Title: Flatside Wilderness Enhancement Act
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Flatside Wilderness Enhancement Act
(Sec. 2) The bill adds certain land in the Ouachita National Forest, comprising approximately 640 acres and identified as Recommended Wilderness Additions, to the Flatside Wilderness in the portion of the forest in Arkansas.
(Sec. 3) The bill designates the wilderness additions as the Bethune Woods-Flatside Wilderness.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5636 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5636

   To designate additions to the Flatside Wilderness on the Ouachita 
                National Forest, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 26, 2018

  Mr. Hill (for himself and Mr. Beyer) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To designate additions to the Flatside Wilderness on the Ouachita 
                National Forest, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Flatside Wilderness Enhancement 
Act''.

SEC. 2. INVENTORY AND EVALUATION OF CERTAIN LANDS ADJACENT TO FLATSIDE 
              WILDERNESS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall conduct an 
inventory and evaluation of certain lands, as generally depicted on the 
map titled ``Flatside Wilderness Adjacent Inventory Areas'' and dated 
November 30, 2017, to determine the suitability of such lands for 
inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System.
    (b) Completion Date.--The inventory and evaluation required under 
subsection (a) shall be completed not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this section.
    (c) Determination of Suitability.--
            (1) Wilderness designation.--If the Secretary of 
        Agriculture determines that the lands inventoried and evaluated 
        under subsection (a) are suitable for designation as 
        wilderness--
                    (A) the Secretary shall publish notice of such a 
                determination in the Federal Register not later than 1 
                year after the date of the enactment of this section; 
                and
                    (B) such lands shall be designated as wilderness 
                and incorporated in the Flatside Wilderness under 
                section 3(d) of the Arkansas Wilderness Act of 1984 
                (Public Law 98-508; 98 Stat. 2349) on the date that the 
                Secretary publishes the notice described in 
                subparagraph (A).
            (2) Lack of suitability.--
                    (A) In general.--If the Secretary of Agriculture 
                determines that the lands inventoried and evaluated 
                under subsection (a) are not suitable for designation 
                as wilderness, the Secretary shall manage the lands in 
                accordance with the applicable land management plan.
                    (B) Ecological restoration.--For purposes of 
                ecological restoration (including the elimination of 
                non-native species, removal of illegal, unused, or 
                decommissioned roads, repair of skid tracks, and any 
                other activities necessary to restore the natural 
                ecosystems), the Secretary may use motorized equipment 
                and mechanized transport in the lands described in 
                subparagraph (A) until the date that is the earlier of 
                the following:
                            (i) The date that is 5 years after the date 
                        of the enactment of this section.
                            (ii) The date on which the Secretary 
                        determines such lands are suitable for 
                        designation as wilderness.
                    (C) Limitation.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the 
                Secretary, to the maximum extent practicable, shall use 
                the minimum tool or administrative practice necessary 
                to accomplish ecological restoration with the least 
                amount of adverse impact on wilderness character and 
                resources.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONS TO FLATSIDE WILDERNESS.

    Section 3(d) of Arkansas Wilderness Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-508; 
98 Stat. 2349) is amended by inserting ``and certain land in the 
Ouachita National Forest, which comprise approximately 640 acres, as 
generally depicted as `Recommended Wilderness Additions' on the map 
titled `Revised Land and Resources Management Plan--Ouachita National 
Forest--Oklahoma and Arkansas', dated September 23, 2005'' after 
``1984''.
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