I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3039 
To designate certain Federal lands in the State of California as wilderness 
areas and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation Sys-
tem, to designate portions of the San Gabriel River and Little Rock 
Creek in that State as components of the National Wild and Scenic 
Rivers System, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 23, 2017 
Ms. JUDY CHU of California (for herself and Mr. SCHIFF) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To designate certain Federal lands in the State of California 
as wilderness areas and as components of the National 
Wilderness Preservation System, to designate portions 
of the San Gabriel River and Little Rock Creek in that 
State as components of the National Wild and Scenic 
Rivers System, 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; DEFINITIONS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘San Gabriel Mountains Forever Act of 2017’’. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 
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(1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(2) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of California. 
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS, ANGELES NA-
TIONAL FOREST, CALIFORNIA. 
(a) DESIGNATION.—In accordance with the Wilder-
ness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following National 
Forest System lands in the State are designated as wilder-
ness and as components of the National Wilderness Pres-
ervation System: 
(1) CONDOR PEAK WILDERNESS.—Certain Fed-
eral land in the Angeles National Forest, comprising 
approximately 8,417 acres, as generally depicted on 
the map entitled ‘‘Condor Peak Wilderness—Pro-
posed’’ and dated lllll, which shall be known 
as the Condor Peak Wilderness. 
(2) SAN GABRIEL WILDERNESS ADDITIONS.— 
Certain Federal land in the Angeles National Forest, 
comprising approximately 2,027 acres, as generally 
depicted on the map entitled ‘‘San Gabriel Wilder-
ness Additions’’ and dated lllll, which is in-
corporated in, and considered to be a part of, the 
San Gabriel Wilderness designated by Public Law 
90–318 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; 82 Stat. 131). 
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(3) SHEEP
MOUNTAIN
WILDERNESS
ADDI-
TIONS.—Certain Federal land in the Angeles Na-
tional Forest, comprising approximately 13,851 
acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled 
‘‘Sheep Mountain Wilderness Additions’’ and dated 
lllll, which is incorporated in, and consid-
ered to be a part of, the Sheep Mountain Wilderness 
designated by section 101(a)(29) of the California 
Wilderness Act of 1984 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; Pub-
lic Law 98–425; 98 Stat. 1623). 
(4) YERBA BUENA WILDERNESS.—Certain Fed-
eral land in the Angeles National Forest, comprising 
approximately 6,774 acres, as generally depicted on 
the map entitled ‘‘Yerba Buena Wilderness—Pro-
posed’’ and dated lllll, which shall be known 
as the Yerba Buena Wilderness. 
(b) MAP AND LEGAL DESCRIPTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—As soon as practicable after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall file a map and a legal description of the wilder-
ness areas and wilderness additions designated by 
subsection (a) with— 
(A) the Committee on Natural Resources 
of the House of Representatives; and 
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(B) the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate. 
(2) FORCE OF LAW.—The map and legal de-
scription filed under paragraph (1) shall have the 
same force and effect as if included in this Act, ex-
cept that the Secretary may correct any clerical and 
typographical errors in the map and legal descrip-
tion. 
(3) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The map and legal 
description filed under paragraph (1) shall be on file 
and available for public inspection in the appropriate 
offices of the Forest Service. 
SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATION OF WILDERNESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid existing rights, 
the wilderness areas and wilderness additions designated 
by section 2 shall be administered by the Secretary in ac-
cordance with this section and the Wilderness Act (16 
U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), except that any reference in the Wil-
derness Act to the effective date of that Act shall be con-
sidered to be a reference to the date of enactment of this 
Act. 
(b) FIRE MANAGEMENT
AND RELATED ACTIVI-
TIES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may take 
such measures in a wilderness area or wilderness ad-
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dition designated by section 2 as are necessary for 
the control of fire, insects, and diseases in accord-
ance with section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act (16 
U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)) and House Report 98–40 of the 
98th Congress. 
(2) FUNDING PRIORITIES.—Nothing in this Act 
limits funding for fire and fuels management in the 
wilderness areas or wilderness additions designated 
by section 2. 
(3) REVISION
AND
DEVELOPMENT
OF
LOCAL 
FIRE MANAGEMENT PLANS.—As soon as practicable 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall amend the local fire management plans 
that apply to the land designated as a wilderness 
area or wilderness addition by section 2. 
(4) ADMINISTRATION.—Consistent with para-
graph (1) and other applicable Federal law, to en-
sure a timely and efficient response to fire emer-
gencies in the wilderness areas and wilderness addi-
tions designated by section 2, the Secretary shall— 
(A) not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, establish agency ap-
proval procedures (including appropriate delega-
tions of authority to the Forest Supervisor, Dis-
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trict Manager, or other agency officials) for re-
sponding to fire emergencies; and 
(B) enter into agreements with appropriate 
State or local firefighting agencies. 
(c) GRAZING.—The grazing of livestock in the wilder-
ness areas or wilderness additions designated by section 
2, if established before the date of enactment of this Act, 
shall be administered in accordance with— 
(1) section 4(d)(4) of the Wilderness Act (16 
U.S.C. 1133(d)(4)); and 
(2) the guidelines set forth in Appendix A of 
the report of the Committee on Interior and Insular 
Affairs of the House of Representatives accom-
panying H.R. 2570 of the 101st Congress (H. Rept. 
101–405). 
(d) FISH AND WILDLIFE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with section 
4(d)(7) 
of 
the 
Wilderness 
Act 
(16 
U.S.C. 
1133(d)(7)), nothing in this Act affects the jurisdic-
tion or responsibilities of the State with respect to 
fish and wildlife on public land in the State. 
(2) MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—In furtherance of the 
purposes and principles of the Wilderness Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the Secretary may 
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conduct any management activities that are 
necessary to maintain or restore fish and wild-
life populations and habitats in the wilderness 
areas and wilderness additions designated by 
section 2, if the management activities are— 
(i) consistent with relevant wilderness 
management plans; and 
(ii) conducted in accordance with ap-
propriate policies, such as the policies es-
tablished in Appendix B of House Report 
101–405. 
(B) INCLUSIONS.—Management activities 
under subparagraph (A) may include the occa-
sional and temporary use of motorized vehicles, 
if the use, as determined by the Secretary, 
would promote healthy, viable, and more natu-
rally distributed wildlife populations that would 
enhance wilderness values while causing the 
minimum impact necessary to accomplish those 
tasks. 
(C) 
EXISTING
ACTIVITIES.—Consistent 
with section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act (16 
U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)) and in accordance with ap-
propriate policies, such as those established in 
Appendix B of House Report 101–405, the 
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State may use aircraft (including helicopters) in 
the wilderness areas and wilderness additions 
designated by section 2 to survey, capture, 
transplant, monitor, and provide water for wild-
life populations, including bighorn sheep. 
(e) BUFFER ZONES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Congress does not intend for 
the designation of wilderness areas or wilderness ad-
ditions by section 2 to lead to the creation of protec-
tive perimeters or buffer zones around each wilder-
ness area or wilderness addition. 
(2) ACTIVITIES OR USES UP TO BOUNDARIES.— 
The fact that nonwilderness activities or uses can be 
seen or heard from within a wilderness area or wil-
derness addition designated by section 2 shall not, of 
itself, preclude the activities or uses up to the 
boundary of the wilderness area or addition. 
(f) MILITARY ACTIVITIES.—Nothing in this Act pre-
cludes— 
(1) low-level overflights of military aircraft over 
the wilderness areas or wilderness additions des-
ignated by section 2; 
(2) the designation of new units of special air-
space over the wilderness areas or wilderness addi-
tions designated by section 2; or 
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(3) the use or establishment of military flight 
training routes over wilderness areas or wilderness 
additions designated by section 2. 
(g) HORSES.—Nothing in this Act precludes horse-
back riding in, or the entry of recreational or commercial 
saddle or pack stock into, an area designated as a wilder-
ness area or wilderness addition by section 2— 
(1) in accordance with section 4(d)(5) of the 
Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(5)); and 
(2) subject to any terms and conditions deter-
mined to be necessary by the Secretary. 
(h) LAW ENFORCEMENT.—Nothing in this Act pre-
cludes law enforcement and drug interdiction efforts with-
in the wilderness areas and wilderness additions des-
ignated by section 2 in accordance with the Wilderness 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.). 
(i) WITHDRAWAL.—Subject to valid existing rights, 
the wilderness areas and wilderness additions designated 
by section 2 are withdrawn from— 
(1) all forms of entry, appropriation, and dis-
posal under the public land laws; 
(2) location, entry, and patent under the mining 
laws; and 
(3) operation of the mineral materials and geo-
thermal leasing laws. 
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(j) INCORPORATION OF ACQUIRED LAND AND INTER-
ESTS.—Any land within the boundary of a wilderness area 
or wilderness addition designated by section 2 that is ac-
quired by the United States shall— 
(1) become part of the wilderness area in which 
the land is located; and 
(2) be managed in accordance with this section, 
the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), and 
any other applicable law. 
(k) CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA COLLECTION.—In ac-
cordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) 
and subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary 
may prescribe, the Secretary may authorize the installa-
tion and maintenance of hydrologic, meteorologic, or cli-
matological collection devices in the wilderness areas or 
wilderness additions designated by section 2 if the Sec-
retary determines that the facilities and access to the fa-
cilities are essential to flood warning, flood control, or 
water reservoir operation activities. 
SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS. 
(a) DESIGNATION.—Section 3(a) of the Wild and 
Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘(213) EAST FORK SAN GABRIEL RIVER, CALI-
FORNIA.—The following segments of the East Fork 
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‘‘(D) The 1.3-mile segment of Cooper Can-
yon Creek from 100 yards downstream of Coo-
per Canyon Campground to the confluence with 
Little Rock Creek, as a wild river. 
‘‘(E) The 1-mile segment of Buckhorn 
Creek from 100 yards downstream of the 
Buckhorn Campground to its confluence with 
Cooper Canyon Creek, as a wild river.’’. 
(b) WATER RESOURCE FACILITIES
AND WATER 
USE.— 
(1) WATER RESOURCE FACILITIES.— 
(A) DEFINITION.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘water resource facility’’ means— 
(i) irrigation and pumping facilities, 
dams and reservoirs, flood control facili-
ties, water conservation works, including 
debris protection facilities, sediment place-
ment sites, rain gauges and stream gauges, 
water quality facilities, recycled water 
pumping, conveyance distribution systems, 
and treatment facilities, aqueducts, canals, 
ditches, 
pipelines, 
wells, 
hydropower 
projects, and transmission and other ancil-
lary facilities; and 
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(ii) other water diversion, storage, and 
carriage structures. 
(B) NO EFFECT ON EXISTING WATER RE-
SOURCE FACILITIES.—Nothing in this section 
shall alter, modify, or affect— 
(i) the use, operation, maintenance, 
repair, construction, reconfiguration, ex-
pansion, or replacement of a water re-
source facility downstream of a wild and 
scenic river segment designated by this 
section, provided that the physical struc-
tures of such facilities or reservoirs shall 
not be located within the river areas des-
ignated in this section; or 
(ii) access to a water resource facility 
downstream of a wild and scenic river seg-
ment designated by this section. 
(C) NO
EFFECT
ON
NEW
WATER
RE-
SOURCE FACILITIES.—Nothing in this section 
shall preclude the establishment of new water 
resource facilities (including instream sites, 
routes, and areas) downstream of a wild and 
scenic river segment designated by this section. 
(2) LIMITATION.—Any new reservation of water 
or new use of water pursuant to existing water 
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rights held by the United States to fulfill the pur-
poses of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.) shall be for non-consump-
tive instream use only within the segments des-
ignated by this section. 
(3) EXISTING LAW.—Nothing in this section af-
fects the implementation of the Endangered Species 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). 
SEC. 5. WATER RIGHTS. 
(a) STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
Act and no action to implement this Act— 
(1) shall constitute or be construed to con-
stitute either an express or implied reservation of 
any water or water rights or authorizing an expan-
sion of water use pursuant to existing water rights 
held by the United States with respect to the land 
designated as a wilderness area or wilderness addi-
tion by section 2 or land adjacent to the wild and 
scenic river segments designated by the amendment 
made by section 4; 
(2) shall affect, alter, modify or condition any 
water rights in the State existing on the date of en-
actment of this Act, including any water rights held 
by the United States; 
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(3) shall be construed as establishing a prece-
dent with regard to any future wilderness or wild 
and scenic river designations; 
(4) shall affect, alter, or modify the interpreta-
tion of, or any designation, decision or action made 
pursuant to, any other Act; or 
(5) shall be construed as limiting, altering, 
modifying, or amending any of the interstate com-
pacts or equitable apportionment decrees that appor-
tion water among and between the State and other 
States. 
(b) STATE WATER LAW.—The Secretary shall com-
ply with and follow the procedural and substantive re-
quirements of the law of the State in order to obtain and 
hold any water rights not in existence on the date of enact-
ment of this Act with respect to the wilderness areas and 
wilderness additions designated by section 2, and the wild 
and scenic rivers designated by the amendment made by 
section 4. 
Æ 
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