I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4235 
To designate certain National Forest System lands in the Pike and San 
Isabel National Forests and certain lands in the Royal Gorge Resource 
Area of the Bureau of Land Management in the State of Colorado 
as wilderness, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 4, 2005 
Mr. HEFLEY (for himself and Mr. BEAUPREZ) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Resources 
A BILL 
To designate certain National Forest System lands in the 
Pike and San Isabel National Forests and certain lands 
in the Royal Gorge Resource Area of the Bureau of 
Land Management in the State of Colorado as wilder-
ness, 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 ‘‘Browns Canyon Wil-
derness Act’’.
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF BROWNS CANYON WILDERNESS, 
PIKE AND SAN ISABEL NATIONAL FORESTS 
AND ROYAL GORGE RESOURCE AREA, COLO-
RADO. 
(a) DESIGNATION.— 
(1) DESIGNATION.—In furtherance of the Wil-
derness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following 
lands in the State of Colorado are hereby designated 
as wilderness and as a component of the National 
Wilderness Preservation System to be known as 
Browns Canyon Wilderness: 
(A) Certain lands in the Pike and San Isa-
bel National Forests, comprising approximately 
12,104 acres, as generally depicted on the wil-
derness map. 
(B) Certain lands in the Royal Gorge Re-
source Area, which comprise approximately 
7,921 acres, as generally depicted on the wilder-
ness map. 
(2) WILDERNESS MAP AND DESCRIPTION.—As 
soon as practicable after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture and the 
Secretary of the Interior shall file a legal description 
of the wilderness area with the Committee on Re-
sources of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the
Senate. The wilderness map and legal description 
shall have the same force and effect as if included 
in this Act, except that the Secretary concerned may 
correct clerical and typographical errors in the wil-
derness map and legal description. The wilderness 
map shall be on file and available for public inspec-
tion in appropriate offices of the Bureau of Land 
Management and the Forest Service. 
(b) ADMINISTRATION OF WILDERNESS AREA.—Sub-
ject to valid existing rights, the Secretary concerned shall 
manage the wilderness area in accordance with the Wilder-
ness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) and this section. With 
respect to the wilderness area, any reference in the Wilder-
ness Act to the effective date of the Wilderness Act shall 
be deemed to be a reference to the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
(c) GRAZING.—The grazing of livestock and the 
maintenance of facilities related to grazing in the wilder-
ness areas, if established before the date of the enactment 
of this Act, shall be permitted to continue in accordance 
with section 4(d)(4) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
1133(d)(4)), as further interpreted by section 108 of Pub-
lic Law 96–560 (16 U.S.C. 1133 note), and the guidelines 
set forth in Appendix A of the report of the Committee 
on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Represent-
atives accompanying H.R. 2570 of the 101st Congress (H. 
Rept. 101–405). 
(d) STATE JURISDICTION.—As provided in section 
4(d)(7) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(7)), 
nothing in this Act shall be construed as affecting the ju-
risdiction or responsibilities of the State of Colorado with 
respect to wildlife and fish in Colorado. 
(e) INCORPORATION OF ACQUIRED LAND AND INTER-
ESTS.—Any land acquired by the United States that is 
immediately adjacent to the boundary of the wilderness 
area and that the Secretary concerned determines is suit-
able for inclusion within the National Wilderness Preser-
vation System shall become part of the wilderness area. 
(f) WATER RIGHTS.— 
(1) EFFECT ON WATER RIGHTS.—Nothing in 
this section shall constitute an express or implied 
reservation of water for any purpose relating to the 
wilderness area or affect any water rights decreed 
under the laws of Colorado before the date of the en-
actment of this Act, including water rights held by 
the United States. 
(2) ADDITIONAL WATER RIGHTS.—If the Sec-
retary concerned determines that a water right is 
necessary for the purposes of administering the wil-
derness area, such water right shall be established in
accordance with the procedural and substantive re-
quirements of the laws of Colorado. 
(g) WITHDRAWAL.—Subject to valid rights in exist-
ence on the date of enactment of this Act, the wilderness 
area is withdrawn from all forms of entry, appropriation, 
or disposal under the public land laws, location, entry, and 
patent under the mining laws, and disposition under all 
laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or min-
eral materials. 
(h) FIRE, INSECT, AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT AC-
TIVITIES.— 
(1) CONTROL AND PREVENTION ACTIVITIES.— 
The Secretary concerned may undertake such meas-
ures in the wilderness area as are necessary for the 
control and prevention of fire, insects, and diseases, 
in accordance with section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)) and the report of the 
Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the 
House of Representatives to accompany H.R. 1437 
of the 98th Congress (H. Rept. 98–40). 
(2) REVIEW.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary con-
cerned shall review existing policies applicable to the 
wilderness area to ensure that authorized approval 
procedures for any fire management measures allow
a timely and efficient response to fire emergencies in 
the wilderness area. 
(i) BUFFER ZONES.—Nothing in this Act shall be 
construed to create or imply the creation of protective pe-
rimeters or buffer zones around the wilderness area. Ac-
tivities in or uses of non-wilderness areas that can be seen 
or heard from within the wilderness area shall not be pre-
cluded as a result of this Act. 
(j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec-
retary’’ means— 
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with re-
spect to the National Forest System lands des-
ignated as wilderness by subsection (a)(1); and 
(B) the Secretary of the Interior, with re-
spect to the lands in the Royal Gorge Resource 
Area of the Bureau of Land Management des-
ignated as wilderness by subsection (a)(2). 
(2) WILDERNESS AREA.—The term ‘‘wilderness 
area’’ means the Browns Canyon Wilderness des-
ignated by subsection (a). 
(3) WILDERNESS MAP.—The term ‘‘wilderness 
map’’ means the map entitled ‘‘Browns Canyon Pro-
posed Wilderness’’ and dated August 9, 2005. 
Æ