[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 391 Reported in Senate (RS)]






                                                       Calendar No. 255
108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 391

                          [Report No. 108-131]

To enhance ecosystem protection and the range of outdoor opportunities 
  protected by statute in the Skykomish River valley of the State of 
  Washington by designating certain lower-elevation Federal lands as 
                  wilderness, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 13, 2003

  Mrs. Murray (for herself and Ms. Cantwell) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

                            August 26, 2003

    Reported under authority of the order of the Senate of July 29 
   (legislative day, July 21), 2003, by Mr. Domenici, with amendments
  [Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To enhance ecosystem protection and the range of outdoor opportunities 
  protected by statute in the Skykomish River valley of the State of 
  Washington by designating certain lower-elevation Federal lands 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 ``Wild Sky Wilderness Act of 2003''.

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND STATEMENT OF POLICY.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the follwing:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Americans cherish the continued existence of 
        diverse wilderness ecosystems and wildlife found on their 
        Federal lands and share a strong sense of moral responsibility 
        to protect their wilderness heritage as an enduring resource to 
        cherish, protect, and bequeath undisturbed to future 
        generations of Americans.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) The values of an area of wilderness offer to 
        this and future generations of Americans are greatly enhanced 
        to the degree that the area is diverse in topography, 
        elevation, life zones and ecosystems, and to the extent that it 
        offers a wide range of outdoor recreational and educational 
        opportunities accessible in all seasons of the year.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Large blocks of wildlands embracing a wide 
        range of ecosystems and topography, including low-elevation 
        forests, have seldom remained undisturbed due to many decades 
        of development.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Certain wildlands on the western slope of the 
        Cascade Range in the Skykomish River valley of the State of 
        Washington offer an outstanding representation of the original 
        character of the forested landscape, ranging from high alpine 
        meadows and extremely rugged peaks to low-elevation mature and 
        old-growth forests, including groves with some of the largest 
        and most spectacular trees in Washington, with diameters of 
        eight feet and larger.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) These diverse, thickly forested mountain 
        slopes and valleys of mature and old-growth trees in the 
        Skykomish River valley harbor nearly the full complement of the 
        original wildlife and fish species found by settlers of the 
        19th century, including mountain goats, bald eagles, black 
        bear, pine marten, black-tailed deer, as well as rare and 
        endangered wildlife such as northern spotted owls and goshawks, 
        Chinook and Coho salmon, and steelhead and bull 
        trout.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) An ecologically and topographically diverse 
        wilderness area in the Skykomish River valley accessible in all 
        seasons of the year will be enjoyable to users of various 
        kinds, such as hikers, horse riders, hunters, anglers, and 
        educational groups, but also to the many who cherish clean 
        water and clean air, fish and wildlife (including endangered 
        species such as wild salmon), and pristine mountain and 
        riverside scenery.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Statement of Policy.--Congress hereby declares that it 
is the policy of the United States:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) to better serve the diverse wilderness and 
        environmental education needs of the people of the State of 
        Washington and its burgeoning metropolitan regions by granting 
        wilderness protection to certain lower elevation wildlands in 
        the Skykomish River valley of the State of Washington; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) to protect additional lands adjacent to the 
        Henry M. Jackson Wilderness designated by the Washington 
        Wilderness Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-339), in further tribute 
        to the ecologically enlightened vision of the distinguished 
        Senator from the State of Washington and former Chairman of the 
        Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (formerly the 
        Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee).</DELETED>

SEC. <DELETED>3</DELETED> 2. ADDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS 
              PRESERVATION SYSTEM.

    (a) Additions.--The following Federal lands in the State of 
Washington are hereby designated as wilderness and, therefore, as 
components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: certain 
lands which comprise approximately 106,000 acres, as generally depicted 
on a map entitled ``Wild Sky Wilderness Proposal'', ``Map #1'', 
and dated January 7, 2003, which shall be known as the Wild Sky 
Wilderness.
    (b) Maps and Legal Descriptions.--As soon as practicable after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall file 
a map and a legal description for the wilderness area designated under 
this Act with the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
United States Senate and the Committee on Resources 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 of Agriculture may correct clerical and typographical errors 
in the legal description and map. The map and legal description shall 
be on file and available for public inspection in the office of the 
Chief of the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture.

SEC. <DELETED>4</DELETED> 3. ADMINISTRATION PROVISIONS.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Subject to valid existing rights, lands designated as 
        wilderness by this Act shall be managed by the Secretary of 
        Agriculture in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
        1131 et seq.) and this Act, except that, with respect to any 
        wilderness areas designated by this Act, any reference in the 
        Wilderness Act to the effective date of the Wilderness Act 
        shall be deemed to be a reference to the date of enactment of 
        this Act.
            (2) To fulfill the purposes of this Act and the Wilderness 
        Act and to achieve administrative efficiencies, the Secretary 
        of Agriculture may manage the area designated by this Act as a 
        comprehensive part of the larger complex of adjacent and nearby 
        wilderness areas.
    (b) New Trails.--
            (1) The Secretary of Agriculture shall consult with 
        interested parties and shall establish a trail plan for Forest 
        Service lands in order to develop:
                    (a) a system of hiking and equestrian trails within 
                the wilderness designated by this Act in a manner 
                consistent with the Wilderness Act, Public Law 88-577 
                (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.); and
                    (b) a system of <DELETED>trail</DELETED> trails 
                adjacent to or to provide access to the wilderness 
                designated by this Act.
            (2) Within two years after the date of enactment of this 
        Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall complete a report on 
        the implementation of the trail plan required under this Act. 
        This report shall include the identification of priority trail 
        for development.
    (c) Repeater Site.--Within the Wild Sky Wilderness, the Secretary 
of Agriculture is authorized to use helicopter access to construct and 
maintain a joint Forest Service and Snohomish County telecommunications 
repeater site, in compliance with a Forest Service approved 
communications site plan, for the purposes of improving communications 
for safety, health, and emergency services.
    (d) Float Plane Access.--As provided by section 4(d)(1) of the 
Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)), the use of floatplanes on Lake 
Isabel, where such use has already become established, shall be 
permitted to continue subject to such reasonable restrictions as the 
Secretary of Agriculture determines to be desirable.
    (e) Evergreen Mountain Lookout.--The designation under this Act 
shall not preclude the operation and maintenance of the existing 
Evergreen Mountain Lookout in the same manner and degree in which the 
operation and maintenance of such lookout was occurring as of the date 
of enactment of this Act.

SEC. <DELETED>5 </DELETED>4. AUTHORIZATION FOR LAND ACQUISITION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to 
acquire lands and interests therein, by purchase, donation, or 
exchange, and shall give priority consideration to those lands 
identified as ``Priority Acquisition Lands'' on the map described in 
<DELETED>section 3(a)(1)</DELETED> section 2(a)(1). The boundaries of 
the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and the Wild Sky Wilderness 
shall be adjusted to encompass any lands acquired pursuant to this 
section.
    (b) Access.--Consistent with section 5(a) of the Wilderness Act 
(Public Law 88-577; 16 U.S.C. 1134(a)), the Secretary of Agriculture 
shall <DELETED>assure</DELETED> ensure adequate access to private 
inholdings within the Wild Sky Wilderness.
    (c) Appraisal.--Valuation of private lands shall be determined 
without reference to any restrictions on access or use which arise out 
of designation as a wilderness area as a result of this Act.

SEC. <DELETED>6 </DELETED>5. LAND EXCHANGES.

    The Secretary of Agriculture shall exchange lands and interests in 
lands, as generally depicted on a map entitled Chelan County Public 
Utility District Exchange and dated May 22, 2002, with the Chelan 
County Public Utility District in accordance with the following 
provisions:
            (1) If the Chelan County Public Utility District, within 
        ninety days after the date of enactment of this Act, offers to 
        the Secretary of Agriculture approximately 371.8 acres within 
        the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in the State of 
        Washington, the Secretary shall accept such lands.
            (2) Upon acceptance of title by the Secretary of 
        Agriculture to such lands and interests therein, the Secretary 
        of Agriculture shall convey to the Chelan County Public Utility 
        District a permanent easement, including helicopter access, 
        consistent with such levels as used as of date of enactment, to 
        maintain an existing <DELETED>snowtel site</DELETED> telemetry 
        site to monitor snow pack on 1.82 acres on the Wenatchee 
        National Forest in the State of Washington.
            (3) The exchange directed by this Act shall be consummated 
        if Chelan County Public Utility District conveys title 
        acceptable to the Secretary and provided there is no hazardous 
        material on the site, which is objectionable to the Secretary.
            (4) In the event Chelan County Public Utility District 
        determines there is no longer a need to maintain a 
        <DELETED>snowtel</DELETED> telemetry site to monitor the snow 
        pack for calculating expected runoff into the Lake Chelan 
        hydroelectric project and the hydroelectric projects in the 
        Columbia River Basin, the <DELETED>secretary</DELETED> 
        Secretary shall be notified in writing and the easement shall 
        be extinguished and all rights conveyed by this exchange shall 
        revert to the United States.




                                                       Calendar No. 255

108th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 391

                          [Report No. 108-131]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To enhance ecosystem protection and the range of outdoor opportunities 
  protected by statute in the Skykomish River valley of the State of 
  Washington by designating certain lower-elevation Federal lands as 
                  wilderness, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            August 26, 2003

                        Reported with amendments