[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2149 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2149

To enhance the conservation and protection of the Boundary Waters Canoe 
                            Area Wilderness.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 10, 1997

  Mr. Vento introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To enhance the conservation and protection of the Boundary Waters Canoe 
                            Area Wilderness.

    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 ``BWCA Wilderness Legacy Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that:
            (1) The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is a special 
        natural resource that offers a unique lakeland experience for 
        the enjoyment and inspiration of present and future 
        generations.
            (2) The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is an 
        international, national, and Minnesota treasure worthy of 
        national preservation and protection as a wilderness area.
            (3) Congress has expressed overwhelming support for the 
        protection of this resource through its designation as a 
        wilderness area and by providing sustained funding to protect 
        and responsibly manage this national treasure.
            (4) Public acceptance and enthusiasm for the Boundary 
        Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has established the area as the 
        most widely used wilderness unit in the entire national 
        wilderness preservation system.
            (5) The overwhelming majority of Minnesotans support 
        greater wilderness protections for the Boundary Waters Canoe 
        Area Wilderness.
            (6) It is necessary and desirable to further provide for 
        the orderly administration and management of public use and 
        enjoyment of this national wilderness while at the same time 
        protecting the special qualities of the area as a natural 
        forest-lakeland wilderness ecosystem of major esthetic, 
        cultural, scientific, recreational, and educational value to 
        the Nation.

SEC. 3. BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE AREA WILDERNESS DESIGNATION.

    Section 3 of Public Law 94-495 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note) is amended as 
follows:
            (1) By amending the first sentence to read as follows: 
        ``The areas generally depicted as wilderness on the map 
        entitled `Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness' and dated 
        1997, comprising approximately 1,094,370 acres, are hereby 
        designated as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness 
        (hereinafter referred to as the `Wilderness').''.
            (2) By striking ``one year after the date of enactment of 
        this Act'' and inserting ``one year after the enactment of the 
        BWCA Wilderness Legacy Act''.
            (3) By amending the third sentence to read as follows: 
        ``Such map and description shall be filed with the Committee on 
        Resources of the United States House of Representatives and the 
        Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States 
        Senate.''.

SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO SECTION 4 OF PUBLIC LAW 95-495.

    Section 4 of Public Law 95-495 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note) is amended as 
follows:
            (1) In subsection (c)(2) by striking ``Sea Gull, that 
        portion generally east of Threemile Island, Cook County;''.
            (2) In subsection (c)(3) by striking ``that portion 
        generally west of Threemile Island,''.
            (3) In subsection (d) by striking ``Loon Lake, Saint Louis 
        County; that portion of the Lac La Croix, Saint Louis County, 
        south of Snow Bay and east of Wilkins Bay.''.
            (4) By adding the following new subsection after subsection 
        (i):
    ``(j) Effective on January 1, 1998, the Secretary shall terminate 
all special use permits for towboats; from that date forward, use of 
towboats within the wilderness shall be prohibited, whether for 
commercial or noncommercial purposes.''.

SEC. 5. AIRSPACE RESERVATION.

    The provisions of Executive Order 10092 shall be applicable to the 
areas depicted as wilderness on the map referred to in the amendments 
made by section 3 of this Act.
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