I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 851 
To enhance ecosystem protection and the range of outdoor opportunities 
protected by statute in the Skykomish River valley of the State of 
Washington by designating certain lower-elevation Federal lands as wil-
derness, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 16, 2005 
Mr. LARSEN of Washington (for himself and Mr. INSLEE) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources 
A BILL 
To enhance ecosystem protection and the range of outdoor 
opportunities protected by statute in the Skykomish 
River valley of the State of Washington by designating 
certain lower-elevation Federal lands as wilderness, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wild Sky Wilderness 
Act of 2005’’.
SEC. 2. ADDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS PRES-
ERVATION SYSTEM. 
(a) ADDITIONS.—The following Federal lands in the 
State of Washington are hereby designated as wilderness 
and, therefore, as components of the National Wilderness 
Preservation System: certain lands which comprise ap-
proximately 106,000 acres, as generally depicted on a map 
entitled ‘‘Wild Sky Wilderness Proposal’’, ‘‘Map #1’’, and 
dated January 7, 2003, which shall be known as the Wild 
Sky Wilderness. 
(b) MAPS AND LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS.—As soon as 
practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall file a map and a legal de-
scription for the wilderness area designated under this Act 
with the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the United States Senate and the Committee on Resources 
of the United States House of Representatives. The map 
and description shall have the same force and effect as 
if included in this Act, except that the Secretary of Agri-
culture may correct clerical and typographical errors in 
the legal description and map. The map and legal descrip-
tion shall be on file and available for public inspection in 
the office of the Chief of the Forest Service, Department 
of Agriculture. 
SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATION PROVISIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—
(1) Subject to valid existing rights, lands des-
ignated as wilderness by this Act shall be managed 
by the Secretary of Agriculture in accordance with 
the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) and 
this Act, except that, with respect to any wilderness 
areas designated by this Act, any reference in the 
Wilderness Act to the effective date of the Wilder-
ness Act shall be deemed to be a reference to the 
date of enactment of this Act. 
(2) To fulfill the purposes of this Act and the 
Wilderness Act and to achieve administrative effi-
ciencies, the Secretary of Agriculture may manage 
the area designated by this Act as a comprehensive 
part of the larger complex of adjacent and nearby 
wilderness areas. 
(b) NEW TRAILS.— 
(1) The Secretary of Agriculture shall consult 
with interested parties and shall establish a trail 
plan for Forest Service lands in order to develop: 
(A) a system of hiking and equestrian 
trails within the wilderness designated by this 
Act in a manner consistent with the Wilderness 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.); and
(B) a system of trails adjacent to or to 
provide access to the wilderness designated by 
this Act. 
(2) Within two years after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
complete a report on the implementation of the trail 
plan required under this Act. This report shall in-
clude the identification of priority trails for develop-
ment. 
(c) REPEATER SITE.—Within the Wild Sky Wilder-
ness, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to use heli-
copter access to construct and maintain a joint Forest 
Service and Snohomish County telecommunications re-
peater site, in compliance with a Forest Service approved 
communications site plan, for the purposes of improving 
communications for safety, health, and emergency serv-
ices. 
(d) FLOAT PLANE ACCESS.—As provided by section 
4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)), the 
use of floatplanes on Lake Isabel, where such use has al-
ready become established, shall be permitted to continue 
subject to such reasonable restrictions as the Secretary of 
Agriculture determines to be desirable. 
(e) EVERGREEN MOUNTAIN LOOKOUT.—The des-
ignation under this Act shall not preclude the operation
and maintenance of the existing Evergreen Mountain 
Lookout in the same manner and degree in which the op-
eration and maintenance of such lookout was occurring 
as of the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION FOR LAND ACQUISITION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture is 
authorized to acquire lands and interests therein, by pur-
chase, donation, or exchange, and shall give priority con-
sideration to those lands identified as ‘‘Priority Acquisi-
tion Lands’’ on the map described in section 2(a). The 
boundaries of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest 
and the Wild Sky Wilderness shall be adjusted to encom-
pass any lands acquired pursuant to this section. 
(b) ACCESS.—Consistent with section 5(a) of the Wil-
derness Act (16 U.S.C. 1134(a)), the Secretary of Agri-
culture shall ensure adequate access to private inholdings 
within the Wild Sky Wilderness. 
(c) APPRAISAL.—Valuation of private lands shall be 
determined without reference to any restrictions on access 
or use which arise out of designation as a wilderness area 
as a result of this Act. 
SEC. 5. LAND EXCHANGES. 
The Secretary of Agriculture shall exchange lands 
and interests in lands, as generally depicted on a map enti-
tled Chelan County Public Utility District Exchange and
dated May 22, 2002, with the Chelan County Public Util-
ity District in accordance with the following provisions: 
(1) If the Chelan County Public Utility District, 
within ninety days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, offers to the Secretary of Agriculture ap-
proximately 371.8 acres within the Mt. Baker- 
Snoqualmie National Forest in the State of Wash-
ington, the Secretary shall accept such lands. 
(2) Upon acceptance of title by the Secretary of 
Agriculture to such lands and interests therein, the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall convey to the Chelan 
County Public Utility District a permanent ease-
ment, including helicopter access, consistent with 
such levels as used as of date of enactment, to main-
tain an existing telemetry site to monitor snow pack 
on 1.82 acres on the Wenatchee National Forest in 
the State of Washington. 
(3) The exchange directed by this Act shall be 
consummated if Chelan County Public Utility Dis-
trict conveys title acceptable to the Secretary and 
provided there is no hazardous material on the site, 
which is objectionable to the Secretary. 
(4) In the event Chelan County Public Utility 
District determines there is no longer a need to 
maintain a telemetry site to monitor the snow pack
for calculating expected runoff into the Lake Chelan 
hydroelectric project and the hydroelectric projects 
in the Columbia River Basin, the Secretary shall be 
notified in writing and the easement shall be extin-
guished and all rights conveyed by this exchange 
shall revert to the United States. 
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