Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Establishment Act of 1990
PL 101-621 (H.R.4559), enacted 11/16/1990

104 STAT. 3342 
PUBLIC LAW 101-621—NOV. 16, 1990 
Public Law 101-621 
101st Congress 
An Act 
Nov. 16, 1990 
[H.R. 4559] 
Red Rock 
Canyon 
National 
Conservation 
Area 
E}stablishment 
Act of 1990. 
Nevada. 
Public lands. 
16 u s e 460ccc 
note. 
16 u s e 460ccc. 
To establish the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the "Red Rock Canyon National Con-
servation Area Establishment Act of 1990". 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
For the purposes of this Act, the term— 
(a) "conservation area" means the Red Rock Canyon National 
Conservation Area established pursuant to section 3 of this Act; 
(b) "public lands" has the meaning stated in section 103(e) of 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
1702(e)); and 
(c) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Interior. 
16 u s e 460ccc-l. SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CONSERVATION AREA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—(1) In order to conserve, protect, and enhance for 
the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations the 
area in southern Nevada containing and surrounding the Red Rock 
Canyon and the unique and nationally important geologic, ar-
cheological, ecological, cultural, scenic, scientific, wildlife, riparian, 
wilderness, endangered species, and recreation resources of the 
public lands therein contained, there is established the Red Rock 
Canyon National Conservation Area. 
(2) The conservation area shall consist of approximately 83,100 
acres of generally depicted on a map entitled "Red Rock Canyon 
National Conservation Area—Proposed" numbered NV-RRC-NCA-
001, and dated June, 1990. 
(3) The map referred to in paragraph (2) shall be on file and 
available for inspection in the appropriate offices of the Bureau of 
Land Management, Department of the Interior. 
(b) LEGAL DESCRIPTION.—(1) As soon as practicable after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall file a legal description 
of the conservation area established by subsection (a) with the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States 
Senate and the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the 
United States House of Representatives, and such legal description 
shall have the same force and effect as if included in this Act, except 
that the Secretary may correct clerical and typographic errors in 
legal description. 
(2) The legal description described in paragraph (1) shall be on file 
and available for public inspection in the office of the Director of the 
Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior. 
(c) DISCREPANCIES.—In case of any discrepancy between or among 
the map described in subsection (a), the amount of acreage stated in 
subsection (a), or the legal description filed by the Secretary pursu-
PUBLIC LAW 101-621—NOV. 16, 1990 
104 STAT. 3343 
ant to subsection (b), the map described in subsection (a) shall 
control any question concerning the boundaries of the conservation 
area. 
SEC. 4. MANAGEMENT. 
16 USC 460ccc-2. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through the Director of 
the Bureau of Land Management, shall, subject to valid existing 
rights, manage the conservation area to conserve, protect, and 
enhance the resources described in section 3 in accordance with this 
Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, and 
other applicable laws. The Secretary shall only allow such uses of 
the conservation area as he finds will further the purposes for which 
the conservation area is established. 
(b) HUNTING.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary shall 
permit hunting within the conservation area in accordance with the 
laws of the State of Nevada. 
(2) The Secretary, after consultation with the Nevada Department 
of Wildlife, may issue regulations designating zones where and 
establishing when hunting shall not be permitted for reasons of 
public safety, administration, or public use and enjoyment. 
(c) PREVENTIVE MEASURES.—Nothing in this Act shall preclude 
such measures as the Secretary deems necessary to prevent dev-
astating fire or infestation of insects or disease within the conserva-
tion area. 
(d) MECHANIZED VEHICLES.—Except when needed for administra-
tive or emergency purposes, the use of mechanized vehicles in the 
conservation area shall be allowed only on roads and trails specifi-
cally designated for such use as provided in the management plan 
prepared pursuant to section 5. 
(e) LIMITS ON VISITATION AND USE.—The Secretary may limit 
visitation and use of the conservation area £is the Secretary finds 
appropriate for the protection of the resources of the conservation 
area. 
SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT PLAN. 
16 USC 460ccc-3. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—(1) Within 3 full fiscal years following the fiscal 
year in which the date of enactment of this Act occurs, the Secretary 
shall develop and transmit to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the United States Senate and the Committee on In-
terior and Insular Affairs of the United States House of Representa-
tives, a general management plan for the conservation area, which 
shall describe the appropriate uses and development of the con-
servation area consistent with the purposes of this Act. 
(2) The management plan described in paragraph (1) shall be 
developed with full public participation and shall include— 
(A) an implementation plan for a continuing program of 
interpretation and public education about the resources and 
values of the conservation area; 
(B) a proposal for administrative and public facilities to be 
developed, expanded, or improved for the conservation area 
including the Red Rock Canyon visitors center, to accommodate 
visitors to the conservation area; 
(C) a cultural resources management plan for the conserva-
tion area prepared in consultation with the Nevada State His-
toric Preservation Officer, with emphasis on the preservation of 
the resources in the conservation area and the interpretive, 
educational, and long-term scientific uses of these resources, 
104 STAT. 3344 
PUBLIC LAW 101-621—NOV. 16, 1990 
giving priority to the enforcement of the Archaeological Re-
sources Protection Act of 1979 (16 U.S.C. 470aa et seq.) and the 
National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.) within 
the conservation area; 
(D) a wildlife resource management plan for the conservation 
area prepared in consultation with appropriate departments of 
the State of Nevada and using previous studies of the area; and 
(E) a recreation management plan, including nonmotorized 
dispersed recreation opportunities for the conservation area in 
consultation with appropriate departments of the State of 
Nevada. 
(b) WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS.—Subject to section 7 of this Act, 
nothing in this Act is intended to alter the requirements of section 
603 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 
U.S.C. 1782), or section 5(a) of the National Forest and Public Lands 
of Nevada Enhancement Act of 1988 (102 Stat. 2751), as those 
requirements apply to the lands within, or adjacent to the conserva-
tion area as of the date of enactment of this Act. 
16 u s e 460CCC-4. SEC. 6. ACQUISITIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—(1) Within the conservation area, and subject to 
the provisions of this section, the Secretary is authorized to acquire 
lands, interests in lands, and associated water rights, by donation, 
purchase with donated or appropriated funds, exchange for Federal 
lands outside the conservation area, or transfer from another Fed-
eral agency with the concurrence of the head of the appropriate 
agency thereof. 
(2) Lands or interests therein owned by the State of Nevada or a 
political subdivision thereof may be acquired by donation or ex-
change only. 
(3) No privately owned lands, interests in lands, or associated 
water rights, may be acquired without the consent of the owner 
thereof unless the Secretary determines that, in his judgment, the 
property is subject to, or threatened with, uses which are having, or 
would have, an adverse impact on the resource values for which the 
conservation area was established. 
(4) Any lands, waters, or interests therein within the boundaries 
of the conservation area which after the date of enactment of this 
Act may be acquired by the United States shall be incorporated into 
the conservation area and be managed accordingly, and all provi-
sions of this Act and other laws applicable to conservation areEis 
shall apply to such incorporated lands. 
(b) LAND EXCHANGES.—All exchanges pursuant to subsection (a) 
shall be made in a manner consistent with section 206 of the Federal 
Land Management and Policy Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716). 
16 u s e 460CCC-5. 
SEC. 7. WITHDRAWAL. 
Except as specifically authorized in this Act, and subject to valid 
existing rights, all Federal lands within the conservation area and 
all lands and interests therein which are acquired by the United 
States after the date of enactment of this Act for inclusion in the 
conservation area are withdrawn from all forms of entry, appropria-
tion, or disposal under the public land laws, from location, entry, 
and patent under the mining laws, and from operation under the 
mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, and all amendments 
thereto. 
PUBLIC LAW 101-621—NOV. 16, 1990 
104 STAT. 3345 
SEC. 8. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS. 
16 USC 460ccc-6. 
In order to encourage unified and cost-effective management and 
interpretation of natural and cultural resources in the conservation 
area, the Secretary is authorized and encouraged to enter into 
cooperative agreements with other Federal, State, and local agencies 
and 
nonprofit 
entities 
providing 
for 
the 
management 
and 
interpretation of natural and cultural resources in the conservation 
area. 
SEC. 9. COORDINATED MANAGEMENT. 
16 USC 460ccc-7. 
The Secretary shall coordinate the management of the conserva-
tion area with that of surrounding State and Federal lands in such a 
manner as best to meet the present and future needs of the Amer-
ican people. 
SEC. 10. WATER. 
16 USC 460ccc-8. 
(a) Within the conservation area designated by this Act, there is 
hereby reserved a quantity of water sufficient to fulfill the purposes 
for which the conservation area is established. 
O
b
) The priority date of the water rights reserved in paragraph (a) 
shall be the date of enactment of this Act. 
(c) The Secretary shall take all steps necessary to protect the 
water rights reserved by this section, including the filing of a claim 
for quantification of such rights in any appropriate water adjudica-
tion in the courts of the State of Nevada in which the United States 
is or may be joined and which is conducted in accordance with the 
McCarren Amendment (48 U.S.C. 666). 
(d) The Federal water rights reserved by this Act shall be in 
addition to any water rights which may have been previously se-
cured by the United States for purposes other than for the conserva-
tion area. 
(e) The Federal water rights reserved by this Act are specific to 
the conservation area designated by this Act. Nothing in this Act 
shall be construed as establishing a precedent with regard to any 
future designations, nor shall it constitute an interpretation of any 
other Act or any designation. 
SEC. 11. NO BUFFER ZONES. 
16 USC 460ccc-9. 
The Congress does not intend for the establishment of the con-
servation area to lead to the creation of protective perimeters or 
buffer zones around the conservation area. The fact that there may 
be activities or uses on lands outside the conservation area that 
would not be permitted in the conservation area shall not preclude 
such activities or uses on such lands up to the boundary of the 
conservation area to the extent consistent with other applicable law. 
104 STAT. 3346 
PUBLIC LAW 101-621—NOV. 16, 1990 
16 u s e 
SEC. 12. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums £is are nec-
essary to carry out this Act. 
Approved November 16, 1990. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 4559: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 101-739 (Comm. on Interior and Insular Affairs). 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 101-527 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 136 (1990): 
Sept. 25, considered and passed House. 
Oct. 18, considered and psissed Senate, amended. 
Oct. 26, House concurred in Senate amendment with an amendment. 
Oct. 27, Senate concurred in House amendment. 
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 26 (1990): 
Nov. 16, Presidential remarks. 
o