I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 195

To designate certain lands in the State of Colorado as components of the

National Wilderness Preservation System, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 5, 1993

Mr. HEFLEY (for himself, Mr. MCINNIS, Mr. ALLARD, and Mr. SCHAEFER)

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on

Natural Resources

A BILL

To designate certain lands in the State of Colorado as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System,

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 ‘‘Colorado Wilderness

5 Act of 1993’’.

6 SEC. 2. ADDITIONS TO THE WILDERNESS PRESERVATION

7 SYSTEM.

8 (a) ADDITIONS.—The following lands in the State of

9 Colorado are hereby designated as wilderness and, there-
2

•HR 195 IH

1 fore, as components of the National Wilderness Preserva2 tion System:

3 (1) Certain lands in the Gunnison Basin Re4 source Area administered by the Bureau of Land

5 Management which comprise approximately 1,470

6 acres, as generally depicted on a map entitled

7 ‘‘American Flats Additions to the Big Blue Wilder8 ness—Proposal’’, dated May 1991, and which are

9 hereby incorporated in and shall be deemed to be a

10 part of the Big Blue Wilderness designated by Pub11 lic Law 96–560.

12 (2) Certain lands in the Gunnison Resource

13 Area administered by the Bureau of Land Manage14 ment which comprise approximately 140 acres, as

15 generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Larson Creek

16 Addition to the Big Blue Wilderness—Proposal’’,

17 dated May 1991, and which are hereby incorporated

18 in and shall be deemed to be a part of the Big Blue

19 Wilderness designated by Public Law 96–560.

20 (3) Certain lands in the Pike and San Isabel

21 National Forests which comprise approximately

22 40,150 acres, as generally depicted on a map enti23 tled ‘‘Buffalo Peaks Wilderness—Proposal’’, dated

24 May 1991, and which shall be known as the Buf25 falo Peaks Wilderness.
3

•HR 195 IH

1 (4) Certain lands in the Gunnison National

2 Forest and in the Bureau of Land Management

3 Powderhorn Primitive Area which comprise approxi4 mately 60,100 acres as generally depicted on a map

5 entitled ‘‘Powderhorn Wilderness—Proposal’’, dated

6 May 1991, and which shall be known as the

7 Powderhorn Wilderness.

8 (5) Certain lands in the Routt National Forest

9 which comprise approximately 17,300 acres, as gen10 erally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Davis Peak Addi11 tions to the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Proposal’’,

12 dated May 1991, and which are hereby incorporated

13 in and shall be deemed to be a part of the Mount

14 Zirkel Wilderness designated by Public Law 88–555.

15 (6) Certain lands in the San Isabel National

16 Forest which comprise approximately 22,040 acres

17 as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Greenhorn

18 Mountain Wilderness—Proposal’’, dated May 1991,

19 and which shall be known as the Greenhorn Moun20 tain Wilderness.

21 (7) Certain lands in the Grand Mesa,

22 Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests

23 which comprise approximately 32,000 acres as gen24 erally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Fossil Ridge
4

•HR 195 IH

1 Wilderness Proposal’’, dated May 1991, and which

2 shall be known as the Fossil Ridge Wilderness Area.

3 (8) Certain lands within the Pike and San Isa4 bel National Forests which comprise approximately

5 13,830 acres, as generally depicted on a map enti6 tled ‘‘Lost Creek Wilderness Proposal’’, dated May

7 1991, which are hereby incorporated in and shall be

8 deemed to be a part of the Lost Creek Wilderness

9 designated by Public Law 96–560: Provided, That

10 the Secretary of Agriculture (hereinafter in this Act

11 referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) is authorized to ac12 quire, only by donation or exchange, various mineral

13 reservations held by the State of Colorado within the

14 boundaries of the Lost Creek Wilderness additions

15 designated by this Act.

16 (9) Certain lands in the Grand Mesa,

17 Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests

18 which comprise approximately 5,000 acres, as gen19 erally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Oh-Be-Joyful Ad20 dition to the Raggeds Wilderness—Proposal’’, dated

21 May 1991, and which are hereby incorporated in

22 and shall be deemed to be a part of the Raggeds

23 Wilderness designated by Public Law 96–560.

24 (10) Certain lands in the San Juan National

25 Forest which comprise approximately 56,000 acres,
5

•HR 195 IH

1 as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Piedra Wil2 derness’’, dated July 1991 and which shall be known

3 as the Piedra Wilderness: Provided, That no motor4 ized travel shall be permitted on Forest Service trail

5 number 535, except for snowmobile travel during pe6 riods of adequate snow cover.

7 (11) Certain lands in the Grand Mesa,

8 Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests

9 which comprise approximately 18,000 acres, as

10 generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Roubideau

11 Wilderness—Proposal’’, dated May 1991, and which

12 shall be known as the Roubideau Wilderness.

13 (12) Certain lands in the Rio Grande National

14 Forest which comprise approximately 207,330 acres,

15 as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Sangre de

16 Cristo Wilderness—Proposal’’, dated May 1991, and

17 which shall be known as the Sangre de Cristo

18 Wilderness.

19 (13) Certain lands in the Routt National Forest

20 which comprise approximately 44,000 acres, as gen21 erally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Service Creek

22 Wilderness Proposal’’, dated May 1991, which shall

23 be known as the Sarvis Creek Wilderness: Provided,

24 That the Secretary is authorized to acquire by pur25 chase, donation, or exchange, lands or interests
6

•HR 195 IH

1 therein within the boundaries of the Sarvis Creek

2 Wilderness only with the consent of the owner there3 of.

4 (14) Certain lands in the San Juan National

5 Forest which comprise approximately 15,920 acres

6 as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘South San

7 Juan Expansion Wilderness—Proposal’’, (V–Rock

8 Trail and Montezuma Peak), dated May 1991, and

9 which are hereby incorporated in and shall be

10 deemed to be a part of the South San Juan Wilder11 ness designated by Public Law 96–560.

12 (15) Certain lands in the White River National

13 Forest which comprise approximately 8,330 acres, as

14 generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Spruce Creek

15 Additions to the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness—

16 Proposal’’, dated May 1991, and which are hereby

17 incorporated in and shall be deemed to be a part of

18 the Hunter Fryingpan Wilderness designated by

19 Public Law 95–327: Provided, That no right, or

20 claim of right, to the diversion and use of the waters

21 of Hunter Creek, the Fryingpan or Roaring Fork

22 Rivers, or any tributaries of said creeks or rivers, by

23 the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, Public Law 87–

24 590, and the reauthorization thereof by Public Law

25 93–493, as modified as proposed in the September
7

•HR 195 IH

1 1959 report of the Bureau of Reclamation entitled

2 ‘‘Ruedi Dam and Reservoir, Colorado,’’ and as fur3 ther modified and described in the description of the

4 proposal contained in the final environmental state5 ment for said project, dated April 16, 1975, under

6 the laws of the State of Colorado, shall be preju7 diced, expanded, diminished, altered, or affected by

8 this Act. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to

9 expand, abate, impair, impede, or interfere with the

10 construction, maintenance, or repair of said

11 Fryingpan-Arkansas Project facilities, nor the oper12 ation thereof, pursuant to the Operating Principles,

13 House Document 187, Eighty-third Congress, and

14 pursuant to the water laws of the State of Colorado:

15 And provided further, That nothing in this Act shall

16 be construed to impede, limit, or prevent the use of

17 the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project of its diversion sys18 tems to their full extent.

19 (16) Certain lands in the Arapaho National

20 Forest which comprise approximately 7,630 acres, as

21 generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘St. Louis

22 Peak Wilderness—Proposal’’, dated May 1991, and

23 which shall be known as Byers Peak Wilderness.

24 (17) Certain lands in the Grand Mesa,

25 Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests and
8

•HR 195 IH

1 in the Bureau of Land Management Montrose Dis2 trict which comprise approximately 16,740 acres, as

3 generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Tabeguache

4 Wilderness—Proposal’’, dated May 1991, and which

5 shall be known as the Tabeguache Wilderness.

6 (18) Certain lands in the Arapaho National

7 Forest which comprise approximately 12,300 acres,

8 as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Vasquez

9 Peak Wilderness—Proposal’’, dated May 1991, and

10 which shall be known as the Vasquez Peak Wilder11 ness.

12 (19) Certain lands in the San Juan National

13 Forest which comprise approximately 28,740 acres,

14 as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘West Nee15 dle Wilderness and Weminuche Wilderness Addi16 tion—Proposal’’, dated May 1991, and which are

17 hereby incorporated in and shall be deemed to be a

18 part of the Weminuche Wilderness designated by

19 Public Law 93–632.

20 (20) Certain lands in the Rio Grande National

21 Forest which comprise approximately 23,100 acres,

22 as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Wheeler

23 Additions to the La Garita Wilderness—Proposal’’,

24 dated May 1991, and which shall be incorporated
9

•HR 195 IH

1 into and shall be deemed to be a part of the La

2 Garita Wilderness.

3 (21) Certain lands in the Arapaho National

4 Forest which comprise approximately 12,100 acres,

5 as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Williams

6 Fork Wilderness—Proposal’’, dated May 1991, and

7 which shall be known as the Farr Wilderness.

8 (22) Certain lands in the Arapaho National

9 Forest which comprise approximately 6,400 acres, as

10 generally depicted on a map entitled ‘‘Bowen Gulch

11 Additions to Never Summer Wilderness—Proposal’’,

12 dated May 1991, which are hereby incorporated into

13 and shall be deemed to be a part of the Never Sum14 mer Wilderness.

15 (b) MAPS AND DESCRIPTION.—As soon as prac16 ticable after the date of enactment of this Act, the appro17 priate Secretary shall file a map and a legal description

18 of each area designated as wilderness by this Act with the

19 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Unit20 ed States Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources

21 of the United States House of Representatives. Each map

22 and description shall have the same force and effect as

23 if included in this Act, except that the Secretary is author24 ized to correct clerical and typographical errors in such

25 legal descriptions and maps. Such maps and legal descrip-
10

•HR 195 IH

1 tions shall be on file and available for public inspection

2 in the Office of the Chief of the Forest Service, Depart3 ment of Agriculture and the Office of the Director of the

4 Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior,

5 as appropriate.

6 SEC. 3. WATER RIGHTS.

7 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—

8 (1) since virtually all of the lands designated as

9 wilderness by this Act lie at the headwaters of

10 streams and rivers that arise on those lands, the

11 designation of these lands as wilderness poses few,

12 if any, conflicts with existing water users in view of

13 the provisions of this Act, and the land management

14 agencies can protect these wilderness lands and their

15 water-related resources without asserting either im16 plied or express reserved water rights;

17 (2) these particular headwaters areas are not

18 appropriate for new water projects;

19 (3) while the Piedra Wilderness designated by

20 section 2(a)(10) of this Act is located downstream of

21 numerous State-granted conditional and absolute

22 water rights, the Forest Service can adequately pro23 tect the water-related resources of this wilderness

24 area by working in coordination with the Colorado

25 Water Conservation Board through a contractual
11

•HR 195 IH

1 agreement between the Secretary and the Board (as

2 provided in subsection (e) of this section) to protect

3 and enforce instream flow filings established pursu4 ant to the provisions of section 37–92–102(3) of the

5 Colorado Revised Statutes by the Colorado Water

6 Court for Division 7; and

7 (4) the water-related values of the existing

8 Platte River Wilderness will be adequately protected

9 by the terms of the equitable apportionment decree

10 that the United States Supreme Court has issued

11 for allocation of the waters of the North Platte River

12 and its tributaries.

13 (b) WATER RIGHTS.—(1) Nothing in this Act or any

14 other Act of Congress shall constitute or be construed to

15 constitute either an express or implied reservation of water

16 or water rights arising from—

17 (A) wilderness designation for the lands des18 ignated as wilderness by this Act;

19 (B) the establishment of the Fossil Ridge Na20 tional Conservation Area pursuant to section 6 of

21 this Act; or

22 (C) the establishment of the Bowen Gulch

23 Backcountry Recreation Area pursuant to section 7

24 of this Act.
12

•HR 195 IH

1 (2) The United States may acquire such water rights

2 as it deems necessary to carry out its responsibilities on

3 any lands designated as wilderness by this Act pursuant

4 to the substantive and procedural requirements of the

5 State of Colorado: Provided, That nothing in this Act shall

6 be construed to authorize the use of eminent domain to

7 acquire water rights for such lands.

8 (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no

9 officer of the United States shall authorize or issue a per10 mit for the development of a new water resource facility

11 within the wilderness areas designated by this Act: Pro12 vided, That nothing in this Act shall affect irrigation,

13 pumping and transmission facilities, and water facilities

14 in existence within the boundaries of such wilderness

15 areas, nor shall anything in this Act be construed to limit

16 operation, maintenance, repair, modification or replace17 ment of existing facilities as provided in paragraph (f) of

18 this section.

19 (c) PIEDRA WILDERNESS.—The Secretary shall enter

20 into an agreement with the Colorado Water Conservation

21 Board to protect and enforce instream flow filings estab22 lished pursuant to the provisions of section 37–92–102(3)

23 of the Colorado Revised Statutes by the Water Court of

24 Water Division 7 of the State of Colorado, and neither

25 the United States nor any other person shall assert any
13

•HR 195 IH

1 rights for water in the Piedra River for wilderness pur2 poses except those established pursuant to the provisions

3 of section 37–92–102(3) of the Colorado Revised Statutes

4 by the Water Court of Water Division 7 of the State of

5 Colorado.

6 (d) NORTH PLATTE RIVER.—Notwithstanding the

7 provisions of this Act or any prior Acts of Congress to

8 the contrary, neither the United States nor any other per9 son shall assert any rights which may be determined to

10 have been established for waters of the North Platte River

11 for purposes of the Platte River Wilderness established by

12 Public Law 98–550, located on the Colorado-Wyoming

13 State boundary, to the extent such rights would limit the

14 use or development of water within Colorado by present

15 and future holders of valid water rights in the North

16 Platte River and its tributaries, to the full extent allowed

17 under interstate compact or United States Supreme Court

18 equitable decree. Any such rights shall be junior and sub19 ordinate to use or development of Colorado’s full entitle20 ment to interstate waters of the North Platte River and

21 its tributaries within Colorado allowed under interstate

22 compact or United States Supreme Court equitable decree.

23 (e) INTERSTATE COMPACTS.—Nothing in this Act

24 shall be deemed to alter, modify, or amend any interstate

25 compact or equitable apportionment decree affecting the
14

•HR 195 IH

1 allocation of water between or among the State of Colo2 rado and other States nor the full use and development

3 of such waters, and nothing in this title shall affect or

4 limit the use or development by holders of valid water

5 rights of Colorado’s full apportionment of such waters.

6 (f) ACCESS.—Reasonable access shall be allowed to

7 existing water diversion, carriage, storage and ancillary fa8 cilities within the wilderness areas designated by this Act,

9 including motorized access where necessary and customar10 ily employed on existing routes. The present diversion, car11 riage and storage capacity of existing water facilities, and

12 the present condition of existing access routes, may be op13 erated, maintained, repaired and replaced as necessary to

14 maintain serviceable conditions: Provided, That, unless au15 thorized by applicable statute: (i) the original function and

16 impact of an existing facility or access route on wilderness

17 values shall not be increased as a result of changes in op18 eration; (ii) existing facilities and access routes shall be

19 maintained and repaired when necessary to prevent in20 creased impacts on wilderness values; and (iii) the original

21 function and impact of existing facilities and access routes

22 on wilderness values shall not be increased subsequent to

23 maintenance, repair, or replacement.

24 (g) PRECEDENTS.—Nothing in this section shall be

25 construed as establishing a precedent with regard to any
15

•HR 195 IH

1 future wilderness designations, nor shall it constitute an

2 interpretation of any other Act or any wilderness designa3 tion made pursuant thereto.

4 SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF THE WILDERNESS AREAS.

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—(1) Subject to valid existing

6 rights, each wilderness area designation by this Act shall

7 be administered by the Secretary or the Secretary of the

8 Interior, as appropriate, in accordance with the Wilder9 ness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) and this Act, except

10 that, with respect to any wilderness areas designated by

11 this Act, any reference in the Wilderness Act to the effec12 tive date of the Wilderness Act shall be deemed to be a

13 reference to the date of enactment of this Act.

14 (2) Administrative jurisdiction over those lands des15 ignated as wilderness pursuant to paragraphs (1), (2), and

16 (12) of section 2(a) of this Act, and which, as of the date

17 of enactment of this Act, are administered by the Bureau

18 of Land Management, is hereby transferred to the Forest

19 Service.

20 (b) GRAZING.—(1) Grazing of livestock in wilderness

21 areas designated by this Act shall be administered in ac22 cordance with the provisions of section 4(d)(4) of the Wil23 derness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(4)), as further inter24 preted by section 108 of Public Law 96–560.
16

•HR 195 IH

1 (2) REVIEW.—The Secretary of the Interior is di2 rected to review all policies, practices, and regulations of

3 the Bureau of Land Management-administered wilderness

4 areas in Colorado to ensure that such policies, practices,

5 and regulations full conform with and implement the in6 tent of Congress regarding grazing in such areas as such

7 intent is expressed in this Act.

8 (c) STATE JURISDICTION.—As provided in section

9 4(d)(7) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(7)),

10 nothing in this Act shall be construed as affecting the ju11 risdiction or responsibilities of the State of Colorado with

12 respect to wildlife and fish in Colorado.

13 (d) REPEAL OF WILDERNESS STUDY AND FURTHER

14 PLANNING AREAS STATUS.—(1) Public Law 96–560 is

15 amended by striking sections 105(c) and 106(b).

16 (2) Section 2(e) of the Endangered American Wilder17 ness Act of 1978 (92 Stat. 41) is amended by striking

18 ‘‘Subject to’’ and all that follows through ‘‘System’’.

19 (e) BUFFER ZONES.—Congress does not intend that

20 the designation by this Act of wilderness area areas in the

21 State of Colorado creates or implies the creation of protec22 tive perimeters or buffer zones around any wilderness

23 area. The fact that non-wilderness activities or uses can

24 be seen or heard from within a wilderness areas shall not,
17

•HR 195 IH

1 of itself, preclude such activities or uses up to the bound2 ary of the wilderness area.

3 SEC. 5. WILDERNESS REVIEW CONCERNS.

4 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—

5 (1) the Department of Agriculture has ade6 quately met the wilderness study requirements of

7 Public Law 96–560, Public Law 95–237, and sec8 tion 12(g) of Public Law 98–141;

9 (2) the initial Land and Resource Management

10 Plans and associated environmental impact state11 ments (hereinafter referred to as ‘‘land and resource

12 management plans’’) for the National Forests in the

13 State of Colorado have been completed as required

14 by section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable

15 Resources Planning Act of 1976;

16 (3) the Department of Agriculture, with sub17 stantial public input, has reviewed the wilderness po18 tential of these and other areas; and

19 (4) the Congress has made its own examination

20 of National Forest System roadless areas in the

21 State of Colorado and of the environmental impacts

22 associated with alternative allocations of such areas.

23 (b) On the basis of such review, the Congress hereby

24 determines and directs that—
18

•HR 195 IH

1 (1) with respect to the National Forest System

2 lands in the State of Colorado that were reviewed by

3 the Department of Agriculture in wilderness studies

4 conducted pursuant to Public Law 95–237, Public

5 Law 96–560, and section 12(g) of Public Law 98–

6 141, and the initial land and resource management

7 plans, such reviews shall be deemed for the purposes

8 of the initial land and resource management plans

9 required for such lands by the Forest and Range10 land Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, as

11 amended by the National Forest Management Act of

12 1976, to be an adequate consideration of the suit13 ability of such lands for inclusion in the National

14 Wilderness Preservation System and the Department

15 of Agriculture shall not be required to review the

16 wilderness option prior to the revision of the plans

17 but shall review the wilderness option when the

18 plans are revised, which revisions will ordinarily

19 occur on a 10-year cycle, or at least every 15 years,

20 unless prior to such time the Secretary finds that

21 conditions in a unit have significantly changed;

22 (2) except as may be specifically provided in

23 sections 6 and 7 of this Act, those areas in the State

24 of Colorado referred to in subparagraph (1) of this

25 subsection which were not designated as wilderness
19

•HR 195 IH

1 shall be managed for multiple use in accordance with

2 land and resource management plans pursuant to

3 section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable

4 Resources Planning Act of 1974, as amended by the

5 National Forest Management Act of 1976: Provided,

6 That such areas need not be managed for the pur7 pose of protecting their suitability for wilderness

8 designation prior to or during revision of the initial

9 land and resource management plans;

10 (3) in the event that revised land and resource

11 management plans in the State of Colorado are im12 plemented pursuant to section 6 of the Forest and

13 Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of

14 1974, as amended by the National Forest Manage15 ment Act of 1976, and other applicable laws, areas

16 not recommended for wilderness designation need

17 not be managed for the purpose of protecting their

18 suitability for wilderness designation prior to or dur19 ing revision of such plans, and areas recommended

20 for wilderness designation shall be managed for the

21 purpose of protecting their suitability for wilderness

22 designation as may be required by the Forest and

23 Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of

24 1974, as amended by the National Forest Manage25 ment Act of 1976, and other applicable law; and
20

•HR 195 IH

1 (4) unless expressly authorized by Congress, the

2 Department of Agriculture shall not conduct any

3 further statewide roadless area review and evalua4 tion of National Forest System lands in the State of

5 Colorado for the purpose of determining their suit6 ability for inclusion in the National Wilderness Pres7 ervation System.

8 (c) REVISIONS.—As used in this section, and as pro9 vided in section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable

10 Resources Planning Act of 1974, as amended by the Na11 tional Forest Management Act of 1976, the term ‘‘revi12 sion’’ shall not include an amendment to a plan.

13 (d) APPLICATION OF SECTION.—The provisions of

14 this section shall also apply to those National Forest Sys15 tem roadless lands in the State of Colorado that are less

16 than 5,000 acres in size.

17 SEC. 6. FOSSIL RIDGE NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA.

18 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—(1) In order to conserve, pro19 tect, and enhance the scenic, wildlife, recreational, and

20 other natural resource values of the Fossil Ridge area,

21 there is hereby established the Fossil Ridge National Con22 servation Area (hereinafter referred to as the ‘‘conserva23 tion area’’).

24 (2) The conservation area shall consist of certain

25 lands in the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison
21

•HR 195 IH

1 National Forests, Colorado, which comprise approximately

2 43,900 acres as generally depicted as ‘‘Area A’’ on a map

3 entitled ‘‘Fossil Ridge Wilderness Proposal’’, dated May

4 1991.

5 (b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall admin6 ister the conservation area in accordance with this section

7 and the laws and regulations generally applicable to the

8 National Forest System.

9 (c) WITHDRAWAL.—Subject to valid existing rights,

10 all lands within the conservation area are hereby with11 drawn from all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal

12 under the public land laws, from location, entry, and pat13 ent under the mining laws, and from disposition under the

14 mineral and geothermal leasing laws, including all amend15 ments thereto.

16 (d) TIMBER HARVESTING.—No timber harvesting

17 shall be allowed within the conservation area except for

18 the minimum necessary to protect the forest from insects

19 and disease, and for public safety.

20 (e) LIVESTOCK GRAZING.—The designation of the

21 conservation area shall not be construed to prohibit, or

22 change the administration of, the grazing of livestock

23 within the conservation area.

24 (f) DEVELOPMENT.—No developed campgrounds

25 shall be constructed within the conservation area. After
22

•HR 195 IH

1 the date of enactment of this Act, no new roads or trails

2 may be constructed within the conservation area.

3 (g) OFF-ROAD RECREATION.—Motorized travel shall

4 be permitted within the conservation area only on those

5 designated trails and routes existing as of July 1, 1991.

6 SEC. 7. BOWEN GULCH BACKCOUNTRY RECREATION AREA.

7 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—(1) There is hereby estab8 lished in the Arapaho National Forest, Colorado, the

9 Bowen Gulch backcountry recreation area (hereinafter re10 ferred to as the ‘‘backcountry recreation area’’).

11 (2) The backcountry recreation area shall consist of

12 certain lands in the Arapaho National Forest, Colorado,

13 which comprise approximately 6,800 acres as generally de14 picted as ‘‘Area A’’ on a map entitled ‘‘Bowen Gulch Addi15 tions to Never Summer Wilderness Proposal’’, dated May,

16 1991.

17 (b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall admin18 ister the backcountry recreation area in accordance with

19 this section and the laws and regulations generally appli20 cable to the National Forest System.

21 (c) WITHDRAWAL.—Subject to valid existing rights,

22 all lands within the backcountry recreation area are here23 by withdrawn from all forms of entry, appropriation, or

24 disposal under the public land laws, from location, entry,

25 and patent under the mining laws, and from disposition
23

•HR 195 IH

1 under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws, including

2 all amendments thereto.

3 (d) DEVELOPMENT.—No developed campgrounds

4 shall be constructed within the backcountry recreation

5 area. After the date of enactment of this Act, no new roads

6 or trails may be constructed within the backcountry recre7 ation area.

8 (e) TIMBER HARVESTING.—No timber harvesting

9 shall be allowed within the backcountry recreation area ex10 cept for the minimum necessary to protect the forest from

11 insects and disease, and for public safety.

12 (f) MOTORIZED TRAVEL.—Motorized travel shall be

13 permitted within the backcountry recreation area only on

14 those designated trails and routes existing as of July 1,

15 1991 and only during periods of adequate snow cover. At

16 all other times, mechanized, nonmotorized travel shall be

17 permitted within the backcountry recreation area.

18 (g) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—During the preparation of

19 the revision of the Land and Resource Management Plan

20 for the Arapaho National Forest, the Forest Service shall

21 develop a management plan for the backcountry recreation

22 area, after providing for public consultation.

Æ