I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1913 
To establish the Clear Creek National Recreation Area in San Benito and 
Fresno Counties, California, to designate the Joaquin Rocks Wilderness 
in such counties, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 5, 2017 
Mr. PANETTA (for himself, Mr. VALADAO, Mr. DENHAM, and Mr. COOK) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Nat-
ural Resources 
A BILL 
To establish the Clear Creek National Recreation Area in 
San Benito and Fresno Counties, California, to designate 
the Joaquin Rocks Wilderness in such counties, 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 ‘‘Clear Creek National 
Recreation Area and Conservation Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage-
ment plan’’ means the Plan for the Recreation Area 
prepared under section 4(c). 
(2) RECREATION AREA.—The term ‘‘Recreation 
Area’’ means the Clear Creek National Recreation 
Area. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of California. 
(5) OFF HIGHWAY VEHICLE.—The term ‘‘off 
highway vehicle’’ means any motorized vehicle de-
signed for or capable of cross-country travel on or 
immediately over land, water, snow, or other natural 
terrain and not intended for use on public roads. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF CLEAR CREEK NATIONAL 
RECREATION AREA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—To promote environmentally re-
sponsible off highway vehicle recreation, the area generally 
depicted as ‘‘Proposed Clear Creek National Recreation 
Area’’ on the map titled ‘‘Proposed Clear Creek National 
Recreation Area’’ and dated February 14, 2017, is estab-
lished as the ‘‘Clear Creek National Recreation Area’’, to 
be managed by the Secretary. 
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(b) OTHER PURPOSES.—The Recreation Area shall 
also support other public recreational uses, such as hunt-
ing, hiking, and rock and gem collecting. 
(c) MAP ON FILE.—Copies of the map referred to in 
subsection (a) shall be on file and available for public in-
spection in— 
(1) the Office of the Director of the Bureau of 
Land Management; and 
(2) the appropriate office of the Bureau of 
Land Management in California. 
SEC. 4. MANAGEMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall manage the 
Recreation Area to further the purposes described in sec-
tion 3(a), in accordance with— 
(1) this Act; 
(2) the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and 
(3) any other applicable law. 
(b) USES.—The Secretary shall— 
(1) prioritize environmentally responsible off 
highway vehicle recreation and also facilitate hunt-
ing, hiking, gem collecting, and the use of motorized 
vehicles, mountain bikes, and horses in accordance 
with the management plan described in subsection 
(c); 
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(2) issue special recreation permits for motor-
ized and non-motorized events; and 
(3) reopen the Clear Creek Management Area 
to the uses described in this subsection as soon as 
practicable following the enactment of this Act and 
in accordance with the management guidelines out-
lined in this Act and other applicable law. 
(c) INTERIM MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The Secretary 
shall use the 2006 Clear Creek Management Area Re-
source Management Plan Amendment and Route Designa-
tion Record of Decision as modified by this Act or the 
Secretary to incorporate natural resource protection infor-
mation not available in 2006, as the basis of an interim 
management plan to govern off highway vehicle recreation 
within the Recreation Area pending the completion of the 
long-term management plan required in subsection (d). 
(d) PERMANENT MANAGEMENT PLAN.—Not later 
than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall create a comprehensive management 
plan for the Clear Creek Recreation Area that— 
(1) shall describe the appropriate uses and 
management of the Recreation Area in accordance 
with this Act; 
(2) shall be prepared in consultation with— 
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(A) appropriate Federal, State, and local 
agencies (including San Benito, Monterey, and 
Fresno Counties); 
(B) adjacent land owners; 
(C) other stakeholders (including conserva-
tion and recreational organizations); and 
(D) holders of any easements, rights-of- 
way, and other valid rights in the Recreation 
Area; 
(3) shall include a hazards education program 
to inform people entering the Recreation Area of the 
asbestos related risks associated with various activi-
ties within the Recreation Area, including off-high-
way vehicle recreation; 
(4) shall include a user fee program for motor-
ized vehicle use within the Recreational Area and 
guidelines for the use of the funds collected for the 
management and improvement of the Recreation 
Area; 
(5) shall designate as many previously used 
trails, roads, and other areas for off highway vehicle 
recreation as feasible in accordance with this in 
order to provide a substantially similar recreational 
experience, except that nothing in this paragraph 
shall be construed as precluding the Secretary from 
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closing any area, trail, or route from use for the 
purposes of public safety or resource protection; 
(6) may incorporate any appropriate decisions, 
as determined by the Secretary, in accordance with 
this Act, that are contained in any management or 
activity plan for the area completed before the date 
of the enactment of this Act; 
(7) may incorporate appropriate wildlife habitat 
management plans or other plans prepared for the 
land within or adjacent to the Recreation Area be-
fore the date of the enactment of this Act, in accord-
ance with this Act; 
(8) may use information developed under any 
studies of land within or adjacent to the Recreation 
Area carried out before the date of enactment of this 
Act; and 
(9) may include cooperative agreements with 
State or local government agencies to manage all or 
a portion of the recreational activities within the 
Recreation Area in accordance with an approved 
management plan and the requirements of this Act. 
(e) ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may acquire 
land adjacent to the National Recreation Area by 
purchase from willing sellers, donation, or exchange. 
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(2) MANAGEMENT.—Any land acquired under 
paragraph (1) shall be managed in accordance 
with— 
(A) the Federal Land Policy and Manage-
ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); 
(B) this Act; and 
(C) any other applicable law (including 
regulations). 
(3) IMPROVED ACCESS.—The Secretary may ac-
quire by purchase from willing sellers, donation, ex-
change, or easement, land, or interest in land to im-
prove public safety in providing access to the Recre-
ation Area. 
(f) PRIVATE PROPERTY.— 
(1) ACCESS TO PRIVATE PROPERTY.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
provide landowners adequate access to in-
holdings within the Recreation Area. 
(B) INHOLDINGS.—For access purposes, 
private land adjacent to the Recreation Area to 
which there is no other practicable access ex-
cept through the Recreation Area shall be man-
aged as an inholding. 
(2) USE OF PRIVATE PROPERTY.—Nothing in 
this Act affects the ownership, management, or 
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