Devil’s Staircase Wilderness Act of 2019

Bill: 116-hr-999
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4]
Introduced: 2019-02-06
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Geography and mapping

Lakes and rivers

Oregon

Wilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats
Latest action: action_date: 2019-02-22
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-02-06
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Devil's Staircase Wilderness Act of 2019</b></p> <p>This bill designates approximately 30,621 acres of&nbsp;specified Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land in Oregon as the "Devil's Staircase Wilderness" and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. </p> <p>The bill also designates specified segments of Franklin and Wasson creeks in Oregon as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. </p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 999 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 6, 2019 Mr. DeFazio introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To provide for the designation of the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness Area in the State of Oregon, to designate segments of Wasson and Franklin Creeks in the State of Oregon as wild or recreation rivers, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness Act of 2019 . 2. Designation of wilderness area, Devil's Staircase Wilderness, Oregon (a) Devil’s Staircase Wilderness (1) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Map The term map means the map entitled Devil’s Staircase Wilderness Proposal and dated July 26, 2018. (B) Secretary The term Secretary means— (i) the Secretary, with respect to public land administered by the Secretary; or (ii) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to National Forest System land. (C) State The term State means the State of Oregon. (D) Wilderness The term Wilderness means the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness designated by paragraph (2). (2) Designation In accordance with the Wilderness Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the approximately 30,621 acres of Forest Service land and Bureau of Land Management land in the State, as generally depicted on the map, is designated as wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, to be known as the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness . (3) Map; legal description (A) In general As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare a map and legal description of the Wilderness. (B) Force of law The map and legal description prepared under subparagraph (A) shall have the same force and effect as if included in this subsection, except that the Secretary may correct clerical and typographical errors in the map and legal description. (C) Availability The map and legal description prepared under subparagraph (A) shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. (4) Administration Subject to valid existing rights, the area designated as wilderness by this subsection shall be administered by the Secretary in accordance with the Wilderness Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), except that— (A) any reference in that Act to the effective date shall be considered to be a reference to the date of enactment of this Act; and (B) any reference in that Act to the Secretary of Agriculture shall be considered to be a reference to the Secretary that has jurisdiction over the land within the Wilderness. (5) Fish and wildlife Nothing in this subsection affects the jurisdiction or responsibilities of the State with respect to fish and wildlife in the State. (6) Adjacent management (A) In general Nothing in this subsection creates any protective perimeter or buffer zone around the Wilderness. (B) Activities outside wilderness The fact that a nonwilderness activity or use on land outside the Wilderness can be seen or heard within the Wilderness shall not preclude the activity or use outside the boundary of the Wilderness. (7) Protection of tribal rights Nothing in this subsection diminishes any treaty rights of an Indian Tribe. (8) Transfer of administrative jurisdiction (A) In general Administrative jurisdiction over the approximately 49 acres of Bureau of Land Management land north of the Umpqua River in T. 21 S., R. 11 W., sec. 32, is transferred from the Bureau of Land Management to the Forest Service. (B) Administration The Secretary shall administer the land transferred by subparagraph (A) in accordance with— (i) the Act of March 1, 1911 (commonly known as the Weeks Law ) ( 16 U.S.C. 480 et seq.); and (ii) any laws (including regulations) applicable to the National Forest System. (b) Wild and scenic river designations, Wasson Creek and Franklin Creek, Oregon Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1274(a) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (214) Franklin creek, oregon The 4.5-mile segment from its headwaters to the private land boundary in sec. 8, to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a wild river. (215) Wasson creek, oregon The 10.1-mile segment in the following classes: (A) The 4.2-mile segment from the eastern boundary of T. 21 S., R. 9 W., sec. 17, downstream to the western boundary of T. 21 S., R. 10 W., sec. 12, to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior as a wild river. (B) The 5.9-mile segment from the western boundary of T. 21 S., R. 10 W., sec. 12, downstream to the eastern boundary of the northwest quarter of T. 21 S., R. 10 W., sec. 22, to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a wild river. .