I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5570 

To release a Wilderness Study Area administered by the Bureau of Land 

Management in Jackson County, Colorado, that was not found suitable 

for wilderness designation, and to release residual Wilderness Study 

Area acreage in Mesa and Delta Counties, Colorado, that were excluded 

from their respective wilderness designations from continued management 

for wilderness characteristics. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 22, 2016 

Mr. TIPTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To release a Wilderness Study Area administered by the 

Bureau of Land Management in Jackson County, Colorado, that was not found suitable for wilderness designation, and to release residual Wilderness Study Area acreage in Mesa and Delta Counties, Colorado, that were 

excluded from their respective wilderness designations 

from continued management for wilderness characteristics. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Western Colorado Wil3 derness Study Area Release Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

5 (a) FINDINGS.— 

6 (1) Congress finds that for the purposes of sec7 tion 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Manage8 ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)), the public 

9 lands in the North Sand Hills Instant Study Area 

10 in Jackson County, Colorado, have been adequately 

11 studied for wilderness designation; and 

12 (A) the Bureau of Land Management in 

13 1980 found the North Sand Hills Instant Study 

14 Area did not meet wilderness criteria; and 

15 (B) in 2011, the Bureau of Land Manage16 ment Colorado Northwest Resource Advisory 

17 Council Resolution 2011–01 supported the re18 lease of the North Sand Hills Instant Study 

19 Area from further consideration of wilderness 

20 designation. 

21 (2) Congress finds that for the purposes of sec22 tion 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Manage23 ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)), the public 

24 lands, as defined by section 103(e) of the Federal 

25 Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 

26 U.S.C. 1702(e)), in the Dominguez Canyon WilderVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:24 Jun 28, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5570.IH H5570

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1 ness Study Area in Mesa and Delta Counties, Colo2 rado, and the public lands, as defined by section 

3 103(e) of the Federal Land Policy and Management 

4 Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702(e)), in the Black Ridge 

5 Canyons Wilderness Study Area in Mesa County, 

6 Colorado, have been adequately studied for wilder7 ness designation and the remaining Wilderness 

8 Study Area acreage in the Dominguez Canyon Wil9 derness Study Area and the Black Ridge Canyons 

10 Wilderness Study Area was excluded from their re11 spective wilderness designations. 

12 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to release 

13 certain Wilderness Study Areas from further consideration 

14 of wilderness designation, and to direct the Secretary of 

15 the Interior to manage those areas according to applicable 

16 land use plans. 

17 SEC. 3. RELEASE OF WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS. 

18 (a) NORTH SAND HILLS INSTANT STUDY AREA.— 

19 Any public land in the North Sand Hills Instant Study 

20 Area— 

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

22 Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 

23 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)); and 


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1 (2) shall be managed according to the applica2 ble land use plan adopted under section 202 of that 

3 Act (43 U.S.C. 1712). 

4 (b) DOMINGUEZ CANYON WILDERNESS STUDY

5 AREA.—Any portion of the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness 

6 Study Area within the Dominguez-Escalante National 

7 Conservation Area, as designated by Public Law 111–11, 

8 and not designated as wilderness by that Act, or any sub9 sequent Act— 

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

11 Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 

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

13 (2) shall be included in the non-wilderness com14 ponent of the Dominguez-Escalante National Con15 servation Area; and 

16 (3) shall be managed according to the applica17 ble National Conservation Area land use plan adopt18 ed under section 202 of that Act (43 U.S.C. 1712). 

19 (c) BLACK RIDGE CANYONS WILDERNESS STUDY

20 AREA.—Any portion of the Black Ridge Canyons Wilder21 ness Study Area within the McInnis Canyons National 

22 Conservation Area, as designated by Public Law 106–353, 

23 and not designated as wilderness by that Act, or any sub24 sequent Act— 


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

2 Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 

3 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)); 

4 (2) shall be included in the non-wilderness com5 ponent of the McInnis Canyons National Conserva6 tion Area; and 

7 (3) shall be managed according to the applica8 ble National Conservation Area land use plan adopt9 ed under section 202 of that Act (43 U.S.C. 1712). 

10 SEC. 4. BOUNDARIES ALONG COLORADO RIVER. 

11 Section 6(l)(5) of Public Law 106–353 (16 U.S.C. 

12 460mmm–4(l)(5)) is amended— 

13 (1) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as 

14 follows: 

15 ‘‘(A) In areas in which the Colorado River is 

16 used as a reference for defining the boundary of the 

17 Conservation Area, the boundary shall— 

18 ‘‘(i) be located at the edge of the river; and 

19 ‘‘(ii) change according to the river level.’’; 

20 and 

21 (2) by inserting after subparagraph (A), the fol22 lowing (and redesignating the subsequent subpara23 graphs accordingly): 


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1 ‘‘(B) Regardless of the level of the Colorado 

2 River, no portion of the Colorado River shall be in3 cluded in the Conservation Area.’’. 

4 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION FOR CERTAIN LAND EXCHANGES. 

5 Section 2405 of the Omnibus Public Land Manage6 ment Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 460zzz–4) is amended by 

7 adding at the end of subsection (d) the following: 

8 ‘‘(3) CERTAIN CONSERVATION AREA EX9 CHANGES.— 

10 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In order to protect 

11 and consolidate Federal land within the bound12 ary of the Conservation Area and to resolve in13 advertent trespasses, and subject to subpara14 graph (B), the Secretary may enter into an 

15 agreement with any owner of private land with16 in the boundaries of the Conservation Area to 

17 exchange any private land for Federal land in 

18 the Conservation Area, if the Secretary deter19 mines that the exchange would enhance the val20 ues for which the Conservation Area is estab21 lished. 

22 ‘‘(B) CONDITIONS.—An exchange of land 

23 under subparagraph (A) shall— 

24 ‘‘(i) be carried out consistent with any 

25 applicable laws (including regulations, inVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:24 Jun 28, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5570.IH H5570

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1 cluding laws relating to appraisals and 

2 equal value exchanges); and 

3 ‘‘(ii) be subject to— 

4 ‘‘(I) valid existing rights; and 

5 ‘‘(II) any terms and conditions 

6 that the Secretary may require.’’. 

Æ 


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