Florida Wilderness Act of 1983
PL 98-430 (H.R.9), enacted 09/28/1984

PUBLIC LAW 98-430—SEPT. 28, 1984 
98 STAT. 1665 
Public Law 98-430 
98th Congress 
An Act 
To designate components of the National Wilderness Preservation System in the 
State of Florida. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may 
be cited as the "Florida Wilderness Act of 1983". 
WILDERNESS DESIGNATION 
SECTION 1. In furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) the following lands are hereby designated as 
wilderness, and therefore, as components of the National Wilderness 
Preservation System— 
(1) certain lands in the Apalachicola National Forest, Florida, 
which comprise approximately one thousand one hundred and 
seventy acres, are generally depicted on a map entitled "Brad-
well Bay Wilderness Addition—Proposed", dated February 
1980, and which are hereby incorporated in and shall be deemed 
a part of, the Bradwell Bay Wilderness as designated by Public 
Law 93-622; 
(2) certain lands in the Apalachicola National Forest, Florida, 
which comprise approximately seven thousand eight hundred 
acres, are generally depicted on a map entitled "Mud Swamp/ 
New River Wilderness—Proposed", dated February 1980, and 
shall be known as the Mud Swamp/New River Wilderness; 
(3) certain lands in the Osceola National Forest, Florida, 
which comprise approximately thirteen thousand six hundred 
acres, as generally depicted on a map entitled "Big Gum Swamp 
Wilderness—Proposed", dated March 1980, and shall be known 
as the Big Gum Swamp Wilderness; 
(4) certain lands in the Ocala National Forest, Florida, which 
comprise approximately seven thousand seven hundred acres, 
as generally depicted on a map entitled "Alexander Springs & 
Billies Bay Wilderness—Proposed", dated March 1980, and shall 
be known as the Alexander Springs Wilderness: Provided, how-
ever, That the Secretary of Agriculture shall not prohibit exist-
ing motorboat use on Alexander Springs Creek; 
(5) certain lands in the Ocala National Forest, Florida, which 
comprise approximately thirteen thousand two hundred and 
sixty acres, as generally depicted on a map entitled "Juniper 
Prairie Wilderness—Proposed", dated November 1981, and 
shall be known as the Juniper Prairie Wilderness; 
(6) certain lands in the Ocala National Forest, Florida, which 
comprise approximately two thousand five hundred acres, as 
generally depicted on a map entitled "Little Lake George Wil-
derness—Proposed", dated March 1980, and shall be known as 
the Little Lake George Wilderness; and 
(7) certain lands in the Ocala National Forest, Florida, which 
comprise approximately three thousand one hundred and 
Sept. 28, 1984 
[H.R. 9] 
Florida 
Wilderness Act 
of 1983. 
National 
Wilderness 
Preservation 
System. 
National Forest 
System. 
88 Stat. 2096. 
16 u s e 1132 
note. 
16 u s e 1132 
note. 
16 u s e 1132 
note. 
Prohibition. 
16 u s e 1132 
note. 
16 u s e 1132 
note. 
16 u s e 1132 
note. 
98 STAT. 1666 
PUBLIC LAW 98-430—SEPT. 28, 1984 
16 u s e 1131 
note. 
Report. 
President of U.S. 
twenty acres, as generally depicted on a map entitled "Alexan-
der Springs and Billies Bay Wilderness—Proposed", dated 
March 1980, and shall be known as the Billies Bay Wilderness. 
WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS 
SEC. 2. (a) In furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act, 
the following lands shall be reviewed by the Secretary of Agricul-
ture as to their suitability for preservation as wilderness. The 
Secretary shall submit his report and findings to the President, and 
the President shall submit his recommendation to the Congress of 
the United States no later than three years from the date of 
enactment of this Act: 
(1) certain lands in Apalachicola National Forest, Florida, 
which comprise approximately six thousand five hundred acres, 
as generally depicted on a map entitled "Clear Lake Wilderness 
Study Area", dated April 1984, and shall be known as the Clear 
Lake Wilderness Study Area; and 
(2) certain lands in the Osceola National Forest, Florida, 
which comprise approximately four thousand four hundred 
acres, as generally depicted on a map entitled "Natural Area 
Wilderness Study Area", dated April 1984, and shall be known 
as the Natural Area Wilderness Study Area. 
(b) Subject to valid existing rights, the wilderness study areas 
designated by this section shall, until Congress determines other-
wise, be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture so as to 
maintain their presently existing wilderness character and potential 
for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. 
Public 
availability. 
MAPS AND DESCRIPTIONS 
SEC. 3. As soon as practicable after the provisions of section 1 of 
this Act take effect, the Secretary of Agriculture shall file maps and 
legal descriptions of each wilderness area designated by such section 
with the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs and the Commit-
tee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Commit-
tee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate, 
and each such map and legal description shall have the same force 
and effect as if included in this Act: Provided, however, That correc-
tion of clerical and typographical errors in such legal descriptions 
and maps may be made. Each such map and legal description shall 
be on file and available for public inspection in the office of the 
Chief, United States Forest Service, Department of Agriculture. 
16 u s e 1131 
note. 
ADMINISTRATION OF WILDERNESS 
SEC. 4. Subject to valid existing rights, each wilderness area 
designated by this Act shall be administered by the Secretary of 
Agriculture in accordance with the provisions of the Wilderness Act 
governing areas designated by that Act as wilderness: Provided, 
That any reference in such provisions to the effective date of the 
Wilderness Act shall be deemed to be a reference to the effective 
date of the relevant provisions of this Act. 
OSCEOLA NATIONAL FOREST 
Phosphate. 
SEC. 5. (1) The Department of the Interior shall not issue phos-
phate leases in the Osceola National Forest, Florida, unless and 
PUBLIC LAW 98-430—SEPT. 28, 1984 
98 STAT. 1667 
until the President transmits a recommendation to the Congress 
that phosphate leasing be permitted in a specified area in the 
Osceola National Forest. Notice of such transmittal shall be pub-
lished in the Federal Register. No recommendation of the President 
under this section may be transmitted to the Congress before ninety 
days after publication in the Federal Register of notice of his 
intention to submit such recommendation. 
(2) FINDINGS.—A recommendation may be transmitted to the 
Congress under paragraph (1) if the President finds that, based on 
the information available to him— 
(i) there is a clear and present national need for the phos-
phate resulting from a domestic shortage of phosphate reserves, 
and 
(ii) such national need outweighs the overall public values of 
the public lands involved, including the wilderness area desig-
nated in section 1(3) of this Act and any adverse environmental 
impacts which are likely to result from the activity. 
(3) REPORT.—Together with his recommendation, the President 
shall submit to the Congress— 
(i) a report setting forth in detail the relevant factual back-
ground and the reasons for his findings and recommendation; 
(ii) a statement of the conditions and stipulations which would 
govern the activity; and 
(iii) in any case in which an environmental impact statement 
is required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, a statement which complies with the requirements of 
section 102(2)(C) of such Act. In the case of any recommendation 
for which an environmental impact statement is not required 
under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969, the President may, if he deems it desirable, include 
such a statement in his transmittal to the Congress. 
(4) APPROVAL.—Any recommendation under this section shall take 
effect only upon enactment of a joint resolution of Congress approv-
ing such a recommendation. 
Federal 
Register, 
publication. 
Prohibition. 
President of U.S. 
42 u s e 4321 
note. 
42 u s e 4332. 
Effective date. 
WILDERNESS REVIEW CONCERNS 
SEC. 6. (a) The Congress finds that— 
(1) the Department of Agriculture has completed the second 
roadless area review and evaluation program (RARE II); 
(2) the Congress has made its own review and examination of 
National Forest System roadless areas in Florida and of the 
environmental impacts associated with alternative allocations 
of such areas. 
(b) On the basis of such review, the Congress hereby determines 
and directs that— 
(1) without passing on the question of the legal and factual 
sufficiency of the RARE II final environmental statement 
(dated January 1979) with respect to National Forest System 
lands in States other than Florida, such statement shall not be 
subject to judicial review with respect to National Forest 
System lands in the State of Florida; 
(2) with respect to the National Forest System lands in the 
State of Florida which were reviewed by the Department of 
Agriculture in the second roadless area review and evaluation 
(RARE II) and those lands referred to in subsection (d), except 
those lands remaining in wilderness study upon enactment of 
eonservation. 
Congress. 
16 use 1600 
note. 
98 STAT. 1668 
PUBLIC LAW 98-430—SEPT. 28, 1984 
this Act, that review and evaluation of reference shall be 
deemed for the purpose of the initial land management plans 
required for such lands by the Forest and Rangeland Renewable 
16 use 1600 
Resources Planning Act of 1974, as amended by the National 
^^'fio^ 1 nr.^ 
Forest Management Act of 1976, to be an adequate consider-
ation of the suitability of such lands for inclusion in the 
National Wilderness Preservation System and the Department 
of Agriculture shall not be required to review the wilderness 
option prior to the revisions of the plans, but shall review the 
wilderness option when the plans are revised, which revisions 
will ordinarily occur on a ten-year cycle, or at least every fifteen 
years, unless, prior to such time the Secretary finds that condi-
tions in a unit have significantly changed; 
(3) areas in the State of Florida reviewed in such final envi-
ronmental statement or referenced in subsection (d) and not 
designated wilderness or wilderness study upon enactment of 
this Act shall be managed for multiple use in accordance with 
land management plans pursuant to section 6 of the Forest and 
16 use 1604. 
Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, as 
amended by the National Forest Management Act of 1976: 
Provided, That such areas need not be managed for the purpose 
of protecting their suitability for wilderness designation prior to 
or during revision of the initial land management plans; 
(4) in the event that revised land management plans in the 
State of Florida are implemented pursuant to section 6 of the 
Forest and Rangeland Renewable Management Act of 1976, and 
other applicable law, areas not recommended for wilderness 
designation need not be managed for the purpose of protecting 
their suitability for wilderness designation prior to or during 
revision of such plans, and areas recommended for wilderness 
designation shall be managed for the purpose of protecting their 
suitability for wilderness designation as may be required by the 
Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 
16 use 1600 
1974, as simended by the National Forest Management Act of 
note. 
1976, and other applicable law; and 
1^ Y^c 1600 
(5) unless expressly authorized by Congress, the Department 
of Agriculture shall not conduct any further statewide roadless 
areas review and evaluation of National Forest System lands in 
the State of Florida for the purpose of determining their suit-
ability for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation 
System. 
(c) As used in this section, and as provided in section 6 of the 
16 use 1604. 
Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, 
as amended by the National Forest Management Act of 1976, the 
term "revision" shall not include an "amendment" to a plan. 
note. 
PUBLIC LAW 98-430—SEPT. 28, 1984 
98 STAT. 1669 
(d) The provisions of this section shall also apply to National 
Forest System roadless lands in the State of Florida which are less 
than five thousand acres in size. 
SEVERABIUTY 
SEC. 7. If any provision of this Act or the application thereof is Provisions held 
held invalid, the remainder of the Act and the application thereof invalid. 
shall not be affected thereby. 
Approved September 28,1984. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 9: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 98-102, Pt. 1 (Comm. on Interior and Insular Affairs) and Pt. 2 
(Comm. on Agriculture). 
SENATE REPORT No. 98-580 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 129 (1983): June 6, considered and passed House. 
Vol. 130 (1984): Aug. 9, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
Aug. 12, House concurred in Senate amendments.