Title: Virginia Wilderness Additions Act of 2017
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Virginia Wilderness Additions Act of 2017
This bill adds specified additional lands in the George Washington National Forest (a part of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky) to the Rough Mountain Wilderness and the Rich Hole Wilderness.
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) may use motorized equipment and mechanized transport in the Rich Hole addition until it is incorporated into the Rich Hole Wilderness in order to enhance natural ecosystems by implementing certain activities to improve water quality and aquatic passage, as set forth in the Forest Service document titled "Decision Notice for the Lower Cowpasture Restoration and Management Project" and dated December 2015.
In carrying out such water quality and aquatic passage improvement activities, USDA must use the minimum tool or administrative practice necessary when using such equipment and transport with the least amount of adverse impact on wilderness character and resources.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1975 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1975

   To designate additions to the Rich Hole Wilderness and the Rough 
 Mountain Wilderness of the George Washington National Forest, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 17, 2017

 Mr. Kaine (for himself and Mr. Warner) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
                        Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To designate additions to the Rich Hole Wilderness and the Rough 
 Mountain Wilderness of the George Washington 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 ``Virginia Wilderness Additions Act of 
2017''.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONS TO ROUGH MOUNTAIN AND RICH HOLE WILDERNESSES.

    Section 1 of Public Law 100-326 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; 102 Stat. 
584; 114 Stat. 2057; 123 Stat. 1002) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
            ``(21) Rough mountain addition.--Certain land in the George 
        Washington National Forest comprising approximately 1,000 
        acres, as generally depicted as the `Rough Mountain Addition' 
        on the map entitled `GEORGE WASHINGTON NATIONAL FOREST - South 
        half - Alternative I - Selected Alternative Management 
        Prescriptions - Land and Resources Management Plan Final 
        Environmental Impact Statement' and dated March 4, 2014, which 
        is incorporated in the Rough Mountain Wilderness Area 
        designated by paragraph (1).
            ``(22) Rich hole addition.--
                    ``(A) Designation.--Certain land in the George 
                Washington National Forest comprising approximately 
                4,600 acres, as generally depicted as the `Rich Hole 
                Addition' on the map entitled `GEORGE WASHINGTON 
                NATIONAL FOREST - South half - Alternative I - Selected 
                Alternative Management Prescriptions - Land and 
                Resources Management Plan Final Environmental Impact 
                Statement' and dated March 4, 2014, which shall be 
                incorporated in the Rich Hole Wilderness Area 
                designated by paragraph (2) on the earlier of--
                            ``(i) the date on which the Secretary of 
                        Agriculture publishes in the Federal Register 
                        notice that the activities permitted under 
                        subparagraph (C) have been completed; or
                            ``(ii) the date that is 5 years after the 
                        date of enactment of the Rich Hole and Rough 
                        Mountain Wilderness Additions Act.
                    ``(B) Management.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (C), the Secretary shall manage the 
                wilderness area designated under subparagraph (A) in 
                accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et 
                seq.).
                    ``(C) Water quality improvement activities.--
                            ``(i) In general.--To enhance natural 
                        ecosystems within the Rich Hole Addition by 
                        implementing certain activities to improve 
                        water quality and aquatic passage, as set forth 
                        in the Forest Service document entitled 
                        `Decision Notice for the Lower Cowpasture 
                        Restoration and Management Project' and dated 
                        December 2015, the Secretary of Agriculture may 
                        use motorized equipment and mechanized 
                        transport in the Rich Hole Addition under 
                        subparagraph (A) until the date on which the 
                        Rich Hole Addition is incorporated into the 
                        Rich Hole Wilderness under that subparagraph.
                            ``(ii) Requirement.--In carrying out clause 
                        (i), the Secretary of Agriculture, to the 
                        maximum extent practicable, shall use the 
                        minimum tool or administrative practice 
                        necessary to carry out that clause with the 
                        least amount of adverse impact on wilderness 
                        character and resources.''.
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