[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2142 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2142

    To designate certain lands in the Commonwealth of Virginia as a 
National Scenic Area for protection of the watershed and scenic values, 
recreation use, protection of wildlife and their habitat, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                 May 23 (legislative day, May 16), 1994

 Mr. Warner (for himself and Mr. Robb) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
                        Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To designate certain lands in the Commonwealth of Virginia as a 
National Scenic Area for protection of the watershed and scenic values, 
recreation use, protection of wildlife and their habitat, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act with respect to the Mount Pleasant 
National Scenic Area are to--
            (1) ensure appropriate protection and preservation of the 
        scenic quality, water quality, natural characteristics, and 
        water resources;
            (2) protect and manage vegetation to provide wildlife and 
        fish habitat, consistent with paragraph (1) above;
            (3) provide areas that may develop characteristics of old-
        growth forests; and
            (4) provide a variety of recreation opportunities that are 
        not inconsistent with the purposes set forth above.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL SCENIC AREA.

    (a) In General.--(1) There is hereby established in the George 
Washington National Forest, Virginia, the Mount Pleasant National 
Scenic Area (hereinafter referred to in this Act as the ``scenic 
area'').
    (2) The scenic area shall consist of certain lands in the George 
Washington National Forest, Virginia, which comprise seven thousand 
five hundred and eighty acres, more or less, as generally depicted on a 
map entitled ``Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area--Proposed'', dated 
June 21, 1993.
    (b) Administration.--The Secretary of Agriculture, (hereinafter 
referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall administer the 
scenic area in accordance with this Act and the laws and regulations 
generally applicable to the National Forest System. In the event of 
conflict between this Act and other laws and regulations, this Act 
shall take precedence.
    (c) Roads.--After the date of enactment of this Act, no new 
permanent roads shall be constructed within the scenic area: Provided, 
That this provision shall not be construed to deny access to private 
lands or interests therein in the scenic area.
    (d) Vegetation Management.--No timber harvest shall be allowed 
within the scenic area, except as may be necessary in the control of 
fire, insects, and diseases and to provide for public safety and trail 
access. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Secretary may engage in 
vegetation manipulation practices for maintenance of existing wildlife 
clearings and visual quality. Firewood may be harvested for personal 
use along perimeter roads under such conditions as the Secretary may 
impose.
    (e) Motorized Travel.--Motorized travel shall be allowed on State 
Route 635 and on Forest Development Road 51, such Road 51 shall be 
subject to those motorized travel conditions the Secretary may impose. 
Other than as provided above, motorized travel shall not be permitted 
within the scenic area, except that such travel may be permitted within 
the area as necessary for administrative use in furtherance of the 
purposes of this Act and on temporary routes in support of wildlife 
management projects.
    (f) Fire.--Wildfires shall be suppressed in a manner consistent 
with the purposes of this Act, using such means as the Secretary deems 
appropriate.
    (g) Insects and Disease.--Insect and disease outbreaks may be 
controlled in the scenic area to maintain scenic quality, prevent tree 
mortality, reduce hazards to visitors or to protect private lands.
    (h) Water.--The scenic area shall be administered so as to maintain 
or enhance existing water quality.
    (i) Maps and Descriptions.--As soon as practicable after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall file a map and boundary 
description of the scenic area with the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry of the United States Senate and the Committee 
on Agriculture of the United States House of Representatives. The map 
and description shall have the same force and effect as if included in 
this Act, except that the Secretary is authorized to correct clerical 
and typographical errors in such boundary description and map. Such map 
and boundary description shall be on file and available for public 
inspection in the Office of the Chief of the Forest Service, Department 
of Agriculture. In the case of any discrepancy between the acreage and 
the map description in subsection (a)(2), the map shall control.
    (j) Management Plan.--Within three years of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall develop a management plan for the scenic area as an 
amendment to the Land and Resource Management Plan for the George 
Washington National Forest. Such an amendment shall conform to the 
provisions of this Act. Nothing in this Act shall require the Secretary 
to revise the Land and Resource Management Plan for the George 
Washington National Forest pursuant to section 6 of the Forest and 
Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974.
    (k) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, all federally 
owned lands within the scenic area are hereby withdrawn from 
disposition under the mining, mineral, and geothermal leasing laws, 
including all amendments thereto.

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