I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 999 
To provide for the designation of the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness Area 
in the State of Oregon, to designate segments of Wasson and Franklin 
Creeks in the State of Oregon as wild or recreation rivers, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 6, 2019 
Mr. DEFAZIO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To provide for the designation of the Devil’s Staircase Wil-
derness Area in the State of Oregon, to designate seg-
ments of Wasson and Franklin Creeks in the State of 
Oregon as wild or recreation rivers, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 ‘‘Devil’s Staircase Wil-
derness Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS AREA, DEVIL’S 
STAIRCASE WILDERNESS, OREGON. 
(a) DEVIL’S STAIRCASE WILDERNESS.— 
(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
(A) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the 
map entitled ‘‘Devil’s Staircase Wilderness Pro-
posal’’ and dated July 26, 2018. 
(B) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ 
means— 
(i) the Secretary, with respect to pub-
lic land administered by the Secretary; or 
(ii) the Secretary of Agriculture, with 
respect to National Forest System land. 
(C) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the 
State of Oregon. 
(D) WILDERNESS.—The term ‘‘Wilder-
ness’’ means the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness 
designated by paragraph (2). 
(2) DESIGNATION.—In accordance with the 
Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the ap-
proximately 30,621 acres of Forest Service land and 
Bureau of Land Management land in the State, as 
generally depicted on the map, is designated as wil-
derness and as a component of the National Wilder-
ness Preservation System, to be known as the ‘‘Dev-
il’s Staircase Wilderness’’. 
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(3) MAP; LEGAL DESCRIPTION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—As soon as practicable 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall prepare a map and legal description 
of the Wilderness. 
(B) FORCE OF LAW.—The map and legal 
description prepared under subparagraph (A) 
shall have the same force and effect as if in-
cluded in this subsection, except that the Sec-
retary may correct clerical and typographical 
errors in the map and legal description. 
(C) AVAILABILITY.—The map and legal 
description prepared under subparagraph (A) 
shall be on file and available for public inspec-
tion in the appropriate offices of the Forest 
Service and Bureau of Land Management. 
(4) ADMINISTRATION.—Subject to valid existing 
rights, the area designated as wilderness by this sub-
section shall be administered by the Secretary in ac-
cordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 
et seq.), except that— 
(A) any reference in that Act to the effec-
tive date shall be considered to be a reference 
to the date of enactment of this Act; and 
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(B) any reference in that Act to the Sec-
retary of Agriculture shall be considered to be 
a reference to the Secretary that has jurisdic-
tion over the land within the Wilderness. 
(5) FISH AND WILDLIFE.—Nothing in this sub-
section affects the jurisdiction or responsibilities of 
the State with respect to fish and wildlife in the 
State. 
(6) ADJACENT MANAGEMENT.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Nothing in this sub-
section creates any protective perimeter or buff-
er zone around the Wilderness. 
(B) ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE WILDERNESS.— 
The fact that a nonwilderness activity or use on 
land outside the Wilderness can be seen or 
heard within the Wilderness shall not preclude 
the activity or use outside the boundary of the 
Wilderness. 
(7) PROTECTION OF TRIBAL RIGHTS.—Nothing 
in this subsection diminishes any treaty rights of an 
Indian Tribe. 
(8) TRANSFER OF ADMINISTRATIVE JURISDIC-
TION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Administrative jurisdic-
tion over the approximately 49 acres of Bureau 
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of Land Management land north of the Ump-
qua River in T. 21 S., R. 11 W., sec. 32, is 
transferred from the Bureau of Land Manage-
ment to the Forest Service. 
(B) 
ADMINISTRATION.—The 
Secretary 
shall administer the land transferred by sub-
paragraph (A) in accordance with— 
(i) the Act of March 1, 1911 (com-
monly known as the ‘‘Weeks Law’’) (16 
U.S.C. 480 et seq.); and 
(ii) any laws (including regulations) 
applicable to the National Forest System. 
(b) WILD
AND
SCENIC
RIVER
DESIGNATIONS, 
WASSON CREEK AND FRANKLIN CREEK, OREGON.—Sec-
tion 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 
1274(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(214) FRANKLIN CREEK, OREGON.—The 4.5- 
mile segment from its headwaters to the private land 
boundary in sec. 8, to be administered by the Sec-
retary of Agriculture as a wild river. 
‘‘(215) WASSON CREEK, OREGON.—The 10.1- 
mile segment in the following classes: 
‘‘(A) The 4.2-mile segment from the east-
ern boundary of T. 21 S., R. 9 W., sec. 17, 
downstream to the western boundary of T. 21 
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S., R. 10 W., sec. 12, to be administered by the 
Secretary of the Interior as a wild river. 
‘‘(B) The 5.9-mile segment from the west-
ern boundary of T. 21 S., R. 10 W., sec. 12, 
downstream to the eastern boundary of the 
northwest quarter of T. 21 S., R. 10 W., sec. 
22, to be administered by the Secretary of Agri-
culture as a wild river.’’. 
Æ 
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