I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5083 
To designate certain lower-elevation Federal lands in the Skykomish River 
valley of the State of Washington as wilderness, to designate a portion 
of such lands for management as a backcountry wilderness management 
area, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 15, 2004 
Mr. NETHERCUTT (for himself, Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut, and Ms. 
DUNN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Resources 
A BILL 
To designate certain lower-elevation Federal lands in the 
Skykomish River valley of the State of Washington as 
wilderness, to designate a portion of such lands for man-
agement as a backcountry wilderness management area, 
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 
and Backcountry Wilderness Management Area Act of 
2004’’.
SEC. 2. ADDITION OF WILD SKY WILDERNESS TO NATIONAL 
WILDERNESS PRESERVATION SYSTEM. 
(a) DESIGNATION.—Certain Federal lands in the 
State of Washington comprising approximately 92,722 
acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Wild Sky 
Wilderness and Backcountry Wilderness Management 
Area Proposal’’ and dated September 2004, are hereby 
designated as wilderness and, therefore, as a component 
of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The Fed-
eral lands designated as wilderness by this subsection shall 
be known as the Wild Sky Wilderness. 
(b) MAPS AND LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS.—As soon as 
practicable after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Agriculture shall file a map and a legal 
description for the Wild Sky Wilderness with the Com-
mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 
and the Committee on Resources of the House of Rep-
resentatives. The map and legal description shall have the 
same force and effect as if included in this Act, except 
that the Secretary of Agriculture may correct clerical and 
typographical errors in the legal description and map. The 
map and legal description shall be on file and available 
for public inspection in the office of the Chief of the Forest 
Service. 
(c) ADMINISTRATION.—Subject to valid existing 
rights, the Secretary of Agriculture shall manage the Wild
Sky Wilderness in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 
U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) and this Act, except that, with re-
spect to the Wild Sky Wilderness, 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. To fulfill the purposes of this Act and the 
Wilderness Act and to achieve administrative efficiencies, 
the Secretary may manage the Wild Sky Wilderness as 
a comprehensive part of the larger complex of adjacent 
and nearby wilderness areas. 
(d) MAINTENANCE AND USE OF CERTAIN STRUC-
TURES.— 
(1) REPEATER
SITE.—Within the Wild Sky 
Wilderness, the Secretary of Agriculture is author-
ized to use helicopter access to construct and main-
tain a joint Forest Service and Snohomish County 
repeater site, in compliance with a Forest Service 
approved communications site plan, for the purposes 
of improving communication for safety, health, and 
emergency services. 
(2) EVERGREEN
MOUNTAIN
LOOKOUT.—The 
designation of the Wild Sky Wilderness shall not 
preclude the operation and maintenance of the Ever-
green Mountain Lookout, in the same manner and 
degree in which the operation and maintenance of
(2) APPRAISAL.—Valuation of private lands 
shall be determined without reference to any restric-
tions on access or use that arise out of designation 
of the Wild Sky Wilderness or inclusion of adjacent 
Federal lands in the Skykomish Backcountry Wil-
derness Management Area under section 3. 
(3) BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.—The boundaries 
of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forests and 
the Wild Sky Wilderness shall be adjusted to reflect 
any land acquisitions or exchanges conducted under 
this subsection. 
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF BACKCOUNTRY WILDERNESS 
MANAGEMENT AREA, SKYKOMISH RIVER VAL-
LEY, WASHINGTON. 
(a) DESIGNATION.—Certain Federal lands in the 
State of Washington comprising approximately 13,278 
acres, as generally depicted on the map referred to in sec-
tion 2(a), are hereby designated as the Skykomish 
Backcountry Wilderness Management Area for the pur-
pose of conserving, protecting, and enhancing for the ben-
efit and enjoyment of present and future generations the 
cultural, archaeological, natural, wilderness, scientific, ge-
ological, historical, biological, wildlife, educational, and 
scenic resources of the Federal lands included in the man-
agement area.
(b) MAPS AND LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS.—As soon as 
practicable after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Agriculture shall file a map and a legal 
description for the management area with the Committee 
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the 
Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives. 
The map and legal description shall have the same force 
and effect as if included in this Act, except that the Sec-
retary of Agriculture may correct clerical and typo-
graphical errors in the legal description and map. The 
map and legal description shall be on file and available 
for public inspection in the office of the Chief of the Forest 
Service. 
(c) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall manage the Federal lands included in the manage-
ment area to preserve their natural character and to pro-
tect and enhance water quality. 
(d) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—Not later than three years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Agriculture shall develop a management plan for the 
management area. The Secretary shall prepare the man-
agement plan in consultation with representatives of the 
State of Washington, the political subdivisions of the State 
containing the management area, and other interested 
persons.
(e) WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT.—The designation of 
the management area neither affects nor diminishes the 
jurisdiction of the State of Washington with respect to fish 
and wildlife management, including the regulation of 
hunting, fishing, and trapping, on Federal lands included 
in the management area. 
(f) WITHDRAWAL.—Subject to valid existing rights, 
the Federal lands included in the management area are 
withdrawn from all forms of entry, appropriation, and dis-
posal under the public land laws, location, entry, and pat-
ent under the mining laws, and operation of the mineral 
leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws. 
(g) MOTORIZED
AND MECHANIZED TRAVEL AU-
THORIZED.—Motorized and mechanized travel in the man-
agement area shall be restricted to designated trails and 
routes specified in the management plan required by sub-
section (d). Pending completion of the management plan, 
the Secretary of Agriculture may designate the trails and 
routes in the management area on which motorized and 
mechanized travel is authorized. Other trails and routes 
may be used for motorized and mechanized travel when-
ever the Secretary considers such use to be necessary for 
administrative purposes or to respond to an emergency.
(h) PROHIBITION ON COMMERCIAL TIMBER HAR-
VESTING.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall not permit 
the commercial harvest of timber in the management area. 
(i) LAND ACQUISITION AUTHORITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
may acquire lands and interests therein in the man-
agement area by purchase, donation, or exchange. 
The Secretary shall give priority consideration to the 
acquisition of those lands identified as Priority Ac-
quisition Lands on the map described in section 
2(a). 
(2) APPRAISAL.—Valuation of private lands 
shall be determined without reference to any restric-
tions on access or use that arise out of inclusion of 
adjacent Federal lands in the management area or 
designation of the Wild Sky Wilderness. 
(3) BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.—The boundaries 
of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forests and 
the management area shall be adjusted to reflect 
any land acquisitions or exchanges conducted under 
this subsection. 
SEC. 4. DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF TRAIL 
PLAN. 
(a) TRAIL PLAN REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall establish, in consultation with interested par-
ties, a trail plan for National Forest System lands de-
scribed in this paragraph in order to develop the following: 
(1) A system of hiking and equestrian trails in 
the Wild Sky Wilderness in a manner consistent 
with section 2 and the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
1131 et seq.). 
(2) A system of hiking and equestrian trails in 
the Backcountry Wilderness Management Area in a 
manner consistent with section 3. 
(3) A system of trails adjacent to the Wild Sky 
Wilderness or the Backcountry Wilderness Manage-
ment Area to provide access to such areas. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION REPORT.—Within two years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Agriculture shall submit to Congress a report on the 
implementation of the trail plan. The report shall include 
the identification of those trails regarding which develop-
ment is a priority. 
SEC. 5. LAND EXCHANGES, CHELAN COUNTY PUBLIC UTIL-
ITY DISTRICT, WASHINGTON. 
(a) LAND EXCHANGES REQUIRED.—In accordance 
with this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall carry 
out a land exchange with the Chelan County Public Utility 
District in the State of Washington to exchange lands and 
interests in lands, as generally depicted on the map enti-
tled ‘‘Chelan County Public Utility District Exchange’’ 
and dated May 22, 2002. 
(b) ACCEPTANCE OF LANDS.—If, within 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Chelan County 
Public Utility District offers to the Secretary of Agri-
culture approximately 371.8 acres of lands held by the 
Utility District in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National 
Forests in the State of Washington, the Secretary shall 
accept such lands if the title is acceptable to the Secretary 
and there is no hazardous material on such lands, which 
is objectionable to the Secretary. 
(c) CONVEYANCE OF EASEMENT.—Upon acceptance 
of title by the Secretary of Agriculture under subsection 
(b), the Secretary shall convey to the Chelan County Pub-
lic Utility District a permanent easement, including heli-
copter access, consistent with such levels as used as of 
the date of enactment of this Act, to maintain an existing 
snowtel site on 1.82 acres of Federal land in the 
Wenatchee National Forest in the State of Washington. 
(d) REVERSION.—As a condition on the conveyance 
under subsection (c), the Chelan County Public Utility 
District shall notify the Secretary of Agriculture if the 
Utility District determines that there is no longer a need 
to maintain a snowtel site on the lands subject to the ease-
ment conveyed under subsection (c) to monitor the snow
pack for calculating expected runoff into the Lake Chelan 
hydroelectric project and the hydroelectric projects in the 
Columbia River Basin. Upon receipt of such notice, the 
easement shall be extinguished and all rights conveyed 
under such subsection shall revert to the United States. 
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