SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Northern Rockies
Ecosystem Protection Act of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that:
(1) Many areas of undeveloped National Forest
System lands in the States of Idaho, Montana, Or-
egon, Washington, and Wyoming possess outstand-
ing natural characteristics which give them high val-
ues as wilderness, parks, and wild and scenic rivers,
and will, if properly preserved, contribute as an en-
during resource of wilderness, wild land areas, and
biodiversity for the benefit of the American people.
(2) The bioregion of the Northern Rockies con-
tains the most diverse array of wild lands remaining
south of Canada, providing sanctuary for a host of
species listed as threatened or endangered under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973. These national in-
terest public lands are among the most popular wild
lands in the Nation, embracing major ecosystems
and national treasures such as the Greater Yellow-
stone, Greater Glacier/Continental Divide, Greater
Hells Canyon, Greater Salmon/Selway, and Greater
Cabinet/Yaak/Selkirk ecosystems. The headwaters
for nearly two-thirds of North America originate in
the Northern Rockies, sending waters to three
oceans and providing critical supplies of clean water
for wildlife and other users.
(3) The wildlife treasures of the Northern
Rockies are of international significance with a re-
markably intact large mammalian fauna and rare
and unique plant life.
(4) However, wildlife habitat fragmentation due
to roadbuilding, timber harvest, mining, oil and gas
exploration, lack of interagency cooperation, and
other activities has severe effects on the wildlife pop-
ulations and their habitat, including those listed as
threatened or endangered under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, the water quality, ancient for-
ests, and greater ecosystems of the Northern Rock-
ies Bioregion. Continued fragmentation and develop-
ment of the remaining roadless and essentially
roadless ecosystems and biological connectors of the
Northern Rockies would cause a loss to the Nation
of an entire wild land region, and the only remaining
areas south of Canada still pristine enough to sup-
port populations of caribou, gray wolves, grizzly
bears, anadromous fish, and numerous other rare
and endangered plant and animal life all in one in-
tact bioregion.
(5) Since the 1936 roadless area inventory com-
pleted by Bob Marshall, millions of acres of roadless
wild lands have been developed in the Northern
Rockies. Extensive fragmentation of wild lands and
wildlife habitat has resulted in the listing of several
species as threatened or endangered and reduced the
numbers and range of many others, including anad-
romous fish.
(6) A review of the current situation in the
Northern Rockies has revealed the urgent need for
an ecological reserve system for the Northern Rock-
ies Bioregion which includes core ecosystem reserve
areas and biological connecting corridors necessary
to ensure wildlife movements and genetic inter-
change between the core reserve areas.
(7) The economic value to the Nation of most
of these undeveloped areas left in their natural state,
greatly exceeds any potential return to the United
States Treasury from timber harvest and develop-
ment. If current Federal land management in the
Northern Rockies continues to result in the develop-
ment of roadless areas, the American public will pay
with tax dollars for permanent reductions in wilder-
ness, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, as well
as species and biological diversity.