Virginia Wilderness Additions Act of 2023

Subjects: Public Lands and Natural Resources, Forests, forestry, trees, Virginia, Water quality, Wilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats

Summary:  <p><b>Virginia Wilderness Additions Act of 2023</b></p><p>This bill</p><ul><li>adds specified additional lands in the George Washington National Forest (a part of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky) to the Rough Mountain Wilderness, and </li> <li>designates specified land in the forest as a potential wilderness area for incorporation into the Rich Hole Wilderness.</li> </ul> <p>The Department of Agriculture (USDA) may use motorized equipment and mechanized transport in the potential wilderness area until it is incorporated into the Rich Hole Wilderness in order to enhance natural ecosystems by implementing certain activities to improve water quality and aquatic passage, as described in the Forest Service document titled <i>Decision Notice for the Lower Cowpasture Restoration and Management Project</i> and dated December 2015. In carrying out such water quality and aquatic passage improvement activities, USDA must use the minimum tool or administrative practice that has the least amount of adverse impact on wilderness character and resources.</p>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 745 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 745

 To designate additions to the Rough Mountain Wilderness and the Rich 
Hole Wilderness of the George Washington National Forest, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 9, 2023

 Mr. Kaine (for himself and Mr. Warner) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
                        Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To designate additions to the Rough Mountain Wilderness and the Rich 
Hole Wilderness of the George Washington National Forest, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Virginia Wilderness Additions Act of 
2023''.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONS TO ROUGH MOUNTAIN AND RICH HOLE WILDERNESSES.

    (a) Rough Mountain Addition.--Section 1 of Public Law 100-326 (16 
U.S.C. 1132 note; 102 Stat. 584; 114 Stat. 2057; 123 Stat. 1002) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(21) Rough mountain addition.--Certain land in the George 
        Washington National Forest comprising approximately 1,000 
        acres, as generally depicted as the `Rough Mountain Addition' 
        on the map entitled `GEORGE WASHINGTON NATIONAL FOREST - South 
        half - Alternative I - Selected Alternative Management 
        Prescriptions - Land and Resources Management Plan Final 
        Environmental Impact Statement' and dated March 4, 2014, which 
        is incorporated in the Rough Mountain Wilderness Area 
        designated by paragraph (1).''.
    (b) Rich Hole Addition.--
            (1) Potential wilderness designation.--In furtherance of 
        the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), 
        certain land in the George Washington National Forest 
        comprising approximately 4,600 acres, as generally depicted as 
        the ``Rich Hole Addition'' on the map entitled ``GEORGE 
        WASHINGTON NATIONAL FOREST - South half - Alternative I - 
        Selected Alternative Management Prescriptions - Land and 
        Resources Management Plan Final Environmental Impact 
        Statement'' and dated March 4, 2014, is designated as a 
        potential wilderness area for incorporation in the Rich Hole 
        Wilderness Area designated by section 1(2) of Public Law 100-
        326 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; 102 Stat. 584).
            (2) Wilderness designation.--The potential wilderness area 
        designated by paragraph (1) shall be designated as wilderness 
        and incorporated in the Rich Hole Wilderness Area designated by 
        section 1(2) of Public Law 100-326 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; 102 
        Stat. 584) on the earlier of--
                    (A) the date on which the Secretary of Agriculture 
                (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') 
                publishes in the Federal Register notice that the 
                activities permitted under paragraph (4) have been 
                completed; or
                    (B) the date that is 5 years after the date of 
                enactment of this Act.
            (3) Management.--Except as provided in paragraph (4), the 
        Secretary shall manage the potential wilderness area designated 
        by paragraph (1) in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 
        U.S.C. 1131 et seq.).
            (4) Water quality improvement activities.--
                    (A) In general.--To enhance natural ecosystems 
                within the potential wilderness area designated by 
                paragraph (1) by implementing certain activities to 
                improve water quality and aquatic passage, as set forth 
                in the Forest Service document entitled ``Decision 
                Notice for the Lower Cowpasture Restoration and 
                Management Project'' and dated December 2015, the 
                Secretary may use motorized equipment and mechanized 
                transport in the potential wilderness area until the 
                date on which the potential wilderness area is 
                incorporated into the Rich Hole Wilderness Area under 
                paragraph (2).
                    (B) Requirement.--In carrying out subparagraph (A), 
                the Secretary, to the maximum extent practicable, shall 
                use the minimum tool or administrative practice 
                necessary to carry out that subparagraph with the least 
                amount of adverse impact on wilderness character and 
                resources.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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