Owyhee Wilderness Areas Boundary Modifications Act

Bill: 114-s-1167
Sponsor: Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID]
Introduced: 2015-04-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Idaho
Land use and conservation
Livestock
Motor vehicles
Wilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats

Summary:
action_date: 2015-04-30
text: 

Owyhee Wilderness Areas Boundary Modifications Act 

 
Adjusts the boundaries of the North Fork Owyhee Wilderness, the Owyhee River Wilderness, and the Pole Creek Wilderness in Idaho to exclude certain land.
 
Amends the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to allow motor vehicles to continue to be used for livestock monitoring, herding, and gathering in the Big Jacks Creek Wilderness, Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness, Little Jacks Creek Wilderness, North Fork Owyhee Wilderness, Owyhee River Wilderness, and Pole Creek Wilderness.
 
Requires the Department of the Interior to: (1) report to Congress on all livestock grazing management activities that were authorized in such wilderness areas on the day before they were designated as wilderness, and (2) use the report to assist in the management of livestock grazing in those areas.

action_date: 2016-09-06
text: 

Owyhee Wilderness Areas Boundary Modifications Act 

 
(Sec. 2) This bill adjusts the boundaries of the North Fork Owyhee Wilderness, the Owyhee River Wilderness, and the Pole Creek Wilderness in Idaho to exclude certain land.
 
(Sec. 3) The holder of a grazing permit within the Pole Creek Wilderness and the Owyhee River Wilderness shall be allowed continued limited motorized use in those wilderness areas to support livestock operations if:
 
 
the use occurred before the designation of the wilderness areas; and 
 
the Department of the Interior, as part of the minimum requirements analysis required by this bill, has authorized the permittee to conduct limited motorized use within the wilderness areas. 
 
 
Interior shall conduct a minimum requirements analysis for motorized use within those wilderness areas as part of the renewal process for the affected grazing permit.
 
As part of such analysis, Interior shall analyze the impacts of limited motorized use for livestock operations on vegetation, wildlife, and cultural resources within those wilderness areas. 
 
Until the minimum requirements analysis is completed, Interior shall permit limited motorized use for livestock operations in those wilderness areas at not more than the level authorized. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-09-06
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 588.
action_date: 2016-09-06
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Murkowski with an amendment. With written report No. 114-315.
action_date: 2016-09-06
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Murkowski with an amendment. With written report No. 114-315.
action_date: 2016-07-13
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 114-500.
action_date: 2015-04-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-04-30
text: Introduced in Senate