IB
Union Calendar No. 467
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4844
[Report No. 107–747]
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
MAY 23, 2002
Mr. LARSEN of Washington (for himself, Mr. DICKS, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr.
SMITH of Washington, Mr. INSLEE, and Mr. BAIRD) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources
OCTOBER 11, 2002
Additional sponsor: Ms. DUNN
OCTOBER 11, 2002
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 23, 2002]
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 2002’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND STATEMENT OF POLICY.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) Americans cherish the continued existence of
diverse wilderness ecosystems and wildlife found on
their Federal lands and share a strong sense of moral
responsibility to protect their wilderness heritage as
an enduring resource to cherish, protect, and bequeath
undisturbed to future generations of Americans.
(2) The values an area of wilderness offer to this
and future generations of Americans are greatly en-
hanced to the degree that the area is diverse in topog-
raphy, elevation, life zones and ecosystems, and to the
extent that it offers a wide range of outdoor rec-
reational and educational opportunities accessible in
all seasons of the year.
(3) Large blocks of wildlands embracing a wide
range of ecosystems and topography, including low-
elevation forests, have seldom remained undisturbed
due to many decades of development.
(4) Certain wildlands on the western slope of the
Cascade Range in the Skykomish River valley of the
State of Washington offer an outstanding representa-
tion of the original character of the forested land-
scape, ranging from high alpine meadows and ex-
tremely rugged peaks to low-elevation mature and
old-growth forests, including groves with some of the
largest and most spectacular trees in Washington,
with diameters of eight feet and larger.
(5) These diverse, thickly forested mountain
slopes and valleys of mature and old-growth trees in
the Skykomish River valley harbor nearly the full
complement of the original wildlife and fish species
found by settlers of the 19th century, including moun-
tain goats, bald eagles, black bear, pine marten,
black-tailed deer, as well as rare and endangered
wildlife such as northern spotted owls and goshawks,
Chinook and Coho salmon, and steelhead and bull
trout.
(6) An ecologically and topographical diverse
wilderness area in the Skykomish River valley acces-
sible in all seasons of the year will be enjoyable to
users of various kinds, such as hikers, horse riders,
hunters, anglers, and educational groups, but also to
the many who cherish clean water and clean air, fish
and wildlife (including endangered species such as
wild salmon), and pristine mountain and riverside
scenery.
(b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—Congess hereby declares
that it is the policy of the United States:
(1) to better serve the diverse wilderness and en-
vironmental education needs of the people of the State
of Washington and its burgeoning metropolitan re-
gions by granting wilderness protection to certain
lower elevation wildlands in the Skykomish River val-
ley of the State of Washington; and
(2) to protect additional lands adjacent to the
Henry M. Jackson Wilderness designated by the
Washington Wilderness Act of 1984 (Public Law 98–
339), in further tribute to the ecologically enlightened
vision of the distinguished Senator from the State of
Washington and former Chairman of the Senate Com-
mittee on Energy and Natural Resources (formerly
the Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee).
SEC. 3. 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:
(1) Certain lands which comprise approximately
106,000 acres, as generally depicted on a map enti-
tled ‘‘Wild Sky Wilderness Proposal’’, dated August
2002, which shall be known as the Wild Sky Wilder-
ness.
(b) MAPS AND LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS.—As soon as
practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Agriculture shall file a map and a legal descrip-
tion 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 in-
cluded in this Act, except that the Secretary of Agriculture
may correct clerical and typographical errors in the legal
description and map. The map and legal description shall
be on file and available for public inspection in the office
of the Chief of the Forest Service, Department of Agri-
culture.
SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid existing rights,
lands designated as wilderness by this Act shall be managed
by the Secretary of Agriculture in accordance with the Wil-
derness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) and this Act, except
that, with respect to any wilderness areas designated by this
(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 desirable.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION FOR LAND ACQUISITION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture may
acquire lands and interests therein, by purchase, donation,
or exchange, and shall give priority consideration to those
lands identified as ‘‘Priority Acquisition Lands’’ on the
map described in section 3(a)(1). The boundaries of the
Snoqualmie National Forest and the Wild Sky Wilderness
shall be adjusted to encompass any lands acquired pursuant
to this section.
(b) ACCESS.—Consistent with section 5(a) of the Wil-
derness Act (Public Law 88–577; 16 U.S.C. 1134(a)), the
Secretary of Agriculture shall assure adequate access to pri-
vate 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. 6. LAND EXCHANGES.
The Secretary of Agriculture shall exchange lands and
interests in lands, as generally depicted on a map entitled
Chelan County Public Utility District Exchange and dated
May 22, 2002, with the Chelan County Public Utility Dis-
trict 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 approxi-
mately 371.8 acres within the Snoqualmie National
Forest in the State of Washington, 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 easement,
including helicopter access, consistent with such levels
as used as of date of enactment, to maintain an exist-
ing snowtel site on 1.82 acres on the Wenatchee Na-
tional 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 pro-
vided 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 main-
tain a snowtel site to monitor the snow pack for cal-
culating expected runoff into the Lake Chelan hydro-
electric project and the hydroelectric projects in the
Columbia River Basin, the Secretary shall be notified
in writing and the easement shall be extinguished and
all rights conveyed by this exchange shall revert to the
United States.
Union Calendar No. 467
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4844
[Report No. 107–747]
A BILL
To enhance ecosystem protection and the range of
outdoor opportunities protected by statute in the
Skykomish River valley of the State of Wash-
ington by designating certain lower-elevation
Federal lands as wilderness, and for other pur-
poses.
OCTOBER 11, 2002
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union,
and ordered to be printed