Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act

To expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the State of Washington, to designate the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River and Pratt River as wild and scenic rivers, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act 2. Expansion of alpine lakes wilderness (a) In general There is designated as wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System certain Federal land in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in the State of Washington comprising approximately 21,493 acres that is within the Proposed Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions Boundary, as generally depicted on the map entitled HR 361, Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act, 2013 (b) Administration (1) Management Subject to valid existing rights, the land designated as wilderness by subsection (a) shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this section as the Secretary 16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq. (2) Military overflights Nothing in this section restricts or precludes— (A) low-level overflights of military aircraft over the area designated as wilderness under this section, including military overflights that can be seen or heard within any wilderness area; (B) flight testing and evaluation; or (C) the designation or creation of new units of special use airspace, or the establishment of military flight training routes over the wilderness area. (3) Prevention of wildfires The designation of wilderness under this section shall not be construed to interfere with the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture to authorize mechanical thinning of trees or underbrush to prevent or control the spread of wildfires, or conditions creating the risk of wildfire that threaten areas outside the boundary of the wilderness, or the use of mechanized equipment for wildfire pre-suppression and suppression. (4) Map and description (A) In general As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall file a map and a legal description of the land designated as wilderness by subsection (a) with— (i) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and (ii) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. (B) Force of law A map and legal description filed under subparagraph (A) shall have the same force and effect as if included in this Act, except that the Secretary may correct minor errors in the map and legal description. (C) Public availability The map and legal description filed under subparagraph (A) shall be filed and made available for public inspection in the appropriate office of the Forest Service. 3. Wild and scenic river designations Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1274(a) (__) Middle Fork Snoqualmie, Washington Subject to subparagraph (C), the 27.4-mile segment from the headwaters of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River near La Bohn Gap in NE 1/4 sec. 20, T. 24 N., R. 13 E., to the northern boundary of sec. 11, T. 23 N., R. 9 E., to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture in the following classifications: (A) The approximately 6.4-mile segment from the headwaters of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River near La Bohn Gap in NE 1/4 sec. 20, T. 24 N., R. 13 E., to the west section line of sec. 3, T. 23 N., R. 12 E., as a wild river. (B) The approximately 21-mile segment from the west section line of sec. 3, T. 23 N., R. 12 E., to the northern boundary of sec. 11, T. 23 N., R. 9 E., as a scenic river. (C) The Secretary of Agriculture may not acquire by condemnation any land or interest in land within the boundaries of the Wild and Scenic River segments designated by this paragraph. Private or non-Federal public property shall not be included within the boundaries of the Wild and Scenic River segments designated by this paragraph unless the owner of such property has consented in writing to having that property included in such boundaries. (__) Pratt River, Washington The entirety of the Pratt River in the State of Washington, located in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a wild river. The Secretary of Agriculture may not acquire by condemnation any land or interest in land within the boundaries of the Wild and Scenic River segments designated by this paragraph. Private or non-Federal public property shall not be included within the boundaries of the Wild and Scenic River segments designated by this paragraph unless the owner of such property has consented in writing to having that property included in such boundaries. . 4. Adjacent land management Nothing in this Act— (1) establishes or authorizes the establishment of a protective perimeter or buffer zone around the boundaries of the Wild and Scenic River segments or wilderness designated by this Act; or (2) precludes, limits, or restricts an activity from being conducted outside such boundaries, including an activity that can be seen or heard from within such boundaries. December 22, 2014 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act - (Sec. 2) Designates certain land in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in the state of Washington, which shall be considered to become a part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, as wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Declares that this Act shall have no effect on overflights of military aircraft or the authority to carry out wildfire prevention activities. (Sec. 3) Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River as wild and scenic rivers and the entirety of the Pratt River as a wild river. Prohibits acquisition by condemnation of any land or interest in land within the boundaries of such river segments and excludes private or non-federal public property unless the owner of the property has consented in writing to having it included. (Sec. 4) Prohibits anything in this Act from: (1) establishing a protective perimeter or buffer zone around the boundaries of the wild and scenic river segments or wilderness designated by this Act, or (2) restricting an activity from being conducted outside such boundaries.