Otay Mountain Wilderness Act of 1999
PL 106-145 (H.R.15), enacted 12/09/1999

PUBLIC LAW 106-145—DEC. 9, 1999 
113 STAT. 1711 
Public Law 106-145 
106th Congress 
An Act 
To designate a portion of the Otay Mountain region of California as wilderness. 
Dec. 9, 1999 
[H.R. 15] 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
Otay Mountain 
Wilderness Act of 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
1999. 
This Act may be cited as the "Otay Mountain Wilderness Act 
of 1999". 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds and declares the following: 
(1) The public lands within the Otay Mountain region 
of California are one of the last remaining pristine locations 
in western San Diego County, California. 
(2) This rugged mountain adjacent to the United States-
Mexico border is internationally known for its diversity of 
unique and sensitive plants. 
(3) This area plays a critical role in San Diego's multi-
species 
conservation 
plan, 
a 
national 
model 
made 
for 
maintaining biodiversity. 
(4) Due to its proximity to the international border, this 
area is the focus of important law enforcement and border 
interdiction efforts necessary to curtail illegal immigration and 
protect the area's wilderness values. 
(5) The illegal immigration traffic, combined with the 
rugged topography, also presents unique fire management chal-
lenges for protecting lives and resources. 
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION. 
16 USC 1132 
In furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
1131 et seq.), certain public lands in the California Desert District 
of the Bureau of Land Management, California, comprising approxi-
mately 18,500 acres as generally depicted on a map entitled "Otay 
Mountain Wilderness" and dated May 7, 1998, are hereby des-
ignated as wilderness and therefore as a component of the National 
Wilderness Preservation System, which shall be known as the Otay 
Mountain Wilderness. 
SEC. 4. MAP AND LEGAL DESCRIPTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—As soon as practicable after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, a map and a legal description for the Wilder-
ness Area shall be filed by the Secretary with the Committee 
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee 
on Resources of the House of Representatives. Such map and legal 
description shall have the same force and effect as if included 
69-194-01-7: QL3Part3 
113 STAT. 1712 
PUBLIC LAW 106-145—DEC. 9, 1999 
in this Act, except that the Secretary, as appropriate, may correct 
clerical and typographical errors in such legal description and map. 
Such map and legal description for the Wilderness Area shall be 
on file and available for public inspection in the offices of the 
Director and California State Director, Bureau of Land Manage-
ment, Department of the Interior. 
(b) UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER.—In carrying out this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall ensure that the southern boundary of 
the Wilderness Area is 100 feet north of the trail depicted on 
the map referred to in subsection (a) and is at least 100 feet 
from the United States-Mexico international border. 
SEC. 5. WILDERNESS REVIEW. 
The Congress hereby finds and directs that all the public lands 
not designated wilderness within the boundaries of the Southern 
Otay Mountain Wilderness Study Area (CA-060-029) and the 
Western Otay Mountain Wilderness Study Area (CA-060-028) man-
aged by the Bureau of Land Management and reported to the 
Congress in 1991, have been adequately studied for wilderness 
designation pursuant to section 603 of the Federal Lgind Policy 
and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782), and are no longer 
subject to the requirements contained in section 603(c) of that 
Act pertaining to the management of wilderness study areas in 
a manner that does not impair the suitability of such areas for 
preservation as wilderness. 
SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION OF WILDERNESS AREA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid existing rights and to sub-
section (b), the Wilderness Area shall be administered by the Sec-
retary in accordance with the provisions of the Wilderness Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), except that— 
(1) any reference in such provisions to the effective date 
of the Wilderness Act is deemed to be a reference to the effective 
date of this Act; and 
(2) any reference in such provisions to the Secretary of 
Agriculture is deemed to be a reference to the Secretary of 
the Interior. 
(b) BORDER ENFORCEMENT, DRUG INTERDICTION, AND WILDLAND 
FIRE PROTECTION.—Because of the proximity of the Wilderness 
Area to the United States-Mexico international border, drug inter-
diction, border operations, and wildland fire management operations 
are common management actions throughout the area encompassing 
the Wilderness Area. This Act recognizes the need to continue 
such management actions so long as such management actions 
are conducted in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
1131 et seq.) and are subject to such conditions as the Secretary 
considers appropriate. 
SEC. 7. FURTHER ACQUISITIONS. 
Any lands within the boundaries of the Wilderness Area that 
are acquired by the United States after the date of the enactment 
of this Act shall become part of the Wilderness Area and shall 
be managed in accordance with all the provisions of this Act and 
other laws applicable to such a wilderness. 
SEC. 8. NO BUFFER ZONES. 
The Congress does not intend for the designation of the Wilder-
ness Area by this Act to lead to the creation of protective perimeters 
PUBLIC LAW 106-145—DEC. 9, 1999 
113 STAT. 1713 
or buffer zones around the Wilderness Area. The fact that non-
wildemess activities or uses can be seen or heard from areas 
within the Wilderness Area shall not, of itself, preclude such activi-
ties or uses up to the boundary of the Wilderness Area. 
SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS. 
As used in this Act: 
(1) PUBLIC LANDS.—The term "public lands" has the same 
meaning as that term has in section 103(e) of the Federal 
Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. 
(2) SECRETARY.—'nie term "Secretary" means the Secretary 
of the Interior, 
(3) WILDERNESS AREA.—The term "Wilderness Area" means 
the Otay Mountain Wilderness designated by section 3. 
Approved December 9, 1999. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 15: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 106-65 (Comm. on Resources). 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 106-116 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 145 (1999): 
Apr. 12, considered and passed House. 
Nov. 19, considered and passed Senate.