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107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4844
To enhance ecosystem protection and the range of outdoor opportunities
protected by statute in the Skykomish River valley of the State of
Washington by designating certain lower-elevation Federal lands as wil-
derness, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 23, 2002
Mr. LARSEN of Washington (for himself, Mr. DICKS, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr.
SMITH of Washington, Mr. INSLEE, and Mr. BAIRD) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources
A BILL
To enhance ecosystem protection and the range of outdoor
opportunities protected by statute in the Skykomish
River valley of the State of Washington by designating
certain lower-elevation Federal lands 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 ‘‘Wild Sky Wilderness
Act of 2002’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND STATEMENT OF POLICY.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
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(1) Americans cherish the continued existence
of diverse wilderness ecosystems and wildlife found
on their Federal lands and share a strong sense of
moral responsibility to protect their wilderness herit-
age as an enduring resource to cherish, protect, and
bequeath undisturbed to future generations of Amer-
icans.
(2) The values an area of wilderness offer to
this and future generations of Americans are greatly
enhanced to the degree that the area is diverse in to-
pography, elevation, life zones and ecosystems, and
to the extent that it offers a wide range of outdoor
recreational and educational opportunities accessible
in all seasons of the year.
(3) Large blocks of wildlands embracing a wide
range of ecosystems and topography, including low-
elevation forests, have seldom remained undisturbed
due to many decades of development.
(4) Certain wildlands on the western slope of
the Cascade Range in the Skykomish River valley of
the State of Washington offer an outstanding rep-
resentation of the original character of the forested
landscape, ranging from high alpine meadows and
extremely rugged peaks to low-elevation mature and
old-growth forests, including groves with some of the
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largest and most spectacular trees in Washington,
with diameters of eight feet and larger.
(5) These diverse, thickly forested mountain
slopes and valleys of mature and old-growth trees in
the Skykomish River valley harbor nearly the full
complement of the original wildlife and fish species
found by settlers of the 19th century, including
mountain goats, bald eagles, black bear, pine
marten, black-tailed deer, as well as rare and endan-
gered wildlife such as northern spotted owls and gos-
hawks, Chinook and Coho salmon, and steelhead and
bull trout.
(6) An ecologically and topographical diverse
wilderness area in the Skykomish River valley acces-
sible in all seasons of the year will be enjoyable to
users of various kinds, such as hikers, horse riders,
hunters, anglers, and educational groups, but also to
the many who cherish clean water and clean air, fish
and wildlife (including endangered species such as
wild salmon), and pristine mountain and riverside
scenery.
(b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—Congess hereby de-
clares that it is the policy of the United States:
(1) to better serve the diverse wilderness and
environmental education needs of the people of the
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State of Washington and its burgeoning metropoli-
tan regions by granting wilderness protection to cer-
tain lower elevation wildlands in the Skykomish
River valley of the State of Washington; and
(2) to protect additional lands adjacent to the
Henry M. Jackson Wilderness designated by the
Washington Wilderness Act of 1984 (Public Law
98–339), in further tribute to the ecologically en-
lightened vision of the distinguished Senator from
the State of Washington and former Chairman of
the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Re-
sources (formerly the Senate Interior and Insular
Affairs Committee).
SEC. 3. ADDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS PRES-
ERVATION SYSTEM.
(a) ADDITIONS.—The following Federal lands in the
State of Washington are hereby designated as wilderness
and, therefore, as components of the National Wilderness
Preservation System:
(1) Certain lands which comprise approximately
106,000 acres, as generally depicted on a map enti-
tled ‘‘Wild Sky Wilderness Proposal’’, dated May
2002, which shall be known as the Wild Sky Wilder-
ness.
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(b) MAPS AND LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS.—As soon as
practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Agriculture shall file a map and a legal de-
scription for the wilderness area designated under this Act
with the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of
the United States Senate and the Committee on Resources
of the United States House of Representatives. The map
and description shall have the same force and effect as
if included in this Act, except that the Secretary of Agri-
culture may correct clerical and typographical errors in
the legal description and map. The map and legal descrip-
tion shall be on file and available for public inspection in
the office of the Chief of the Forest Service, Department
of Agriculture.
SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid existing rights,
lands designated as wilderness by this Act shall be man-
aged by the Secretary of Agriculture in accordance with
the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) and this Act,
except that, with respect to any wilderness areas des-
ignated by this Act, any reference in the Wilderness Act
to the effective date of the Wilderness Act shall be deemed
to be a reference to the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) NEW TRAILS.—
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(1) The Secretary of Agriculture shall consult
with interested parties and shall establish a hiking
trail plan designed to develop a system of hiking
trails within or adjacent to or to provide access to
the wilderness designated by this Act in a manner
consistent with the Wilderness Act, Public Law 88–
577 (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.).
(2) Within two years after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall
complete a report on the implementation of the hik-
ing trail plan required under this Act. This report
shall include the identification of priority hiking
trails for development.
(c) REPEATER SITE.—Within the Wild Sky Wilder-
ness, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to use heli-
copter access to construct and maintain, in a manner com-
patible with the preservation of the wilderness environ-
ment, a Forest Service communication repeater site to
provide improved communication for safety and health
purposes.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION FOR LAND ACQUISITION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture is
authorized to acquire lands and interests therein, by pur-
chase, donation, or exchange, identified as ‘‘Priority Ac-
quisition Lands’’ on the map entitled ‘‘Wild Sky Wilder-
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ness Proposal’’, dated May 2002. The boundaries of the
Snoqualmie National Forest and the Wild Sky Wilderness
shall be adjusted to encompass any lands acquired pursu-
ant to this section.
(b) ACCESS.—Consistent with section 5(a) of the Wil-
derness Act (Public Law 88–577; 16 U.S.C. 1134(a)), the
Secretary of Agriculture shall assure adequate access to
private inholdings within the Wild Sky Wilderness.
(c) APPRAISAL.—Valuation of private lands shall be
determined without reference to any restrictions on access
or use which arise out of designation as a wilderness area
as a result of this Act.
SEC. 6. LAND EXCHANGES.
The Secretary of Agriculture shall exchange lands
and interests in lands, as generally depicted on a map enti-
tled Chelan County Public Utility District Exchange and
dated May 22, 2002, with the Chelan County Public Util-
ity District in accordance with the following provisions:
(1) If the Chelan County Public Utility District,
within ninety days after the date of enactment of
this Act, offers to the Secretary of Agriculture ap-
proximately 371.8 acres within the Snoqualmie Na-
tional Forest in the State of Washington, the Sec-
retary shall accept such lands.
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(2) Upon acceptance of title by the Secretary of
Agriculture to such lands and interests therein, the
Secretary of Agriculture shall convey to the Chelan
County Public Utility District a permanent ease-
ment, including helicopter access, consistent with
such levels as used as of date of enactment, to main-
tain an existing snowtel site on 1.82 acres on the
Wenatchee National Forest in the State of Wash-
ington.
(3) The exchange directed by this Act shall be
consummated if Chelan County Public Utility Dis-
trict conveys title acceptable to the Secretary and
provided there is no hazardous material on the site,
which is objectionable to the Secretary.
(4) In the event Chelan County Public Utility
District determines there is no longer a need to
maintain a snowtel site to monitor the snow pack for
calculating expected runoff into the Lake Chelan hy-
droelectric project and the hydroelectric projects in
the Columbia River Basin, the Secretary shall be no-
tified in writing and the easement shall be extin-
guished and all rights conveyed by this exchange
shall revert to the United States.
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