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103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2942
To designate certain lands in the Commonwealth of Virginia as a National
Scenic Area for protection of the watershed and scenic values, recreation
use, protection of wildlife and their habitat, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 6, 1993
Mr. GOODLATTE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To designate certain lands in the Commonwealth of Virginia
as a National Scenic Area for protection of the watershed
and scenic values, recreation use, protection of wildlife
and their habitat, 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 ‘‘Mount Pleasant Na-
tional Scenic Area Act’’.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act with respect to the Mount
Pleasant National Scenic Area are to—
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(1) ensure appropriate protection and preserva-
tion of the scenic quality, water quality, and water
resources;
(2) protect and manage vegetation to provide
wildlife and fish habitat, consistent with paragraph
(1) above;
(3) provide areas that may develop characteris-
tics of old-growth forests; and
(4) provide a variety of recreation opportunities
that are not inconsistent with the purposes set forth
above.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL SCENIC AREA.
(a) IN GENERAL.—(1) There is hereby established in
the George Washington National Forest, Virginia, the
Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area (hereinafter re-
ferred to in this Act as the ‘‘scenic area’’).
(2) The scenic area shall consist of certain
lands in the George Washington National Forest,
Virginia, which comprise seven thousand five hun-
dred and eighty acres, more or less, as generally de-
picted on a map entitled ‘‘Mount Pleasant National
Scenic Area—Proposed’’, dated June 21, 1993.
(b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary of Agriculture,
(hereinafter referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’)
shall administer the scenic area in accordance with this
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Act and the laws and regulations generally applicable to
the National Forest System. In the event of conflict be-
tween this Act and other laws and regulations, this Act
shall take precedence.
(c) ROADS.—After the date of enactment of this Act,
no new permanent roads shall be constructed within
the scenic area: Provided, That this provision shall not
be constructed to deny access to private lands or interests
therein in the scenic area.
(d) VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.—No timber harvest
shall be allowed within the scenic area, except as may be
necessary in the control of fire, insects, and diseases and
to provide for public safety and trail access. Notwithstand-
ing the foregoing, the Secretary may engage in vegetation
manipulation practices for maintenance of existing wildlife
habitat and visual quality. Firewood may be harvested for
personal use along perimeter roads under such conditions
as the Secretary may impose.
(e) MOTORIZED TRAVEL.—Motorized travel shall not
be permitted within the scenic area; except as necessary
for administrative use in furtherance of the purposes of
this Act, on temporary routes in support of wildlife man-
agement projects, on State Route 635, and on Forest De-
velopment Road 51 subject to such conditions as the Sec-
retary may impose.
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(f) FIRE.—Wildfires shall be suppressed in a manner
consistent with the purposes of this Act, using such means
as the Secretary deems appropriate.
(g) INSECTS AND DISEASE.—Insect and disease out-
breaks may be controlled in the scenic area to maintain
scenic quality, prevent tree mortality, reduce hazards to
visitors or to protect private lands.
(h) WATER.—The scenic area shall be administered
so as to maintain or enhance existing water quality.
(i) MAPS
AND DESCRIPTIONS.—As soon as prac-
ticable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall file a map and boundary description of the
scenic area with the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the United States Senate and the Com-
mittee on Agriculture of the United States House of Rep-
resentatives. The map and description shall have the same
force and effect as if included in this Act, except that the
Secretary is authorized to correct clerical and typo-
graphical errors in such boundary description and map.
Such map and boundary description shall be on file and
available for public inspection in the Office of the Chief
of the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture. In the
case of any discrepancy between the acreage and the map
described in subsection (a)(2), the map shall control.
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(j) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—Within three years of en-
actment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a manage-
ment plan for the scenic area as an amendment to the
Land and Resource Management Plan for the George
Washington National Forest. Such an amendment shall
conform to the provisions of this Act. Nothing in this Act
shall require the Secretary to revise the Land and Re-
source Management Plan for the George Washington Na-
tional Forest pursuant to section 6 of the Forest and
Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974.
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