[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1500 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1500

To designate certain Federal lands in the State of Utah as wilderness, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 30, 1997

  Mr. Hinchey (for himself, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Barrett of 
 Wisconsin, Mr. Berman, Mr. Bonior, Mr. Brown of California, Mr. Brown 
 of Ohio, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Capps, Mr. Clay, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Conyers, 
  Mr. Coyne, Mr. DeFazio, Ms. DeGette, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Dellums, Mr. 
  Deutsch, Mr. Dicks, Mr. Dixon, Mr. Engel, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Evans, Mr. 
 Farr of California, Mr. Fawell, Mr. Fazio of California, Mr. Filner, 
 Mr. Flake, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Ms. Furse, Mr. Gejdenson, Mr. 
   Gonzalez, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. Holden, Ms. 
 Hooley of Oregon, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, 
    Mr. Kennedy of Massachusetts, Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mrs. 
   Kennelly of Connecticut, Mr. Kleczka, Mr. Klug, Mr. LaFalce, Mr. 
 Lampson, Mr. Lantos, Mr. LaTourette, Mr. Leach, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, 
 Mr. Lipinski, Ms. Lofgren, Mrs. Lowey, Mrs. Maloney of New York, Mr. 
  Markey, Mr. Martinez, Mr. McDermott, Mr. McGovern, Mr. McHale, Ms. 
McKinney, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Meehan, Mrs. Meek of Florida, Mr. Menendez, 
 Mr. Miller of California, Mrs. Mink of Hawaii, Mr. Moran of Virginia, 
  Mr. Murtha, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Ms. Norton, Mr. 
 Olver, Mr. Owens, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Pastor, Mr. Payne, Mr. Porter, Mr. 
Rangel, Ms. Rivers, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. Rush, Mr. Sabo, Mr. Sanders, 
   Mr. Sawyer, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Shays, Mr. Sherman, Mr. 
    Skaggs, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Spratt, Mr. Stark, Mr. Stokes, Mrs. 
    Tauscher, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Tierney, Mr. Torres, Mr. Towns, Ms. 
   Velazquez, Mr. Vento, Ms. Waters, Mr. Watt of North Carolina, Mr. 
    Waxman, and Mr. Yates) introduced the following bill; which was 
                 referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To designate certain Federal lands in the State of Utah as wilderness, 
                        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 ``America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 
1997''.

SEC. 2. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

    (a) Name.--Each wilderness area named in a table contained in title 
I shall be--
            (1) the area referenced in the table, as generally depicted 
        on the map entitled ``Utah BLM Wilderness Proposed by H.R. 
        1500, 102d Congress''; and
            (2) known by the name given to it in that table.
    (b) Map and Description.--As soon as practicable after enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall file a map and a legal description of 
each wilderness area designated under this Act with the Committee on 
Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and with the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. Each such map 
and description shall have the same force and effect as if included in 
this Act, except that correction of clerical and typographical errors 
in such legal description and map may be made. Each such map and legal 
description 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) Secretary.--For the purposes of this Act, the term 
``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior.

                   TITLE I--DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS

SEC. 101. GREAT BASIN WILDERNESS AREAS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that the Great Basin region of 
western Utah is comprised of starkly beautiful mountain ranges which 
rise as islands from the desert floor. Some, like Wah Wah Mountains, 
are arid and austere, with massive cliff faces and leathery slopes 
speckled with pinyon and juniper. Others, like the Deep Creek and 
Stansbury Mountains, are high enough to draw moisture from passing 
clouds and support ecosystems found nowhere else on earth. From 
bristlecone pine, the world's oldest living thing, to newly flowered 
mountain meadows, these islands of nature support remarkable biological 
diversity and provide opportunities to experience the colossal silence 
of the Great Basin.
    (b) Designation.--In order to protect and manage so as to preserve 
the natural conditions of the Great Basin wilderness areas in western 
Utah and in furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 
U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in the State of Utah are 
hereby designated as wilderness and therefore as components of the 
National Wilderness Preservation System:

  
                                                            Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area
                                                                Acreage
        Cedar Mountains Wilderness...................            62,100
        Conger Mountain Wilderness...................            20,400
        Deep Creek Mountains Wilderness..............            90,200
        Dugway Mountains Wilderness..................            23,100
        Fish Springs Range Wilderness................            55,200
        Granite Peak Wilderness......................            16,000
        House Range Wilderness.......................           139,400
        King Top Wilderness..........................            78,800
        Little Goose Creek Wilderness................             1,300
        Newfoundland Mountains Wilderness............            23,300
        Rockwell Wilderness..........................            13,400
        Silver Island Mountains Wilderness...........            27,200
        Stansbury Mountains Wilderness...............            22,500
        Wah Wah Mountains Wilderness.................           109,700
        White Rock Range Wilderness..................             3,900

SEC. 102. ZION AND MOJAVE DESERT WILDERNESS AREAS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that Zion National Park's 
renowned landscape of soaring cliff walls, forested plateaus, and deep 
narrow gorges extends beyond the boundaries of the park onto 
surrounding public lands managed by the Secretary through the Bureau of 
Land Management. From the pink sand dunes of Moquith Mountain to the 
golden pools of Beaver Dam Wash, the Zion and Mojave Desert wilderness 
areas encompass three major provinces of the Southwest: the sculpted 
canyon country of the Colorado Plateau, the Mojave Desert, and portions 
of the Great Basin--a rich mosaic of biological, archeological, and 
scenic diversity. One of the last remaining populations of endangered 
desert tortoise is found within this wilderness.
    (b) Designation.--In order to protect and manage so as to preserve 
the natural conditions of the Zion and Mojave Desert wilderness areas 
of Utah and in furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 
U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in the State of Utah are 
hereby designated as wilderness and therefore as components of the 
National Wilderness Preservation System:

  
                                                            Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
                                                                Acreage
        Beaver Dam Slopes Wilderness:
                Beaver Dam Wash......................            24,900
                Joshua Tree..........................            13,500
                Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness.........            11,500
                Cougar Creek-Docs Pass Wilderness....            29,400
                Upper Kanab Creek Wilderness.........            42,200
                Moquith Mountain Wilderness..........            26,500
                Red Mountain Wilderness..............            18,500
        Zion Wilderness:
                Beartrap Canyon......................                40
                Black Ridge..........................            21,800
                Canaan Mountain......................            52,100
                Deep Creek...........................             7,100
                Goose Creek..........................                89
                LaVerkin Creek.......................               567
                Orderville Canyon....................             6,500
                North Fork Virgin River..............             1,040
                Parunuweap Canyon....................            37,700
                Red Butte............................               804
                Spring Canyon........................             4,400
                Taylor Creek Canyon..................                35
                The Watchman.........................               600

SEC. 103. GRAND STAIRCASE AND KAIPAROWITS PLATEAU WILDERNESS AREAS.

    (a) Grand Staircase.--
            (1) Findings.--The Congress finds that the area known as 
        the Grand Staircase rises more than 6,000 feet in a series of 
        great cliffs and plateaus from the depths of the Grand Canyon 
        to the forested rim of Bryce Canyon. It spans six major life 
        zones, from the lower Sonoran Desert to alpine forest, and 
        encompasses geologic formations which display 3,000,000,000 
        years of earth history. Wildlands, managed by the Secretary 
        through the Bureau of Land Management, line the intricate 
        canyon system of the Paria River and form a vital wilderness 
        corridor connection to the deserts and forests of these 
        national parks. Each of the units specified in paragraph (2) is 
        located within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
            (2) Designation.--In order to protect and manage so as to 
        preserve the natural conditions of the wilderness area known as 
        the Great Staircase and in furtherance of the purposes of the 
        Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in 
        the State of Utah are hereby designated as wilderness and 
        therefore as components of the National Wilderness Preservation 
        System:

                                                            Approximate
        Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
                                                                Acreage
                  Grand Staircase Wilderness:
                          Box Canyon.................             2,300
                          Cockscomb..................            10,300
                          East of Bryce..............               900
                          Mud Spring Canyon..........            55,100
                          Paria-Hackberry............           158,700
                          Squaw and Willis Creek.....            22,300
                          The Blues-Table Cliff......            18,700
    (b) Kaiparowits Plateau.--
            (1) Findings.--The Congress finds that east of the Paria 
        River lies the Kaiparowits Plateau, one of the most rugged and 
        isolated wilderness regions in the United States, a lonely, 
        windswept land of harsh beauty, distant vistas, and a 
        remarkable variety of plant and animal species. Ancient 
        forests, abundant big game animals, and 22 species of raptors 
        thrive undisturbed on its grassland mesa tops. Each of the 
        units specified in paragraph (2) is located within the Grand 
        Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
            (2) Designation.--In order to protect and manage so as to 
        preserve the Kaiparowits Plateau and in furtherance of the 
        purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the 
        following lands in the State of Utah are hereby designated as 
        wilderness and therefore as components of the National 
        Wilderness Preservation System:

                                                            Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
                                                                Acreage
                  Kaiparowits Wilderness:
                          Burning Hills..............            68,400
                          Carcass Canyon.............            72,600
                          Cave Point.................             4,800
                          Fiftymile Bench............            11,100
                          Fiftymile Mountain.........           173,900
                          Horse Spring Canyon........            27,900
                          Nipple Bench...............            31,600
                          Squaw Canyon...............            11,200
                          Wahweap-Paradise Canyon....           228,000
                          Warm Creek.................            21,000

SEC. 104. ESCALANTE CANYONS WILDERNESS AREAS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that enchanting glens and coves 
carved in massive sandstone cliffs, spring-watered hanging gardens, and 
the silence of ancient Anasazi ruins are exemplary of the unique 
features that entice hikers, campers, and sightseers from around the 
world to Escalante Canyon. This wilderness links the spruce fir forests 
of the 11,000 foot Aquarius Plateau with winding slickrock canyons that 
flow into Lake Powell. It protects critical habitat for deer, elk, and 
wild bighorn sheep, as well as the scenic integrity of one of Utah's 
most popular natural areas. Each of the units specified in subsection 
(b) (other than Dogwater Creek, Long Canyon, and Notom Bench) is 
located within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
    (b) Designation.--In order to protect and manage so as to preserve 
Escalante Canyon wilderness areas and in furtherance of the purposes of 
the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in the 
State of Utah are hereby designated as wilderness and therefore as 
components of the National Wilderness Preservation System:


                                                            Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area
                                                                Acreage
        Colt Mesa....................................            23,500
        Dogwater Creek...............................             3,500
        Fortymile Gulch..............................               640
        Fremont Gorge................................            19,400
        Hurricane Wash...............................             4,300
        Long Canyon..................................            16,400
        North Escalante Canyons......................           144,000
        Notom Bench..................................             8,400
        Phipps-Death Hollow..........................            43,500
        Scorpion.....................................            38,100
        Steep Creek..................................            34,400
        Studhorse Peaks..............................             9,500

SEC. 105. HENRY MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS AREAS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that the last mountain range to 
be discovered and named by early explorers in the contiguous United 
States, the Henry Mountains, still retains its wild and mysterious 
character. Fluted badlands adorn the flanks of 11,000 foot Mount Ellen 
and Mount Pennell, containing islands of critical habitat for mule deer 
and the largest herd of free-roaming buffalo in the Nation. Despite 
their relative accessibility, the Henry Mountains remain one of the 
wildest, least-known ranges in the United States.
    (b) Designation.--In order to protect and manage so as to preserve 
the Henry Mountains and in furtherance of the purposes of the 
Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in the 
State of Utah are hereby designated as wilderness and therefore as 
components of the National Wilderness Preservation System:

                                                            Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
                                                                Acreage
        Henry Mountains Wilderness:
                Bull Mountain........................            12,400
                Bullfrog Creek.......................            36,900
                Mount Ellen-Blue Hills...............           116,900
                Mount Hillers........................            18,600
                Mount Pennell........................           141,200
                Ragged Mountain......................            23,300

SEC. 106. DIRTY DEVIL RIVER WILDERNESS AREAS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that the Dirty Devil River, once 
the fortress hideout of outlaw Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, has sculpted 
a maze of slickrock canyons through an imposing landscape of monoliths 
and inaccessible mesas. This isolated and remote area, long a barrier 
to civilization and would-be colonists, now beckons a different type of 
explorer, the modern recreationist, who seeks to experience solitude 
and isolation amid spectacular beauty.
    (b) Designation.--In order to protect and manage so as to preserve 
the Dirty Devil River wilderness areas in southeast Utah and in 
furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et 
seq.), the following lands in the State of Utah are hereby designated 
as wilderness and therefore as components of the National Wilderness 
Preservation System:

                                                            Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
                                                                Acreage
        Dirty Devil Wilderness:
                Dirty Devil-French Springs...........           175,300
                Fiddler Butte........................            88,200

SEC. 107. CEDAR MESA WILDERNESS AREAS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that over a thousand years ago, 
the Anasazi Indian culture flourished in the slickrock canyons and on 
the pinyon-covered mesas of southeastern Utah. Evidence of their 
ancient presence pervades the Cedar Mesa area where haunting cliff 
dwellings, rock art, and ceremonial kivas embellish sandstone overhangs 
and isolated benchlands. This area cries out for protection from the 
vandalism and theft of these unique cultural resources. These 
wilderness areas are drawn to protect both the Nation's archaeological 
heritage and extraordinary wilderness scenic and ecological values.
    (b) Designation.--In order to protect and manage so as to preserve 
the Cedar Mesa wilderness areas and in furtherance of the purposes of 
the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in the 
State of Utah are hereby designated as wilderness and therefore as 
components of the National Wilderness Preservation System:
  
                                                            Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
                                                                Acreage
        White Canyon Wilderness:
                Gravel and Long Canyon...............            35,000
                Cheesebox Canyon.....................            28,500
                Harmony Flat.........................             9,100
                Fortknocker Canyon...................            12,400
        San Juan-Anasazi Wilderness:
                Arch and Mule Canyon.................            15,300
                Comb Ridge...........................            15,000
                Fish and Owl Creek...................            59,000
                Grand Gulch..........................           139,800
                Nokai dome...........................            93,400
                Road Canyon..........................            60,100
                San Juan River.......................            13,200
        Squaw and Cross Canyons Wilderness:
                Squaw and Papoose Canyons............             6,580
                Cross Canyon.........................             1,000
        Dark Canyon Wilderness:
                Dark Canyon..........................           126,500
                Sheep Canyon.........................             3,700
        Glen Canyon Wilderness:
                Mancos Mesa..........................           108,700
                Little Rockies.......................            60,000

SEC. 108. CANYONLANDS WILDERNESS AREAS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that Arches and Canyonlands 
National Parks safeguard only a small portion of the extraordinary red-
hued, cliff-walled canyonland region of the Colorado Plateau. Canyons 
with rushing perennial streams, natural arches, bridges, and towers, 
and the gorges of the Green, Colorado, and Dolores Rivers lie on 
adjacent wildlands managed by the Secretary through the Bureau of Land 
Management. Designation of this wilderness achieves a wholeness of 
protection for this erosional masterpiece of nature and the rich 
pockets of wildlife found within its expanded boundaries.
    (b) Designation.--In order to protect and manage so as to preserve 
the canyonland wilderness areas near Arches and Canyonlands National 
Parks and in furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 
U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in the State of Utah are 
hereby designated as wilderness and therefore as components of the 
National Wilderness Preservation System:

                                                            Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
                                                                Acreage
        Canyonlands Basin Wilderness:
                Bridger Jack Mesa....................            32,700
                Butler Wash..........................            28,300
                Goose Neck...........................             8,300
                Harts Point..........................            62,800
                Indian Creek.........................            27,000
                Shafer Canyon........................             3,000
        Labyrinth Wilderness:
                Labyrinth Canyon.....................           120,000
                Horseshoe Canyon.....................            51,700
                Arches-Lost Spring Wilderness........            16,900
        La Sal Canyons Wilderness:
                Beaver Creek.........................            28,200
                Fisher Towers........................            15,100
                Granite Creek........................             5,100
                Mary Jane Canyon.....................            24,200
                Mill Creek...........................            15,700
                Negro Bill Canyon....................            20,600
                Seweump Mesa.........................               600
        Behind-The-Rocks Wilderness:
                Hunter Canyon........................             4,000
                Goldbar Canyon.......................            12,500
                Hatch Wash...........................            14,300
                Behind-The-Rocks.....................            20,300
        Westwater Wilderness:
                Black Ridge..........................             5,100
                Westwater Canyon.....................            32,500

SEC. 109. SAN RAFAEL SWELL WILDERNESS AREAS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that the San Rafael Swell towers 
above the desert like a wilderness castle, ringed by thousand-foot 
ramparts of Navajo Sandstone. Its highlands have been fractured by 
uplift and scooped hollow by erosion over countless millennia, leaving 
a tremendous basin punctuated by mesas, buttes, and canyons and 
traversed by sediment-laden desert streams. Among other places, the San 
Rafael wilderness offers exceptional back country opportunities in the 
colorful Wild Horse Badlands, the monoliths of North Caineville Mesa, 
the rock towers of Cliff Wash, and the dark volcanic mountains 
bordering Capitol Reef National Park. The mountains within this 
wilderness are among Utah's most productive habitat for Desert Bighorn 
Sheep.
    (b) Designation.--In order to protect and manage so as to preserve 
the San Rafael Swell wilderness areas and in furtherance of the 
purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following 
lands in the State of Utah are hereby designated as wilderness and 
therefore as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System:
  
                                                            Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
                                                                Acreage
        San Rafael Wilderness:
        Cedar Mountain...............................            14,500
        Devils Canyon................................            21,500
        Hondu Country................................            18,900
        Jones Bench..................................             2,800
        Limestone Cliffs.............................            21,300
        Mexican Mountain.............................           102,600
        Muddy Creek..................................           246,300
        Mussentuchit Badlands........................            23,000
        Red Desert...................................            36,800
        San Rafael Reef..............................            95,000
        Sids Mountain................................            95,800
        Upper Muddy Creek............................            17,000
        Wild Horse Mesa..............................            57,400

SEC. 110. BOOK CLIFFS AND UINTA BASIN WILDERNESS AREAS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that the Book Cliffs and Uinta 
Basin wilderness areas offer a unique quality of wilderness big game 
hunting opportunities in verdant high-plateau forests, multiday float 
trips down the Green River in Desolation Canyon, and opportunity for 
calm water canoe weekends on the White River. The long rampart of the 
Book Cliffs bounds the area on the south, while seldom-visited uplands, 
dissected by the rivers and streams, slope away to the north into the 
Uinta Basin. Bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, bear, and cougar all 
flourish in the back country of the Book Cliffs.
    (b) Designation.--In order to protect and manage so as to preserve 
the Book Cliffs area and in furtherance of the purposes of the 
Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following lands in the 
State of Utah are hereby designated as wilderness and therefore as 
components of the National Wilderness Preservation System:


                                                            Approximate
Name of Wilderness Area and Unit
                                                                Acreage
        Desolation Canyon Wilderness:
                Eastern Book Cliffs..................           154,600
                Desolation Canyon....................           527,100
                Turtle Canyon........................            36,900
                White River Wilderness...............             9,700
        Greater Dinosaur Wilderness:
                Bull Canyon..........................               500
                Diamond Breaks.......................             7,800
                Daniels Canyon.......................             5,300
                Moonshine Draw.......................             3,500
                Cold Springs Mountain................             3,400
                Wild Mountain........................               600

                  TITLE II--ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

SEC. 201. ADMINISTRATION.

    Subject to valid existing rights, the wilderness areas designated 
under this Act shall be administered by the Secretary in accordance 
with section 603 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
(43 U.S.C. 1782) and the provisions of the Wilderness Act governing 
areas designated by that Act as wilderness.

SEC. 202. WATER.

    (a) Reservation.--(1) With respect to each wilderness area 
designated by this Act, Congress hereby reserves a quantity of water 
sufficient to fulfill the purposes of this Act. The priority date of 
such reserved rights shall be the date of enactment of this Act.
    (2) The Secretary and all other officers of the United States shall 
take all steps necessary to protect the rights reserved by paragraph 
(1), including the filing by the Secretary of a claim for the 
quantification of such rights in any present or future appropriate 
stream adjudication in the courts of the State of Utah in which the 
United States is or may be joined and which is conducted in accordance 
with section 208 of the Act of July 10, 1952 (66 Stat. 56; 44 U.S.C. 
666, commonly referred to as the ``McCarran Act'').
    (b) Prior Rights Not Affected.--Nothing in this Act shall be 
construed as a relinquishment or reduction of any water rights reserved 
or appropriated by the United States in the State of Utah on or before 
the date of enactment of this Act.
    (c) Rule of Construction.--The Federal water rights reserved by 
this Act are specific to the wilderness areas located in the State of 
Utah designated by this Act. Nothing in this Act related to reserved 
Federal water 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 made pursuant 
thereto.
                                 <all>