I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1500
To designate certain Federal lands in the State of Utah as wilderness,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 30, 1997
Mr. HINCHEY (for himself, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. BARRETT of
Wisconsin, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. BROWN of California, Mr.
BROWN of Ohio, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. CAPPS, Mr. CLAY, Mr. CLYBURN,
Mr. CONYERS, Mr. COYNE, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. DEGETTE, Ms. DELAURO,
Mr. DELLUMS, Mr. DEUTSCH, Mr. DICKS, Mr. DIXON, Mr. ENGEL, Ms.
ESHOO, Mr. EVANS, Mr. FARR of California, Mr. FAWELL, Mr. FAZIO
of California, Mr. FILNER, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts,
Ms. FURSE, Mr. GEJDENSON, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr.
HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. HOLDEN, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. JACK-
SON of Illinois, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. KENNEDY of Massachu-
setts, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mrs. KENNELLY of Connecticut,
Mr. KLECZKA, Mr. KLUG, Mr. LAFALCE, Mr. LAMPSON, Mr. LANTOS,
Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. LEACH, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. LIPINSKI,
Ms. LOFGREN, Mrs. LOWEY, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. MARKEY,
Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCHALE, Ms.
MCKINNEY, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. MEEHAN, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Mr.
MENENDEZ, Mr. MILLER of California, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mr.
MORAN of Virginia, Mr. MURTHA, Mr. NADLER, Mr. NEAL of Massachu-
setts, Ms. NORTON, Mr. OLVER, Mr. OWENS, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PAS-
TOR, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. PORTER, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. RIVERS, Ms. ROYBAL-
ALLARD, Mr. RUSH, Mr. SABO, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. SAWYER, Mr. SCHU-
MER, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. SKAGGS, Ms.
SLAUGHTER, Mr. SPRATT, Mr. STARK, Mr. STOKES, Mrs. TAUSCHER,
Mr. THOMPSON, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. TORRES, Mr. TOWNS, Ms.
VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. VENTO, Ms. WATERS, Mr. WATT of North Carolina,
Mr. WAXMAN, and Mr. YATES) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Resources
A BILL
To designate certain Federal lands in the State of Utah
as wilderness, 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 ‘‘America’s Red Rock
Wilderness Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. GENERAL PROVISIONS.
(a) NAME.—Each wilderness area named in a table
contained in title I shall be—
(1) the area referenced in the table, as gen-
erally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Utah BLM Wil-
derness Proposed by H.R. 1500, 102d Congress’’;
and
(2) known by the name given to it in that table.
(b) MAP AND DESCRIPTION.—As soon as practicable
after enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall file a map
and a legal description of each wilderness area designated
under this Act with the Committee on Natural Resources
of the House of Representatives and with the Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. Each
such map and description shall have the same force and
effect as if included in this Act, except that correction of
clerical and typographical errors in such legal description
and map may be made. Each such map and legal descrip-
tion shall be on file and available for public inspection in
the Office of the Director of the Bureau of Land Manage-
ment, Department of the Interior.
(c) SECRETARY.—For the purposes of this Act, the
term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of the Interior.
TITLE I—DESIGNATION OF
WILDERNESS
SEC. 101. GREAT BASIN WILDERNESS AREAS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that the Great
Basin region of western Utah is comprised of starkly beau-
tiful mountain ranges which rise as islands from the desert
floor. Some, like Wah Wah Mountains, are arid and aus-
tere, with massive cliff faces and leathery slopes speckled
with pinyon and juniper. Others, like the Deep Creek and
Stansbury Mountains, are high enough to draw moisture
from passing clouds and support ecosystems found no-
where else on earth. From bristlecone pine, the world’s
oldest living thing, to newly flowered mountain meadows,
these islands of nature support remarkable biological di-
versity and provide opportunities to experience the colossal
silence of the Great Basin.
(b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage
so as to preserve the natural conditions of the Great Basin
wilderness areas in western Utah and in furtherance of
the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et
seq.), the following lands in the State of Utah are hereby
designated as wilderness and therefore as components of
the National Wilderness Preservation System:
Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area
Acreage
Cedar Mountains Wilderness ............................................
62,100
Conger Mountain Wilderness ............................................
20,400
Deep Creek Mountains Wilderness ...................................
90,200
Dugway Mountains Wilderness .........................................
23,100
Fish Springs Range Wilderness ........................................
55,200
Granite Peak Wilderness ..................................................
16,000
House Range Wilderness ..................................................
139,400
King Top Wilderness ........................................................
78,800
Little Goose Creek Wilderness ..........................................
1,300
Newfoundland Mountains Wilderness ...............................
23,300
Rockwell Wilderness ..........................................................
13,400
Silver Island Mountains Wilderness .................................
27,200
Stansbury Mountains Wilderness .....................................
22,500
Wah Wah Mountains Wilderness ......................................
109,700
White Rock Range Wilderness ..........................................
3,900
SEC. 102. ZION AND MOJAVE DESERT WILDERNESS AREAS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that Zion Na-
tional Park’s renowned landscape of soaring cliff walls,
forested plateaus, and deep narrow gorges extends beyond
the boundaries of the park onto surrounding public lands
managed by the Secretary through the Bureau of Land
Management. From the pink sand dunes of Moquith
Mountain to the golden pools of Beaver Dam Wash, the
Zion and Mojave Desert wilderness areas encompass three
major provinces of the Southwest: the sculpted canyon
country of the Colorado Plateau, the Mojave Desert, and
portions of the Great Basin—a rich mosaic of biological,
archeological, and scenic diversity. One of the last remain-
ing populations of endangered desert tortoise is found
within this wilderness.
(b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage
so as to preserve the natural conditions of the Zion and
Mojave Desert wilderness areas of Utah and in further-
ance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C.
1131 et seq.), the following lands in the State of Utah
are hereby designated as wilderness and therefore as com-
ponents of the National Wilderness Preservation System:
Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
Acreage
Beaver Dam Slopes Wilderness:
Beaver Dam Wash ....................................................
24,900
Joshua Tree ..............................................................
13,500
Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness ................................
11,500
Cougar Creek-Docs Pass Wilderness ........................
29,400
Upper Kanab Creek Wilderness ................................
42,200
Moquith Mountain Wilderness ..................................
26,500
Red Mountain Wilderness .........................................
18,500
Zion Wilderness:
Beartrap Canyon .......................................................
Black Ridge ...............................................................
21,800
Canaan Mountain ......................................................
52,100
Deep Creek ................................................................
7,100
Goose Creek ...............................................................
LaVerkin Creek .........................................................
567
Orderville Canyon ......................................................
6,500
North Fork Virgin River ...........................................
1,040
Parunuweap Canyon .................................................
37,700
Red Butte ..................................................................
804
Spring Canyon ...........................................................
4,400
Taylor Creek Canyon ................................................
The Watchman ..........................................................
600
SEC. 103. GRAND STAIRCASE AND KAIPAROWITS PLATEAU
WILDERNESS AREAS.
(a) GRAND STAIRCASE.—
(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that the
area known as the Grand Staircase rises more than
6,000 feet in a series of great cliffs and plateaus
from the depths of the Grand Canyon to the forested
rim of Bryce Canyon. It spans six major life zones,
from the lower Sonoran Desert to alpine forest, and
encompasses geologic formations which display
3,000,000,000 years of earth history. Wildlands,
managed by the Secretary through the Bureau of
Land Management, line the intricate canyon system
of the Paria River and form a vital wilderness cor-
ridor connection to the deserts and forests of these
national parks. Each of the units specified in para-
graph (2) is located within the Grand Staircase-
Escalante National Monument.
(2) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and
manage so as to preserve the natural conditions of
the wilderness area known as the Great Staircase
and in furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness
Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in
the State of Utah are hereby designated as wilder-
ness and therefore as components of the National
Wilderness Preservation System:
Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
Acreage
Grand Staircase Wilderness:
Box Canyon ...................................................
2,300
Cockscomb .....................................................
10,300
East of Bryce .................................................
900
Mud Spring Canyon .......................................
55,100
Paria-Hackberry ............................................
158,700
Squaw and Willis Creek .................................
22,300
The Blues-Table Cliff ....................................
18,700
(b) KAIPAROWITS PLATEAU.—
(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that east
of the Paria River lies the Kaiparowits Plateau, one
of the most rugged and isolated wilderness regions
in the United States, a lonely, windswept land of
harsh beauty, distant vistas, and a remarkable vari-
ety of plant and animal species. Ancient forests,
abundant big game animals, and 22 species of
raptors thrive undisturbed on its grassland mesa
tops. Each of the units specified in paragraph (2) is
located within the Grand Staircase-Escalante Na-
tional Monument.
(2) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and
manage so as to preserve the Kaiparowits Plateau
and in furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness
Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in
the State of Utah are hereby designated as wilder-
ness and therefore as components of the National
Wilderness Preservation System:
Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
Acreage
Kaiparowits Wilderness:
Burning Hills .................................................
68,400
Carcass Canyon .............................................
72,600
Cave Point .....................................................
4,800
Fiftymile Bench .............................................
11,100
Fiftymile Mountain ........................................
173,900
Horse Spring Canyon ....................................
27,900
Nipple Bench .................................................
31,600
Squaw Canyon ...............................................
11,200
Wahweap-Paradise Canyon ...........................
228,000
Warm Creek ...................................................
21,000
SEC. 104. ESCALANTE CANYONS WILDERNESS AREAS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that enchanting
glens and coves carved in massive sandstone cliffs, spring-
watered hanging gardens, and the silence of ancient
Anasazi ruins are exemplary of the unique features that
entice hikers, campers, and sightseers from around the
world to Escalante Canyon. This wilderness links the
spruce fir forests of the 11,000 foot Aquarius Plateau with
winding slickrock canyons that flow into Lake Powell. It
protects critical habitat for deer, elk, and wild bighorn
sheep, as well as the scenic integrity of one of Utah’s most
popular natural areas. Each of the units specified in sub-
section (b) (other than Dogwater Creek, Long Canyon,
and Notom Bench) is located within the Grand Staircase-
Escalante National Monument.
(b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage
so as to preserve Escalante Canyon wilderness areas and
in furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16
U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in the State of
Utah are hereby designated as wilderness and therefore
as components of the National Wilderness Preservation
System:
Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area
Acreage
Colt Mesa ..........................................................................
23,500
Dogwater Creek ................................................................
3,500
Fortymile Gulch ................................................................
640
Fremont Gorge ..................................................................
19,400
Hurricane Wash ................................................................
4,300
Long Canyon .....................................................................
16,400
North Escalante Canyons .................................................
144,000
Notom Bench ....................................................................
8,400
Phipps-Death Hollow ........................................................
43,500
Scorpion ............................................................................
38,100
Steep Creek .......................................................................
34,400
Studhorse Peaks ...............................................................
9,500
SEC. 105. HENRY MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS AREAS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that the last
mountain range to be discovered and named by early ex-
plorers in the contiguous United States, the Henry Moun-
tains, still retains its wild and mysterious character.
Fluted badlands adorn the flanks of 11,000 foot Mount
Ellen and Mount Pennell, containing islands of critical
habitat for mule deer and the largest herd of free-roaming
buffalo in the Nation. Despite their relative accessibility,
the Henry Mountains remain one of the wildest, least-
known ranges in the United States.
(b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage
so as to preserve the Henry Mountains and in furtherance
of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131
et seq.), the following lands in the State of Utah are here-
by designated as wilderness and therefore as components
of the National Wilderness Preservation System:
Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
Acreage
Henry Mountains Wilderness:
Bull Mountain ...........................................................
12,400
Bullfrog Creek ...........................................................
36,900
Mount Ellen-Blue Hills .............................................
116,900
Mount Hillers ............................................................
18,600
Mount Pennell ...........................................................
141,200
Ragged Mountain ......................................................
23,300
SEC. 106. DIRTY DEVIL RIVER WILDERNESS AREAS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that the Dirty
Devil River, once the fortress hideout of outlaw Butch
Cassidy’s Wild Bunch, has sculpted a maze of slickrock
canyons through an imposing landscape of monoliths and
inaccessible mesas. This isolated and remote area, long a
barrier to civilization and would-be colonists, now beckons
a different type of explorer, the modern recreationist, who
seeks to experience solitude and isolation amid spectacular
beauty.
(b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage
so as to preserve the Dirty Devil River wilderness areas
in southeast Utah and in furtherance of the purposes of
the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following
lands in the State of Utah are hereby designated as wilder-
ness and therefore as components of the National Wilder-
ness Preservation System:
Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
Acreage
Dirty Devil Wilderness:
Dirty Devil-French Springs ......................................
175,300
Fiddler Butte ............................................................
88,200
SEC. 107. CEDAR MESA WILDERNESS AREAS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that over a thou-
sand years ago, the Anasazi Indian culture flourished in
the slickrock canyons and on the pinyon-covered mesas of
southeastern Utah. Evidence of their ancient presence per-
vades the Cedar Mesa area where haunting cliff dwellings,
rock art, and ceremonial kivas embellish sandstone over-
hangs and isolated benchlands. This area cries out for pro-
tection from the vandalism and theft of these unique cul-
tural resources. These wilderness areas are drawn to pro-
tect both the Nation’s archaeological heritage and extraor-
dinary wilderness scenic and ecological values.
(b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage
so as to preserve the Cedar Mesa wilderness areas and
in furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16
U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in the State of
Utah are hereby designated as wilderness and therefore
as components of the National Wilderness Preservation
System:
Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
Acreage
White Canyon Wilderness:
Gravel and Long Canyon ..........................................
35,000
Cheesebox Canyon .....................................................
28,500
Harmony Flat ...........................................................
9,100
Fortknocker Canyon ..................................................
12,400
San Juan-Anasazi Wilderness:
Arch and Mule Canyon .............................................
15,300
Comb Ridge ...............................................................
15,000
Fish and Owl Creek ..................................................
59,000
Grand Gulch ..............................................................
139,800
Nokai dome ...............................................................
93,400
Road Canyon .............................................................
60,100
San Juan River .........................................................
13,200
Squaw and Cross Canyons Wilderness:
Squaw and Papoose Canyons ....................................
6,580
Cross Canyon ............................................................
1,000
Dark Canyon Wilderness:
Dark Canyon .............................................................
126,500
Sheep Canyon ............................................................
3,700
Glen Canyon Wilderness:
Mancos Mesa .............................................................
108,700
Little Rockies ............................................................
60,000
SEC. 108. CANYONLANDS WILDERNESS AREAS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that Arches and
Canyonlands National Parks safeguard only a small por-
tion of the extraordinary red-hued, cliff-walled canyonland
region of the Colorado Plateau. Canyons with rushing pe-
rennial streams, natural arches, bridges, and towers, and
the gorges of the Green, Colorado, and Dolores Rivers lie
on adjacent wildlands managed by the Secretary through
the Bureau of Land Management. Designation of this wil-
derness achieves a wholeness of protection for this
erosional masterpiece of nature and the rich pockets of
wildlife found within its expanded boundaries.
(b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage
so as to preserve the canyonland wilderness areas near
Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and in further-
ance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C.
1131 et seq.), the following lands in the State of Utah
are hereby designated as wilderness and therefore as com-
ponents of the National Wilderness Preservation System:
Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
Acreage
Canyonlands Basin Wilderness:
Bridger Jack Mesa ....................................................
32,700
Butler Wash ..............................................................
28,300
Goose Neck ................................................................
8,300
Harts Point ...............................................................
62,800
Indian Creek ..............................................................
27,000
Shafer Canyon ...........................................................
3,000
Labyrinth Wilderness:
Labyrinth Canyon .....................................................
120,000
Horseshoe Canyon .....................................................
51,700
Arches-Lost Spring Wilderness .................................
16,900
La Sal Canyons Wilderness:
Beaver Creek .............................................................
28,200
Fisher Towers ...........................................................
15,100
Granite Creek ............................................................
5,100
Mary Jane Canyon ....................................................
24,200
Mill Creek ..................................................................
15,700
Negro Bill Canyon .....................................................
20,600
Seweump Mesa ..........................................................
600
Behind-The-Rocks Wilderness:
Hunter Canyon ..........................................................
4,000
Goldbar Canyon .........................................................
12,500
Hatch Wash ..............................................................
14,300
Behind-The-Rocks .....................................................
20,300
Westwater Wilderness:
Black Ridge ...............................................................
5,100
Westwater Canyon .....................................................
32,500
SEC. 109. SAN RAFAEL SWELL WILDERNESS AREAS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that the San
Rafael Swell towers above the desert like a wilderness cas-
tle, ringed by thousand-foot ramparts of Navajo Sand-
stone. Its highlands have been fractured by uplift and
scooped hollow by erosion over countless millennia, leaving
a tremendous basin punctuated by mesas, buttes, and can-
yons and traversed by sediment-laden desert streams.
Among other places, the San Rafael wilderness offers ex-
ceptional back country opportunities in the colorful Wild
Horse Badlands, the monoliths of North Caineville Mesa,
the rock towers of Cliff Wash, and the dark volcanic
mountains bordering Capitol Reef National Park. The
mountains within this wilderness are among Utah’s most
productive habitat for Desert Bighorn Sheep.
(b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage
so as to preserve the San Rafael Swell wilderness areas
and in furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act
(16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in the State
of Utah are hereby designated as wilderness and therefore
as components of the National Wilderness Preservation
System:
Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
Acreage
San Rafael Wilderness:
Cedar Mountain ................................................................
14,500
Devils Canyon ...................................................................
21,500
Hondu Country .................................................................
18,900
Jones Bench ......................................................................
2,800
Limestone Cliffs ................................................................
21,300
Mexican Mountain .............................................................
102,600
Muddy Creek .....................................................................
246,300
Mussentuchit Badlands .....................................................
23,000
Red Desert ........................................................................
36,800
San Rafael Reef ................................................................
95,000
Sids Mountain ...................................................................
95,800
Upper Muddy Creek ..........................................................
17,000
Wild Horse Mesa ..............................................................
57,400
SEC. 110. BOOK CLIFFS AND UINTA BASIN WILDERNESS
AREAS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that the Book
Cliffs and Uinta Basin wilderness areas offer a unique
quality of wilderness big game hunting opportunities in
verdant high-plateau forests, multiday float trips down the
Green River in Desolation Canyon, and opportunity for
calm water canoe weekends on the White River. The long
rampart of the Book Cliffs bounds the area on the south,
while seldom-visited uplands, dissected by the rivers and
streams, slope away to the north into the Uinta Basin.
Bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, bear, and cougar all flour-
ish in the back country of the Book Cliffs.
(b) DESIGNATION.—In order to protect and manage
so as to preserve the Book Cliffs area and in furtherance
of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131
et seq.), the following lands in the State of Utah are here-
by designated as wilderness and therefore as components
of the National Wilderness Preservation System:
Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
Acreage
Desolation Canyon Wilderness:
Eastern Book Cliffs ...................................................
154,600
Desolation Canyon ....................................................
527,100
Turtle Canyon ...........................................................
36,900
White River Wilderness .............................................
9,700
Greater Dinosaur Wilderness:
Bull Canyon ...............................................................
500
Diamond Breaks .......................................................
7,800
Daniels Canyon .........................................................
5,300
Moonshine Draw .......................................................
3,500
Cold Springs Mountain .............................................
3,400
Wild Mountain ...........................................................
600
TITLE II—ADMINISTRATIVE
PROVISIONS
SEC. 201. ADMINISTRATION.
Subject to valid existing rights, the wilderness areas
designated under this Act shall be administered by the
Secretary in accordance with section 603 of the Federal
Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C.
1782) and the provisions of the Wilderness Act governing
areas designated by that Act as wilderness.
SEC. 202. WATER.
(a) RESERVATION.—(1) With respect to each wilder-
ness area designated by this Act, Congress hereby reserves
a quantity of water sufficient to fulfill the purposes of this
Act. The priority date of such reserved rights shall be the
date of enactment of this Act.
(2) The Secretary and all other officers of the United
States shall take all steps necessary to protect the rights
reserved by paragraph (1), including the filing by the Sec-
retary of a claim for the quantification of such rights in
any present or future appropriate stream adjudication in
the courts of the State of Utah in which the United States
is or may be joined and which is conducted in accordance
with section 208 of the Act of July 10, 1952 (66 Stat.
56; 44 U.S.C. 666, commonly referred to as the
‘‘McCarran Act’’).
(b) PRIOR RIGHTS NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in this
Act shall be construed as a relinquishment or reduction
of any water rights reserved or appropriated by the United
States in the State of Utah on or before the date of enact-
ment of this Act.
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—The Federal water
rights reserved by this Act are specific to the wilderness
areas located in the State of Utah designated by this Act.
Nothing in this Act related to reserved Federal water shall
be construed as establishing a precedent with regard to
any future designations, nor shall it constitute an interpre-
tation of any other Act or any designation made pursuant
thereto.
Æ