A bill to designate certain lands of the Fire Island National Seashore as the "Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness" and for other purposes.
PL 96-585 (H.R.7814), enacted 12/23/1980

PUBLIC LAW 96-585—DEC. 23, 1980 
94 STAT. 3379 
Public Law 96-585 
96th Congress 
An Act 
To designate certain lands of the Fire Island National Seashore as the "Otis Pike 
Fire Island High Dune Wilderness", and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled. That, in accordance 
with section 3(c) of the Wilderness Act (78 Stat. 890; 16 U.S.C. 1132(c)), 
certain lands in the Fire Island National Seashore, New York, 
comprising approximately one thousand three hundred and sixty-
three acres, and potential wilderness additions comprising approxi-
mately eighteen acres, as depicted on the map entitled "Wilderness 
Plan—Fire Island National Seashore", dated December 1980, are 
hereby designated as the "Fire Island Wilderness". The southern 
boundary of the wilderness shall be the toe of the primary dunes. 
(b) As soon as practicable after this Act takes effect, a map and a 
description of the boundaries of the wilderness area shall be filed 
with the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the United 
States House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources of the United States Senate, and such map and 
description shall have the same force and effect as if included in this 
Act: Provided, That correction of clerical and typographical errors in 
such map and description may be made. The map and description of 
boundaries shall be on file and available for public inspection in the 
offices of the Superintendent of the Fire Island National Seashore 
and the Director of 
the National Park Service. 
(c) Lands which represent potential wilderness additions, upon 
publication in the Federal Register of a notice by the Secretary of the 
Interior that all uses prohibited thereon by the Wilderness Act have 
ceased, shall thereby be designated wilderness. Pending such designa-
tion, the Secretary shall administer such lands in such manner as to 
preserve, insofar as is possible, their wilderness or potential wilder-
ness character. 
(d) Wilderness designation shall not preclude the repair of breaches 
that occur in the wilderness area, in order to prevent loss of life, 
flooding, and other severe economic and physical damage to the 
Great South Bay and surrounding areas. 
(e) Section 10 of the Act of September 11, 1964 (78 Stat. 928) is 
amended by changing the period to a comma, and by adding the 
following: "and, after the date of enactment of this provision, not 
more than $500,000 for development.". 
Dec. 23, 1980 
[H.R. 7814] 
Otis Pike Fire 
Island High 
Dune 
Wilderness, N.Y. 
Designation. 
16 u s e 1132 
note. 
Boundary 
description and 
map, filing with 
congressional 
committees. 
Potential 
wilderness 
additions, 
administration. 
Appropriation 
authorization. 
16 u s e 459e-9. 
94 STAT. 3380 
PUBLIC LAW 96-585—DEC. 23, 1980 
(f) Authorizations of moneys to be appropriated under this Act 
shall be effective on October 1, 1981. Notwithstanding any other 
provision of this Act, authority to enter into contracts, to incur 
obligations, or to make payments under this Act shall be effective 
only to the extent, and in such amounts as are provided in advance in 
appropriation Acts. 
Approved December 23, 1980. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 126 (1980): 
Dec. 10, considered and passed House. 
Dec. 13, considered and passed Senate.