IB
Union Calendar No. 376
103D CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 2942
[Report No. 103–686]
To designate certain lands in the Commonwealth of Virginia as a National
Scenic Area for protection of the watershed and scenic values, recreation
use, protection of wildlife and their habitat, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 6, 1993
Mr. GOODLATTE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
AUGUST 8, 1994
Additional sponsors: Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. LEWIS of Florida, Mr. EMERSON, Mr.
DOOLITTLE, Mr. BOEHNER, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. EWING, Mr. GUNDER-
SON, Mr. BATEMAN, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. WOLF, Mr. BLILEY, Mr. DICKEY,
Mr. SMITH of Michigan, Mr. SISISKY, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr. PAYNE of Vir-
ginia, Mrs. BYRNE, Mr. SCOTT, Mr. BAESLER, Mr. INSLEE, Mr.
POMEROY, Ms. LONG, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. MORAN, Mr. PICKETT,
Mr. VOLKMER, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. DIXON, Mr. BROWN of California,
Mrs. THURMAN, Mr. STENHOLM, Mr. CONDIT, Mr. MINGE, Mr. COM-
BEST, Mr. POMBO, Mr. SMITH of Oregon, Mr. CANADY, Mr. EVERETT,
Mr. ALLARD, Mr. BISHOP, Mr. NUSSLE, Mr. ROSE, and Mr. PETERSON
of Minnesota
AUGUST 8, 1994
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on August 6, 1993]
A BILL
To designate certain lands in the Commonwealth of Virginia
as a National Scenic Area for protection of the watershed
and scenic values, recreation use, protection of wildlife
and their habitat, 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 ‘‘Mount Pleasant Na-
tional Scenic Area Act’’.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act with respect to the Mount
Pleasant National Scenic Area are to—
(1) ensure appropriate protection and preserva-
tion 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 characteris-
tics 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 estab-
lished in the George Washington National Forest, Vir-
ginia, the Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area (in
this section referred to as the ‘‘scenic area’’).
(2) LANDS INCLUDED IN SCENIC AREA.—The sce-
nic area shall consist of certain lands in the George
Washington National Forest, Virginia, which com-
prise 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 prac-
ticable 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 Com-
mittee 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 typo-
graphical errors in such boundary description and
map. Such map and boundary description shall be on
file and available for public inspection in the Office
of the Chief of the Forest Service, Department of Agri-
culture. 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 section 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 regulations, this
Act shall take precedence.
(2) MANAGEMENT
PLAN.—Within three years
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall develop a management plan for the scenic
area as an amendment to the Land and Resource
Management Plan for the George Washington Na-
tional 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 Na-
tional 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 con-
strued 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. Notwithstand-
ing 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 im-
pose, 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 per-
mitted within the scenic area, except that the Sec-
retary may authorize motorized travel within the sce-
nic area as necessary for administrative use in fur-
therance of the purposes of this Act and on temporary
routes in support of wildlife management projects.