I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2912 
To establish the San Juan Islands National Conservation Area in the San 
Juan Islands, Washington, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 14, 2011 
Mr. LARSEN of Washington (for himself and Mr. INSLEE) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To establish the San Juan Islands National Conservation 
Area in the San Juan Islands, Washington, 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. SAN JUAN ISLANDS NATIONAL CONSERVATION 
AREA. 
(a) FINDINGS; PURPOSES.— 
(1) FINDINGS.—Congress finds as follows: 
(A) Lands managed by the Bureau of 
Land Management in the San Juan Archi-
pelago, Washington State, comprising nearly 
1,000 acres of small islands, rocks and reef, 
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headlands, historic lighthouses, and ecologically 
important areas are of great value to the people 
of Washington State and the Nation. 
(B) These areas provide recreational op-
portunities for hiking, wildlife viewing, boating, 
picnicking, photography, sea kayaking, and 
camping and are enjoyed by residents of the 
area and visitors. In 2010, these lands in the 
San Juan Islands National Conservation Area 
received more than 65,000 visitors in a county 
with a population at that time of 15,769 resi-
dents. 
(C) These areas preserve important local, 
national, and tribal cultural and historic sites. 
Lighthouses on Patos Island, Turn Point, and 
Cattle Point are registered as State Historic 
Structures. Numerous archaeological sites exist, 
including shell middens, plank-house sites, and 
burial markers. Areas of cultural importance in-
clude ancient Coast Salish camas cultivation 
sites, homesteads, reef-net sites, and settler 
cabins. 
(D) These areas include vanishing coastal 
flower meadows, spruce bogs, groves of Garry 
oaks and endemic coastal junipers, and other 
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rare and fragile ecosystems that support nu-
merous plant species and provide nesting habi-
tat for seabirds, songbirds, bats, and other 
small native mammals. 
(E) These areas are used by several non- 
profit, government, and educational organiza-
tions for scientific research and education, in-
cluding the San Juan Islands Experimental 
Education Outdoor Classroom. 
(F) Establishment of the San Juan Islands 
National Conservation Area is the best way to 
preserve, protect, enhance, and restore this 
local and nationally important landscape. 
(2) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act 
are— 
(A) to conserve, protect, and enhance for 
the benefit and enjoyment of present and future 
generations the ecological, scenic, wildlife, rec-
reational, cultural, historical, natural, edu-
cational, and scientific resources of the National 
Conservation Area; and 
(B) to protect each species that is— 
(i) located in the National Conserva-
tion Area; and 
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(ii) listed as a threatened or endan-
gered species on the list of threatened spe-
cies or the list of endangered species pub-
lished under section 4(c)(1) of the Endan-
gered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1533(c)(1)). 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 
(1) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage-
ment plan’’ means the management plan for the Na-
tional Conservation Area developed by the Secretary 
under subsection (d). 
(2) NATIONAL
CONSERVATION
AREA.—The 
term ‘‘National Conservation Area’’ means the San 
Juan Islands National Conservation Area that— 
(A) consists of approximately 1,000 acres 
of public land in the Washington State, as gen-
erally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Proposed 
San Juan Islands National Conversation Area’’ 
and dated June 30, 2011; and 
(B) is established by subsection (c). 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(c) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subject to valid existing 
rights, there is established in the State of Washington the 
San Juan Islands National Conservation Area. 
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(d) MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act and in accord-
ance with paragraph (2), the Secretary shall develop 
a comprehensive plan for the long-term management 
of the National Conservation Area. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—In developing the man-
agement plan required under paragraph (1), the 
Secretary shall consult with— 
(A) appropriate State, tribal, and local 
governmental entities; and 
(B) members of the public. 
(e) MANAGEMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall manage 
the National Conservation Area— 
(A) in a manner that conserves, protects, 
and enhances the resources of the National 
Conservation Area; and 
(B) in accordance with— 
(i) the Federal Land Policy and Man-
agement Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et 
seq.); 
(ii) this Act; and 
(iii) any other applicable law (includ-
ing regulations). 
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(2) USES.—The Secretary shall only allow uses 
of the National Conservation Area that the Sec-
retary determines would further a purpose described 
in subsection (a). 
(3) MOTORIZED VEHICLES.—Except when need-
ed for administrative purposes, or to respond to an 
emergency, the use of motorized vehicles in the Na-
tional Conservation Area shall be permitted only on 
roads designated by the management plan for the 
use of motorized vehicles. 
(4) WILDLAND FIRE OPERATIONS.—Nothing in 
this Act prohibits the Secretary, in cooperation with 
other Federal, State, and local agencies, as appro-
priate, from conducting wildland fire operations in 
the National Conservation Area, consistent with the 
purposes of this Act. 
(5) INVASIVE SPECIES AND NOXIOUS WEEDS.— 
In accordance with any applicable laws and subject 
to such terms and conditions as the Secretary deter-
mines to be desirable and appropriate, the Secretary 
may prescribe measures to control nonnative invasive 
plants and noxious weeds within the National Con-
servation Area. 
(f) TRIBAL CULTURAL USES.—The Secretary shall 
work in consultation with Indian tribes to— 
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(1) ensure the protection of religious and cul-
tural sites in the Conservation Area; and 
(2) provide access to the sites by members of 
Indian tribes for traditional cultural and customary 
uses, consistent with Public Law 95–341 (commonly 
known as the ‘‘American Indian Religious Freedom 
Act’’; 42 U.S.C. 1996). 
(g) NO BUFFER ZONES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act creates 
a protective perimeter or buffer zone around the Na-
tional Conservation Area. 
(2) 
ACTIVITIES
OUTSIDE
CONSERVATION 
AREA.—The fact that an activity or use on land out-
side the National Conservation Area can be seen or 
heard within the National Conservation Area shall 
not preclude the activity or use outside the boundary 
of the National Conservation Area. 
(3) ACQUISITION OF LAND.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may ac-
quire non-Federal land within the boundaries of 
the Conservation Area only through exchange, 
donation, or purchase from a willing seller. 
(B) MANAGEMENT.—Land acquired under 
subparagraph (A) shall become part of the Con-
servation Area. 
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(h) ADVISORY COUNCIL.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall establish an advisory council, to be 
known as the ‘‘San Juan Islands National Conserva-
tion Area Advisory Council’’. 
(2) DUTIES.—The Council shall advise the Sec-
retary with respect to the preparation and imple-
mentation of the management plan. 
(3) MEMBERS.—The Council shall include 7 
members to be appointed by the Secretary. The 
members, to the extent practicable, shall— 
(A) reside in or within reasonable prox-
imity to San Juan County, Washington; 
(B) have backgrounds that reflect— 
(i) the purposes for which the Na-
tional Conservation Area was established; 
and 
(ii) the interests of the stakeholders 
that are affected by the planning and man-
agement of the National Conservation 
Area; and 
(C) be fairly balanced in terms of the 
points of view represented and the functions to 
be performed by the Council. 
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(4) APPLICABLE LAW.—The Council shall be 
subject to— 
(A) the Federal Advisory Committee Act 
(5 U.S.C. App.); and 
(B) the Federal Land Policy and Manage-
ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.). 
(5) DURATION.—The Council shall terminate 
on the date that is 1 year from the date on which 
the management plan is adopted by the Secretary. 
(i) INCORPORATION OF ACQUIRED LAND AND INTER-
ESTS.—Any land acquired by the United States after the 
date of the enactment of this Act that is located in the 
National Conservation Area shall— 
(1) become part of the National Conservation 
Area; and 
(2) be managed in accordance with— 
(A) the Federal Land Policy and Manage-
ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); 
(B) this Act; and 
(C) any other applicable law (including 
regulations). 
(j) WITHDRAWAL.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to valid existing 
rights, all Federal land and interests in land located 
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in the National Conservation Area are withdrawn 
from— 
(A) all forms of entry, appropriation, and 
disposal under the public land laws; 
(B) location, entry, and patenting under 
the mining laws; and 
(C) operation of the mineral leasing, min-
eral materials, and geothermal leasing laws. 
(2) ADDITIONAL LAND.—Any land acquired by 
the United States after the date of the enactment of 
this Act that is located in the National Conservation 
Area shall be withdrawn from operation of the laws 
referred to in paragraph (1) on the date of acquisi-
tion of the land. 
SEC. 2. TREATY RIGHTS. 
Nothing in this Act alters, modifies, enlarges, dimin-
ishes, or abrogates the treaty rights of any Indian tribe. 
Æ 
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