2023. 

22 (2) ADMINISTRATION.—The Special Manage23 ment Area shall be administered by the Secretary of 

24 Agriculture. 
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1 (3) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Special 

2 Management Area is to enhance the natural, his3 toric, scenic, and recreational values of the area. 

4 (4) MANAGEMENT.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agri6 culture shall manage the Special Management 

7 Area— 

8 (i) in furtherance of the purpose de9 scribed in paragraph (3); and 

10 (ii) in accordance with— 

11 (I) the laws (including regula12 tions) generally applicable to National 

13 Forest System land; 

14 (II) this subsection; and 

15 (III) any other applicable law (in16 cluding regulations). 

17 (B) ROADS; MOTORIZED VEHICLES.— 

18 (i) ROADS.—The construction of new 

19 permanent roads in the Special Manage20 ment Area shall not be allowed. 

21 (ii) MOTORIZED VEHICLES.—Except 

22 as needed for administrative purposes, 

23 emergency response, fire management, for24 est health and restoration, weed and pest 

25 control, habitat management, livestock 
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1 management, and range improvement, the 

2 use of motorized and mechanized vehicles 

3 in the Special Management Area shall be 

4 allowed only on existing roads and trails 

5 designated for the use of motorized or 

6 mechanized vehicles. 

7 (iii) TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

8 Not later than 2 years after the date of en9 actment of this Act, the Secretary of Agri10 culture shall establish a travel management 

11 plan for the Special Management Area. 

12 (C) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in the 

13 Special Management Area shall be administered 

14 in accordance with the laws generally applicable 

15 to grazing on National Forest System land. 

16 (D) TIMBER HARVESTING.—Commercial 

17 timber harvesting shall not be allowed in the 

18 Special Management Area. 

19 (5) WITHDRAWAL.— 

20 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid exist21 ing rights and subparagraph (B), the Special 

22 Management Area is withdrawn from— 

23 (i) all forms of appropriation or dis24 posal under the public land laws; 
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1 (ii) location, entry, and patent under 

2 the mining laws; and 

3 (iii) disposition under laws relating to 

4 mineral and geothermal leasing. 

5 (B) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary may, 

6 with the approval of the Secretary of Agri7 culture, lease oil and gas resources within the 

8 boundaries of the Special Management Area 

9 if— 

10 (i) the lease may only be accessed by 

11 directional drilling from a lease that is out12 side of the Special Management Area; and 

13 (ii) the lease prohibits, without excep14 tion or waiver, surface occupancy and sur15 face disturbance within the Special Man16 agement Area for any activities, including 

17 activities related to exploration, develop18 ment, or production. 

19 (c) SWEETWATER ROCKS SPECIAL MANAGEMENT

20 AREA.— 

21 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subject to valid existing 

22 rights, there is established the Sweetwater Rocks 

23 Special Management Area (referred to in this sub24 section as the ‘‘Special Management Area’’), com25 prising approximately 34,347.79 acres of Federal 
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1 land in Fremont and Natrona Counties, Wyoming, 

2 as generally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Proposed 

3 Sweetwater Rocks Special Management Area’’ and 

4 dated November 15, 2023. 

5 (2) ADMINISTRATION.—The Special Manage6 ment Area shall be administered by the Secretary. 

7 (3) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Special 

8 Management Area is to enhance the natural, his9 toric, scenic, and recreational, values of the area. 

10 (4) MANAGEMENT.— 

11 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

12 manage the Special Management Area— 

13 (i) in furtherance of the purpose de14 scribed in paragraph (3); and 

15 (ii) in accordance with— 

16 (I) the laws (including regula17 tions) generally applicable to the Bu18 reau; 

19 (II) this subsection; and 

20 (III) any other applicable law (in21 cluding regulations). 

22 (B) ROADS; MOTORIZED VEHICLES.— 

23 (i) ROADS.—The construction of new 

24 permanent roads in the Special Manage25 ment Area shall not be allowed. 
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1 (ii) MOTORIZED VEHICLES.—Except 

2 as needed for administrative purposes, 

3 emergency response, fire management, for4 est health and restoration, weed and pest 

5 control, habitat management, livestock 

6 management, and range improvement, the 

7 use of motorized and mechanized vehicles 

8 in the Special Management Area shall be 

9 allowed only on existing roads and trails 

10 designated for the use of motorized or 

11 mechanized vehicles. 

12 (iii) TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

13 Not later than 2 years after the date of en14 actment of this Act, the Secretary shall es15 tablish a travel management plan for the 

16 Special Management Area. 

17 (C) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in the 

18 Special Management Area shall be administered 

19 in accordance with the laws generally applicable 

20 to the Bureau. 

21 (D) PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN OVERHEAD

22 TOWERS.—No new overhead transmission or 

23 communications tower shall be constructed in 

24 the Special Management Area. 
30 

†S 1348 ES

1 (E) LAND EXCHANGES.—The Secretary 

2 may propose to, and carry out with, an indi3 vidual or entity owning land in the vicinity of 

4 the Special Management Area any land ex5 change that— 

6 (i) increases access to the Special 

7 Management Area; and 

8 (ii) does not result in a net loss of 

9 Federal land. 

10 (F) UNDERGROUND RIGHTS-OF-WAY.— 

11 Notwithstanding paragraph (5), the Secretary 

12 may expand any underground right-of-way in 

13 the Special Management Area that exists as of 

14 the date of enactment of this Act. 

15 (5) WITHDRAWAL.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid exist17 ing rights and subparagraph (B), the Special 

18 Management Area is withdrawn from— 

19 (i) all forms of appropriation or dis20 posal under the public land laws; 

21 (ii) location, entry, and patent under 

22 the mining laws; and 

23 (iii) disposition under laws relating to 

24 mineral and geothermal leasing. 
31 

†S 1348 ES

1 (B) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary may 

2 lease oil and gas resources within the bound3 aries of the Special Management Area if— 

4 (i) the lease may only be accessed by 

5 directional drilling from a lease that is out6 side of the Special Management Area; and 

7 (ii) the lease prohibits, without excep8 tion or waiver, surface occupancy and sur9 face disturbance within the Special Man10 agement Area for any activities, including 

11 activities related to exploration, develop12 ment, or production. 

13 (C) WIND AND SOLAR ENERGY WITH14 DRAWAL.—Subject to valid rights in existence 

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

16 within the boundaries of the Special Manage17 ment Area is withdrawn from right-of-way leas18 ing and disposition under laws relating to wind 

19 or solar energy. 

20 (d) FORTIFICATION CREEK SPECIAL MANAGEMENT

21 AREA; FRAKER MOUNTAIN SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA; 

22 NORTH FORK SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA.— 

23 (1) DEFINITION OF SPECIAL MANAGEMENT

24 AREA.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘Special Man-
32 

†S 1348 ES

1 agement Area’’ means a special management area 

2 established by paragraph (2). 

3 (2) ESTABLISHMENT OF SPECIAL MANAGEMENT

4 AREAS.—Subject to valid existing rights there are 

5 established the following: 

6 (A) The Fortification Creek Special Man7 agement Area, comprising approximately 

8 12,520.69 acres of Federal land administered in 

9 the State by the Bureau, as generally depicted 

10 on the map entitled ‘‘Proposed Fortification 

11 Creek Management Area’’ and dated November 

12 15, 2023. 

13 (B) The Fraker Mountain Special Manage14 ment Area, comprising approximately 6,248.28 

15 acres of Federal land administered in the State 

16 by the Bureau, as generally depicted on the 

17 map entitled ‘‘Proposed Fraker Mountain Man18 agement Area’’ and dated November 15, 2023. 

19 (C) The North Fork Special Management 

20 Area, comprising approximately 10,026.15 

21 acres of Federal land administered in the State 

22 by the Bureau, as generally depicted on the 

23 map entitled ‘‘Proposed North Fork Manage24 ment Area’’ and dated November 15, 2023. 
33 

†S 1348 ES

1 (3) ADMINISTRATION.—The Special Manage2 ment Areas shall be administered by the Secretary. 

3 (4) PURPOSE.—The purpose of a Special Man4 agement Area is to enhance the natural, historic, 

5 scenic, recreational, wildlife habitat, forest health, 

6 watershed protection, and ecological and cultural 

7 values of the area. 

8 (5) MANAGEMENT.— 

9 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

10 manage each Special Management Area— 

11 (i) in furtherance of the purpose de12 scribed in paragraph (4); and 

13 (ii) in accordance with— 

14 (I) the laws (including regula15 tions) generally applicable to the Bu16 reau; 

17 (II) this subsection; and 

18 (III) any other applicable law (in19 cluding regulations). 

20 (B) ROADS; MOTORIZED VEHICLES.— 

21 (i) ROADS.—The construction of new 

22 permanent roads in a Special Management 

23 Area shall not be allowed. 

24 (ii) MOTORIZED VEHICLES.—Except 

25 as needed for administrative purposes, 
34 

†S 1348 ES

1 emergency response, fire management, for2 est health and restoration, weed and pest 

3 control, habitat management, livestock 

4 management, and range improvement, the 

5 use of motorized and mechanized vehicles 

6 in a Special Management Area shall be al7 lowed only on existing roads and trails des8 ignated for the use of motorized or mecha9 nized vehicles. 

10 (iii) TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

11 Not later than 2 years after the date of en12 actment of this Act, the Secretary shall es13 tablish a travel management plan for each 

14 Special Management Area. 

15 (C) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in a 

16 Special Management Area shall be administered 

17 in accordance with the laws generally applicable 

18 to land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau. 

19 (D) PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN INFRA20 STRUCTURE.—The development, construction, 

21 or installation of infrastructure for recreational 

22 use shall not be allowed in— 

23 (i) the Fraker Mountain Special Man24 agement Area; or 
35 

†S 1348 ES

1 (ii) the North Fork Special Manage2 ment Area. 

3 (6) WITHDRAWAL.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid exist5 ing rights and subparagraph (B), the Special 

6 Management Areas are withdrawn from— 

7 (i) all forms of appropriation or dis8 posal under the public land laws; 

9 (ii) location, entry, and patent under 

10 the mining laws; and 

11 (iii) disposition under laws relating to 

12 mineral and geothermal leasing. 

13 (B) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary may 

14 lease oil and gas resources within the bound15 aries of a Special Management Area if— 

16 (i) the lease may only be accessed by 

17 directional drilling from a lease that is out18 side of the Special Management Area; and 

19 (ii) the lease prohibits, without excep20 tion or waiver, surface occupancy and sur21 face disturbance within the Special Man22 agement Area for any activities, including 

23 activities related to exploration, develop24 ment, or production. 
36 

†S 1348 ES

1 (e) CEDAR MOUNTAIN SPECIAL MANAGEMENT

2 AREA.— 

3 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subject to valid existing 

4 rights, there is established the Cedar Mountain Spe5 cial Management Area (referred to in this subsection 

6 as the ‘‘Special Management Area’’), comprising ap7 proximately 20,745.73 acres of Federal land in the 

8 State administered by the Bureau, as generally de9 picted on the map entitled ‘‘Proposed Cedar Moun10 tain Special Management Area’’ and dated Novem11 ber 15, 2023. 

12 (2) ADMINISTRATION.—The Special Manage13 ment Area shall be administered by the Secretary. 

14 (3) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Special 

15 Management Area is to enhance the natural, his16 toric, scenic, recreational, ecological, wildlife, and 

17 livestock production values of the area. 

18 (4) MANAGEMENT.— 

19 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

20 manage the Special Management Area— 

21 (i) in furtherance of the purpose de22 scribed in paragraph (3); and 

23 (ii) in accordance with— 
37 

†S 1348 ES

1 (I) the laws (including regula2 tions) generally applicable to the Bu3 reau; 

4 (II) this subsection; and 

5 (III) any other applicable law (in6 cluding regulations). 

7 (B) ROADS; MOTORIZED VEHICLES.— 

8 (i) ROADS.—The construction of new 

9 permanent roads in the Special Manage10 ment Area shall not be allowed. 

11 (ii) MOTORIZED VEHICLES.—Except 

12 as needed for administrative purposes, 

13 emergency response, fire management, for14 est health and restoration, weed and pest 

15 control, habitat management, livestock 

16 management, and range improvement, the 

17 use of motorized and mechanized vehicles 

18 in the Special Management Area shall be 

19 allowed only on existing roads and trails 

20 designated for the use of motorized or 

21 mechanized vehicles. 

22 (iii) TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

23 Not later than 2 years after the date of en24 actment of this Act, the Secretary shall es-
38 

†S 1348 ES

1 tablish a travel management plan for the 

2 Special Management Area. 

3 (C) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in the 

4 Special Management Area shall be administered 

5 in accordance with the laws generally applicable 

6 to land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau. 

7 (5) WITHDRAWAL.— 

8 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid exist9 ing rights, the Special Management Area is 

10 withdrawn from— 

11 (i) all forms of appropriation or dis12 posal under the public land laws; 

13 (ii) location, entry, and patent under 

14 the mining laws; and 

15 (iii) disposition under laws relating to 

16 mineral and geothermal leasing. 

17 (B) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary may 

18 lease oil and gas resources within the bound19 aries of the Special Management Area if— 

20 (i) the lease may only be accessed by 

21 directional drilling from a lease that is out22 side of the Special Management Area; and 

23 (ii) the lease prohibits, without excep24 tion or waiver, surface occupancy and sur25 face disturbance within the Special Man-
39 

†S 1348 ES

1 agement Area for any activities, including 

2 activities related to exploration, develop3 ment, or production. 

4 SEC. 9. LANDER SLOPE AREA OF CRITICAL ENVIRON5 MENTAL CONCERN AND RED CANYON AREA 

6 OF CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN. 

7 (a) DEFINITION OF COUNTY.—In this section, the 

8 term ‘‘County’’ means Fremont County, Wyoming. 

9 (b) LANDER SLOPE AREA OF CRITICAL ENVIRON10 MENTAL CONCERN AND RED CANYON AREA OF CRITICAL

11 ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN.— 

12 (1) TRANSFERS.—The Secretary shall pursue 

13 transfers in which land managed by the Bureau in 

14 the County is exchanged for land owned by the State 

15 that is within the boundaries of— 

16 (A) the Lander Slope Area of Critical En17 vironmental Concern; or 

18 (B) the Red Canyon Area of Critical Envi19 ronmental Concern. 

20 (2) REQUIREMENTS.—A transfer under para21 graph (1) shall— 

22 (A) comply with all requirements of law, 

23 including any required analysis; and 

24 (B) be subject to appropriation. 

25 (c) STUDY.— 
40 

†S 1348 ES

1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 

2 out a study to evaluate the potential for the develop3 ment of special motorized recreation areas in the 

4 County. 

5 (2) REQUIREMENTS.—The study under para6 graph (1) shall evaluate— 

7 (A) the potential for the development of 

8 special motorized recreation areas on all land 

9 managed by the Bureau in the County except— 

10 (i) any land in T. 40 N., R. 94 W., 

11 secs. 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 

29, and the N1 12 ⁄2 sec. 34; and 

13 (ii) any land that is subject to a re14 striction on the use of off-road vehicles 

15 under any Federal law, including this Act; 

16 (B) the suitability of the land evaluated 

17 under subparagraph (A) for off-road vehicles, 

18 including rock crawlers; and 

19 (C) the parking, staging, and camping nec20 essary to accommodate special motorized recre21 ation. 

22 (3) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the 

23 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

24 submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

25 Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Nat-
41 

†S 1348 ES

1 ural Resources of the House of Representatives a re2 port describing the findings of the study under para3 graph (1). 

4 (d) FREMONT COUNTY IMPLEMENTATION TEAM.— 

5 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days 

6 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec7 retary shall establish a team, to be known as the 

8 ‘‘Fremont County Implementation Team’’ (referred 

9 to in this subsection as the ‘‘Team’’) to advise and 

10 assist the Secretary with respect to the implementa11 tion of the management requirements described in 

12 this section that are applicable to land in the Coun13 ty. 

14 (2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Team shall consist 

15 of— 

16 (A) the Secretary (or a designee of the 

17 Secretary); and 

18 (B) 1 or more individuals appointed by the 

19 Board of County Commissioners of the County. 

20 (3) NONAPPLICABILITY OF THE FEDERAL ADVI21 SORY COMMITTEE ACT.—The Team shall not be sub22 ject to the requirements of chapter 10 of title 5, 

23 United States Code (commonly referred to as the 

24 ‘‘Federal Advisory Committee Act’’). 
42 

†S 1348 ES

1 SEC. 10. STUDY OF LAND IN HOT SPRINGS AND WASHAKIE 

2 COUNTIES. 

3 (a) DEFINITION OF COUNTIES.—In this section, the 

4 term ‘‘Counties’’ means each of the following counties in 

5 the State: 

6 (1) Hot Springs County. 

7 (2) Washakie County. 

8 (b) STUDY.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 

10 out a study to evaluate the potential for the develop11 ment of new special motorized recreation areas in 

12 the Counties. 

13 (2) REQUIREMENTS.— 

14 (A) LAND INCLUDED.—The study under 

15 paragraph (1) shall evaluate the potential for 

16 the development of new special motorized recre17 ation areas on Federal land managed by the 

18 Bureau in the Counties except any land that is 

19 subject to a restriction on the use of motorized 

20 or mechanized vehicles under any Federal law, 

21 including this Act. 

22 (B) PUBLIC INPUT; COLLABORATION.—In 

23 carrying out the study under paragraph (1), the 

24 Secretary shall— 

25 (i) offer opportunities for public input; 

26 and 
43 

†S 1348 ES

1 (ii) collaborate with— 

2 (I) State parks, historic sites, 

3 and trails; and 

4 (II) the Counties. 

5 (3) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the 

6 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

7 submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

8 Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Nat9 ural Resources of the House of Representatives a re10 port describing the findings of the study under para11 graph (1). 

Passed the Senate December 20 (legislative day, December 16), 2024. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1348 

AN ACT 

To redesignate land within certain wilderness study 

purposes. areas in the State of Wyoming, and for other