I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5636 

To designate additions to the Flatside Wilderness on the Ouachita National 

Forest, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 26, 2018 

Mr. HILL (for himself and Mr. BEYER) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To designate additions to the Flatside Wilderness on the 

Ouachita National Forest, 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 ‘‘Flatside Wilderness 

5 Enhancement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. INVENTORY AND EVALUATION OF CERTAIN LANDS 

7 ADJACENT TO FLATSIDE WILDERNESS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall 

9 conduct an inventory and evaluation of certain lands, as 

10 generally depicted on the map titled ‘‘Flatside Wilderness 


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1 Adjacent Inventory Areas’’ and dated November 30, 2017, 

2 to determine the suitability of such lands for inclusion in 

3 the National Wilderness Preservation System. 

4 (b) COMPLETION DATE.—The inventory and evalua5 tion required under subsection (a) shall be completed not 

6 later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this 

7 section. 

8 (c) DETERMINATION OF SUITABILITY.— 

9 (1) WILDERNESS DESIGNATION.—If the Sec10 retary of Agriculture determines that the lands 

11 inventoried and evaluated under subsection (a) are 

12 suitable for designation as wilderness— 

13 (A) the Secretary shall publish notice of 

14 such a determination in the Federal Register 

15 not later than 1 year after the date of the en16 actment of this section; and 

17 (B) such lands shall be designated as wil18 derness and incorporated in the Flatside Wil19 derness under section 3(d) of the Arkansas Wil20 derness Act of 1984 (Public Law 98–508; 98 

21 Stat. 2349) on the date that the Secretary pub22 lishes the notice described in subparagraph (A). 

23 (2) LACK OF SUITABILITY.— 

24 (A) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary of Ag25 riculture determines that the lands inventoried 


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1 and evaluated under subsection (a) are not suit2 able for designation as wilderness, the Secretary 

3 shall manage the lands in accordance with the 

4 applicable land management plan. 

5 (B) ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION.—For pur6 poses of ecological restoration (including the 

7 elimination of non-native species, removal of il8 legal, unused, or decommissioned roads, repair 

9 of skid tracks, and any other activities nec10 essary to restore the natural ecosystems), the 

11 Secretary may use motorized equipment and 

12 mechanized transport in the lands described in 

13 subparagraph (A) until the date that is the ear14 lier of the following: 

15 (i) The date that is 5 years after the 

16 date of the enactment of this section. 

17 (ii) The date on which the Secretary 

18 determines such lands are suitable for des19 ignation as wilderness. 

20 (C) LIMITATION.—In carrying out para21 graph (1), the Secretary, to the maximum ex22 tent practicable, shall use the minimum tool or 

23 administrative practice necessary to accomplish 

24 ecological restoration with the least amount of 


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1 adverse impact on wilderness character and re2 sources. 

3 SEC. 3. ADDITIONS TO FLATSIDE WILDERNESS. 

4 Section 3(d) of Arkansas Wilderness Act of 1984 

5 (Public Law 98–508; 98 Stat. 2349) is amended by insert6 ing ‘‘and certain land in the Ouachita National Forest, 

7 which comprise approximately 640 acres, as generally de8 picted as ‘Recommended Wilderness Additions’ on the 

9 map titled ‘Revised Land and Resources Management 

10 Plan—Ouachita National Forest—Oklahoma and Arkan11 sas’, dated September 23, 2005’’ after ‘‘1984’’. 

Æ 


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