H. R. 2942
One Hundred Third Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the twenty-fifth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-four
An Act
To designate certain lands in the Commonwealth of Virginia as the George
Washington National Forest Mount Pleasant Scenic Area.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘George Washington National
Forest Mount Pleasant Scenic Area Act’’.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act with respect to the George Washington
National Forest Mount Pleasant Scenic Area are to—
(1) ensure appropriate protection and preservation of the
scenic quality, water quality, natural characteristics, and water
resources;
(2) protect and manage vegetation to provide wildlife and
fish habitat, consistent with paragraph (1);
(3) provide areas that may develop characteristics of old-
growth forests; and
(4) provide a variety of recreation opportunities that are
not inconsistent with the preceding purposes.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF MOUNT PLEASANT NATIONAL SCENIC
AREA.
(a) IN GENERAL.—
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established in the
George Washington National Forest, Virginia, the George
Washington National Forest Mount Pleasant Scenic Area (in
this section referred to as the ‘‘scenic area’’).
(2) LANDS
INCLUDED
IN
SCENIC
AREA.—The scenic area
shall consist of certain lands in the George Washington
National Forest, Virginia, which comprise approximately seven
thousand five hundred and eighty acres, as generally depicted
on a map entitled ‘‘Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area—
Proposed’’, dated June 21, 1993.
(3) MAPS AND DESCRIPTIONS.—As soon as practicable after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
file a map and boundary description of the scenic area with
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate and the Committee on Agriculture 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 is authorized to correct clerical and typographical
errors in such boundary description and map. Such map and
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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 paragraph (2),
the map shall control.
(b) ADMINISTRATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture (in this sec-
tion referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall administer the scenic
area in accordance with this Act and the laws and regulations
generally applicable to the National Forest System. In the
event of conflict between this Act and other laws and regula-
tions, this Act shall take precedence.
(2) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—Within three years after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a
management 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 Resource Management
Plan for the George Washington National Forest pursuant to
section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources
Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604).
(c) ROADS.—After the date of the enactment of this Act, no
new permanent roads shall be constructed within the scenic area,
except that this prohibition shall not be construed 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Secretary
may engage in vegetation manipulation practices for maintenance
of existing wildlife clearings and visual quality. Firewood may be
harvested for personal use along perimeter roads under such condi-
tions as the Secretary may impose.
(e) MOTORIZED TRAVEL.—
(1) AUTHORIZED ROUTES.—Motorized travel in the scenic
area shall be allowed on State Route 635. Subject to such
conditions as the Secretary may impose, motorized travel in
the scenic area shall also be allowed on Forest Development
Road 51.
(2) OTHER AREAS.—Other than as provided in paragraph
(1), motorized travel shall not be permitted within the scenic
area, except that the Secretary may authorize motorized travel
within the scenic area as necessary for administrative use
in furtherance of the purposes of this Act and on temporary
routes in support of wildlife management projects.
(f) FIRE.—Wildfires shall be suppressed in a manner consistent
with the purposes of this Act, using such means as the Secretary
considers appropriate.
(g) INSECTS AND DISEASE.—Insect and disease outbreaks may
be controlled in the scenic area to maintain scenic quality, prevent
tree mortality, reduce hazards to visitors, or protect private lands.
(h) WATER.—The scenic area shall be administered so as to
maintain or enhance existing water quality.
(i) MINING WITHDRAWAL.—Subject to valid existing rights, all
federally owned lands in the scenic area are hereby withdrawn
from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws of the
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United States and from leasing claims under the mineral and
geothermal leasing laws of the United States, including amend-
ments to such laws.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.