[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3687 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3687

  To establish the Canyons of the Ancients National Conservation Area.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 16, 2000

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish the Canyons of the Ancients 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 ``Canyons of the Ancients National 
Conservation Area Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that certain areas located in Dolores 
and Montezuma Counties, Colorado--
            (1) contain unique and valuable historical, cultural, 
        scientific, archaeological, natural, and educational resources; 
        and
            (2) should be conserved, protected, and enhanced for the 
        benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to establish the Canyons 
of the Ancients, Colorado, as a National Conservation Area.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Conservation area.--The term ``Conservation Area'' 
        means the Canyons of the Ancients National Conservation Area 
        established by section 4(a).
            (2) Council.--The term ``Council'' means the Canyons of the 
        Ancients National Conservation Area Advisory Council 
        established under section 5(a).
            (3) Management plan.--The term ``management plan'' means 
        the management plan developed for the Conservation Area under 
        section 4(e).
            (4) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map entitled ``Canyon 
        of the Ancients National Conservation Area Proposal'' and dated 
        January 6, 2000.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of 
        Land Management.

SEC. 4. CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA.

    (a) In General.--There is established the Canyons of the Ancients 
National Conservation Area in the State of Colorado.
    (b) Areas Included.--The Conservation Area shall consist of 
approximately 164,000 acres of public land in Dolores and Montezuma 
Counties, Colorado, as generally depicted on the Map.
    (c) Maps and Legal Description.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
        map and legal description of the Conservation Area.
            (2) Force and effect.--The map and legal description shall 
        have the same force and effect as if included in this Act, 
        except that the Secretary may correct clerical and 
        typographical errors in the map and legal description.
            (3) Public availability.--Copies of the map and legal 
        description shall be on file and available for public 
        inspection in--
                    (A) the Office of the Director of the Bureau of 
                Land Management;
                    (B) the appropriate office of the Bureau of Land 
                Management in Colorado; and
                    (C) the offices of the county clerks of Montezuma 
                and Dolores Counties, Colorado.
    (d) Management.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall manage the 
        Conservation Area in a manner that--
                    (A) conserves, protects, and enhances the resources 
                of the Conservation Area specified in section 2(a); and
                    (B) is in accordance with--
                            (i) the Federal Land Policy and Management 
                        Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and
                            (ii) other applicable law, including this 
                        Act.
            (2) Uses.--The Secretary shall allow only such uses of the 
        Conservation Area as the Secretary determines will further the 
        purposes for which the Conservation Area is established.
            (3) Vehicular activity.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B) and as needed for administrative purposes or to 
                respond to an emergency, use of motorized vehicles or 
                mechanized transport in the Conservation Area shall be 
                permitted only on roads and trails designated for 
                vehicular use under the management plan.
                    (B) Access to leases.--Nothing in this Act 
                prohibits vehicular access to any oil, gas, or carbon 
                dioxide lease by road or pipeline right-of-way.
                    (C) Access to private property.--Nothing in this 
                Act shall be construed to prohibit reasonable access to 
                private property.
            (4) Withdrawals.--
                    (A) In general.--Subject to valid existing rights 
                (including lease rights) and historic rights of access, 
                and except as provided in subparagraph (B), all Federal 
                land within the Conservation Area and all land and 
                interests in land acquired for the Conservation Area by 
                the United States are withdrawn from--
                            (i) all forms of entry, appropriation, or 
                        disposal under the public land laws;
                            (ii) location, entry, and patent under the 
                        mining laws; and
                            (iii) disposal under the mineral leasing, 
                        mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws.
                    (B) Oil and gas leasing.--Notwithstanding 
                subparagraph (A), nothing in this Act prohibits the 
                leasing of oil, gas, or carbon dioxide (including 
                resulting operations) within the Conservation Area 
                under the mineral leasing laws.
            (5) Hunting and trapping.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), nothing in this Act affects hunting and trapping 
                within the Conservation Area conducted in accordance 
                with applicable laws (including regulations) of--
                            (i) the United States; and
                            (ii) the State of Colorado.
                    (B) Hunting and trapping zones.--The Secretary, 
                after consultation with the Colorado Division of 
                Wildlife, may promulgate regulations designating zones 
                where and establishing periods when no hunting or 
                trapping shall be permitted in the Conservation Area 
                for reasons of--
                            (i) public safety;
                            (ii) administration; or
                            (iii) public use and enjoyment.
            (6) Grazing.--The Secretary shall issue and administer any 
        grazing leases or permits in the Conservation Area in 
        accordance with the same laws (including regulations) and 
        executive orders followed by the Secretary in issuing and 
        administering grazing leases and permits on other land under 
        the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management.
    (e) Management Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a 
        comprehensive plan for the long-range protection and management 
        of the Conservation Area.
            (2) Purposes.--The management plan shall--
                    (A) describe the appropriate uses and management of 
                the Conservation Area in accordance with--
                            (i) the Federal Land Policy and Management 
                        Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and
                            (ii) other applicable law, including this 
                        Act;
                    (B) incorporate, as appropriate, decisions 
                contained in any other management or activity plan for 
                the land within or adjacent to the Conservation Area;
                    (C) take into consideration any information 
                developed in studies of the land within or adjacent to 
                the Conservation Area; and
                    (D) give appropriate consideration to the 
                historical involvement of the local community in the 
                interpretation and protection of the resources of the 
                Conservation Area.
    (f) No Buffer Zones.--
            (1) In general.--There shall be no protective perimeter or 
        buffer zone around the Conservation Area.
            (2) Activities outside conservation area.--The fact that an 
        activity on land or a use of land in the Conservation Area is 
        not permitted inside the Conservation Area shall not preclude 
        the activity on land or use of land outside the boundary of the 
        Conservation Area (or, in the Conservation Area, on land that 
        is privately held), consistent with other applicable law.
    (g) Acquisition of Land.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may acquire non-federally 
        owned land in the Conservation Area only--
                    (A) from a willing seller; and
                    (B) through purchase, exchange, or donation.
            (2) Modification of boundary.--On acquisition of land under 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary shall modify the boundary of the 
        Conservation Area to include the acquired land.
            (3) Management.--Land acquired under paragraph (1) shall be 
        managed as part of the Conservation Area in accordance with 
        this Act.
    (h) Interpretive Sites.--The Secretary may establish sites in the 
Conservation Area to interpret the historical, cultural, scientific, 
archaeological, natural, and educational resources of the Conservation 
Area.
    (i) Water Rights.--Nothing in this Act constitutes an express or 
implied reservation of any water right.
    (j) Wilderness Acts.--Nothing in this Act alters any provision of 
the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) or the Federal Land Policy 
and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) that applies to 
wilderness resources within the Conservation Area.
    (k) National Park Service Lands.--Nothing in this Act affects the 
management of land that is within the Conservation Area and under the 
jurisdiction of the National Park Service.

SEC. 5. ADVISORY COUNCIL.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish an advisory 
council to be known as the ``Canyons of the Ancients National 
Conservation Area Advisory Council''.
    (b) Duty.--The Council shall advise the Secretary with respect to 
preparation and implementation of the management plan.
    (c) Applicable Law.--The Council shall be subject to--
            (1) the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.); and
            (2) the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 
        U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).
    (d) Members.--The Council shall consist of 15 members, to be 
appointed by the Secretary, as follows:
            (1) A member of or nominated by the Dolores County 
        Commission.
            (2) A member of or nominated by the Montezuma County 
        Commission.
            (3) A member of or nominated by the Ute Mountain Ute Indian 
        Tribe.
            (4) 12 members residing in, or within reasonable proximity 
        to, southwestern Colorado with recognized backgrounds 
        reflecting--
                    (A) the purposes for which the Conservation Area 
                was established; and
                    (B) the interests of the stakeholders that are 
                affected by the planning and management of the 
                Conservation Area.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary 
to carry out this Act.
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