Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act

Bill: 108-hr-1105
Sponsor: Rep. Shays, Christopher [R-CT-4]
Introduced: 2003-03-05 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Agriculture and Food
Animals
Arts, Culture, Religion
Biological diversity
Cemeteries and funerals
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Commemorations
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Conservation of natural resources
Cultural property
Dams
Data banks
Department of Agriculture
Dredging
Ecosystem management
Electric power transmission
Endangered species
Energy
Environmental Protection
Environmental monitoring
Environmental research
Executive reorganization
Federal advisory bodies
Federal-Indian relations
Fishery management
Fishing
Forest conservation
Forest roads
Forestry
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Government paperwork
Government procurement
Grazing
Habitat conservation
Historic sites
History
Hunting
Idaho
Indian lands
Infrastructure
Land transfers
Land use
Landscape protection
Law
Lease and rental services
Licenses
Lumber trade
Maps
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Mines and mineral resources
Minorities
Montana
Motor vehicles
Mountains
National forests
National parks
National recreation areas
Natural areas
Oil and gas leases
Oregon
Pest control
Plant protection
Railroad engineering
Railroad safety
Reclamation of land
Religion
Religious liberty
Research natural areas
Restoration ecology
Revegetation
Right of privacy
Right of property
Road construction
Science, Technology, Communications
Soil conservation
Soil erosion
Sports and Recreation
Traffic accidents and safety
Transportation and Public Works
Washington State
Water Resources Development
Water quality
Water rights
Watersheds
Wild rivers
Wilderness areas
Wyoming

Summary:
action_date: 2003-03-05
text: Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act - Designates the following lands in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System (System): (1) Greater Glacier/Northern Continental Divide ecosystem; (2) Greater Yellowstone ecosystem; (3) Greater Salmon/Selway ecosystem; (4) Greater Cabinet/Yaak/Selkirk ecosystem; (5) Islands in the Sky Wilderness; and (6) Blackfeet Wilderness.
Designates: (1) specified wild land areas as Biological Connecting Corridors to protect the life flow of the Northern Rockies Bioregion; (2) the inventoried roadless areas identified as part of the Corridors as components of the System; and (3) certain biological connecting corridors as special corridor management areas.
Establishes the Hells Canyon/Chief Joseph National Park and Preserve as a National Park System unit. Repeals Federal law provisions that establish the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area.
Requires the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) implement a program of ecosystem restoration in the Preserve; and (2) study the feasibility of creating a Flathead National Park and Preserve in the area generally known as the Glacier View Ranger District of the Flathead National Forest.
Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of specified rivers and creeks in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
Establishes the National Wildland Restoration and Recovery System and the National Wildland Recovery Corps.
Requires the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to assure nonexclusive access to the specified areas and corridors designated by this Act by Native Americans for traditional cultural and religious purposes.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-03-12
text: Executive Comment Requested from USDA, Interior.
action_date: 2003-03-12
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans.
action_date: 2003-03-12
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health.
action_date: 2003-03-12
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands.
action_date: 2003-03-05
text: Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
action_date: 2003-03-05
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-03-05
text: Introduced in House