I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1975
To designate additional National Forest System lands in the State of Virginia 
as wilderness, to establish the Seng Mountain and Bear Creek Scenic 
Areas, to provide for the development of trail plans for the wilderness 
areas and scenic areas, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 28, 2005
Mr. BOUCHER (for himself, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. WOLF, Mr. TOM 
DAVIS of Virginia, and Mr. SCOTT of Virginia) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition 
to the Committee on Resources, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To designate additional National Forest System lands in 
the State of Virginia as wilderness, to establish the Seng 
Mountain and Bear Creek Scenic Areas, to provide for 
the development of trail plans for the wilderness areas 
and scenic areas, 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 ‘‘Virginia Ridge and 
Valley Act of 2005’’.
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF ADDITIONAL NATIONAL FOREST 
SYSTEM LANDS AS WILDERNESS IN VIRGINIA. 
Section 1 of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to designate 
certain National Forest System lands in the States of Vir-
ginia and West Virginia as wilderness areas’’, approved 
June 7, 1988 (Public Law 100–326; 16 U.S.C. 1132 
note), as amended by Public Law 106–471 (114 Stat. 
2057), is further amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(7); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (8) and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(9) certain lands in the Jefferson National 
Forest, which comprise approximately 3,769 acres, 
as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘Brush 
Mountain and Brush Mountain East’, dated March 
23, 2005, and which shall be known as the Brush 
Mountain East Wilderness; 
‘‘(10) certain lands in the Jefferson National 
Forest, which comprise approximately 4,794 acres, 
as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘Brush 
Mountain and Brush Mountain East’, dated March 
23, 2005, and which shall be known as the Brush 
Mountain Wilderness;
‘‘(11) certain lands in the Jefferson National 
Forest, which comprise approximately 4,223 acres, 
as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘Seng Moun-
tain and Raccoon Branch’, dated March 23, 2005, 
and which shall be known as the Raccoon Branch 
Wilderness; 
‘‘(12) certain lands in the Jefferson National 
Forest, which comprise approximately 3,270 acres, 
as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘Stone 
Mountain’, dated March 23, 2005, and which shall 
be known as the Stone Mountain Wilderness; 
‘‘(13) certain lands in the Jefferson National 
Forest, which comprise approximately 8,470 acres, 
as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘Hunting 
Camp Creek and Garden Mountain’, dated March 
23, 2005, and which shall be known as the Hunting 
Camp Creek Wilderness; 
‘‘(14) certain lands in the Jefferson National 
Forest, which comprise approximately 3,291 acres, 
as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘Hunting 
Camp Creek and Garden Mountain’, dated March 
23, 2005, and which shall be known as the Garden 
Mountain Wilderness; 
‘‘(15) certain lands in the Jefferson National 
Forest, which comprise approximately 3,226 acres,
as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘Lynn Camp 
Creek’, dated March 23, 2005, and which shall be 
known as the Lynn Camp Creek Wilderness; 
‘‘(16) certain lands in the Jefferson National 
Forest, which comprise approximately 5,476 acres, 
as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘Mountain 
Lake Additions’, dated March 23, 2005, and which 
are hereby incorporated in the Mountain Lake Wil-
derness; 
‘‘(17) certain lands in the Jefferson National 
Forest, which comprise approximately 308 acres, as 
generally depicted on a map entitled ‘Lewis Fork 
Addition and Little Wilson Creek Additions’, dated 
March 23, 2005, and which are hereby incorporated 
in the Lewis Fork Wilderness; 
‘‘(18) certain lands in the Jefferson National 
Forest, which comprise approximately 1,845 acres, 
as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘Lewis Fork 
Addition and Little Wilson Creek Additions’, dated 
March 23, 2005, and which are hereby incorporated 
in the Little Wilson Creek Wilderness; 
‘‘(19) certain lands in the Jefferson National 
Forest, which comprise approximately 2,456 acres, 
as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘Shawvers 
Run Additions’, dated March 23, 2005, and which
are hereby incorporated in the Shawvers Run Wil-
derness; 
‘‘(20) certain lands in the Jefferson National 
Forest, which comprise approximately 1,203 acres, 
as generally depicted on a map entitled ‘Peters 
Mountain Addition’, dated March 23, 2005, and 
which are hereby incorporated in the Peters Moun-
tain Wilderness; and 
‘‘(21) certain lands in the Jefferson National 
Forest, which comprise approximately 612 acres, as 
generally depicted on a map entitled ‘Kimberling 
Creek Additions’, dated March 23, 2005, and which 
are hereby incorporated in the Kimberling Creek 
Wilderness;’’. 
SEC. 3. SENG MOUNTAIN AND BEAR CREEK SCENIC AREAS, 
JEFFERSON NATIONAL FOREST, VIRGINIA. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF SCENIC AREAS.—
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The following National 
Forest System lands in the State of Virginia are 
hereby designated as National Scenic Areas (in this 
section referred to as the ‘‘scenic areas’’): 
(A) Certain lands in the Jefferson Na-
tional Forest, which comprise approximately 
6,455 acres, as generally depicted on a map en-
titled ‘‘Seng Mountain and Raccoon Branch’’,
dated March 23, 2005, and which shall be 
known as the Seng Mountain National Scenic 
Area. 
(B) Certain lands in the Jefferson Na-
tional Forest, which comprise approximately 
5,503 acres, as generally depicted on a map en-
titled ‘‘Bear Creek’’ dated March 23, 2005, and 
which shall be known as the Bear Creek Na-
tional Scenic Area. 
(2) MAPS
AND
DESCRIPTIONS.—As soon as 
practicable after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall file a map 
and boundary description of the scenic areas with 
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and For-
estry of the Senate and the Committee on Agri-
culture and the Committee on Resources of the 
House of Representatives. The map and description 
shall have the same force and effect as if included 
in this Act, except that the Secretary may correct 
clerical and typographical errors in the map and de-
scription. The map and boundary description shall 
be on file and available for public inspection in the 
Office of the Chief of the Forest Service, Depart-
ment of Agriculture. In the case of any discrepancy 
between the acreage specified in paragraph (1) and
the map filed under this paragraph, the map shall 
control. 
(b) PURPOSES OF SCENIC AREAS.—The scenic areas 
are established for the purposes of—
(1) ensuring the protection and preservation of 
scenic quality, water quality, natural characteristics, 
and water resources; 
(2) protecting wildlife and fish habitat, con-
sistent with paragraph (1); 
(3) protecting areas that may develop charac-
teristics of old-growth forests; and 
(4) providing a variety of recreation opportuni-
ties, consistent with the preceding paragraphs. 
(c) ADMINISTRATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall administer the scenic areas in accordance with 
this section and the laws and regulations generally 
applicable to the National Forest System. In the 
event of conflict between this section and other laws 
and regulations, this section shall take precedence. 
(2) CONSISTENT
USE.—The Secretary shall 
only allow such uses of the scenic areas as the Sec-
retary finds will further the purposes for which the 
scenic areas are established.
(d) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—Within two years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agri-
culture shall develop a management plan for the scenic 
areas consistent with this section. The management plan 
shall be developed as an amendment to the land and re-
source management plan for the Jefferson National For-
est, except that nothing in this section requires the Sec-
retary to revise the land and resource management plan 
for the Jefferson National Forest pursuant to section 6 
of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Plan-
ning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604). 
(e) ROADS.—After the date of the enactment of this 
Act, no roads shall be established or constructed within 
the scenic areas, except that this prohibition shall not be 
construed to deny access to private lands or interests 
therein in the scenic areas. 
(f) VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.—No timber harvest 
shall be allowed within the scenic areas, except as the Sec-
retary of Agriculture finds necessary in the control of fire, 
insects, and diseases and to provide for public safety and 
trail access. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the 
Secretary may engage in vegetation manipulation prac-
tices for maintenance of existing wildlife clearings and vis-
ual quality. Firewood may be harvested for personal use
along perimeter roads under such conditions as the Sec-
retary may impose. 
(g) MOTORIZED TRAVEL.—Motorized travel shall not 
be permitted within the scenic areas, except that the Sec-
retary of Agriculture may authorize motorized travel with-
in the scenic areas—
(1) as necessary for administrative use in fur-
therance of the purposes of this section; 
(2) in support of wildlife management projects 
in existence as of the date of the enactment of this 
Act; and 
(3) on Forest Development Road 9410 and 84b 
during deer and bear hunting seasons. 
(h) FIRE.—Wildfires in the scenic area shall be sup-
pressed in a manner consistent with the purposes of this 
section, using such means as the Secretary of Agriculture 
considers appropriate. 
(i) INSECTS AND DISEASE.—Insect and disease out-
breaks may be controlled in the scenic areas to maintain 
scenic quality, prevent tree mortality, reduce hazards to 
visitors, or protect private lands. 
(j) WATER.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall ad-
minister the scenic areas so as to maintain and enhance 
water quality.
(k) MINING WITHDRAWAL.—Subject to valid existing 
rights, all federally owned lands in the scenic areas are 
withdrawn from location, entry, and patent under the min-
ing laws of the United States and from leasing claims 
under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws of the 
United States, including amendments to such laws. 
SEC. 4. TRAIL PLAN AND DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) TRAIL PLAN.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall 
establish, in consultation with interested parties, a trail 
plan for National Forest System lands described in this 
paragraph in order to develop the following: 
(1) Hiking and equestrian trails within the wil-
derness areas designated by the amendments made 
by section 2, in a manner consistent with the Wil-
derness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.). 
(2) Nonmotorized recreation trails within the 
scenic areas designated by section 3. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION REPORT.—Within two years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Agriculture shall submit to Congress a report on the 
implementation of the trail plan, including the identifica-
tion of priority trails for development. 
(c) TRAIL AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture is authorized to develop trails to provide a contin-
uous connection for nonmotorized travel between County
Route 650 and Forest Development Road 4018 along the 
old Rye Valley Railroad Grade in Smyth County, Virginia, 
as recorded on the map entitled ‘‘Seng Mountain and Rac-
coon Branch’’ and dated March 23, 2005.
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