[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4092 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4092

To establish the Mountaintown National Scenic Area in the Chattahoochee 
                       National Forest, Georgia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 6, 2007

 Mr. Deal of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee 
   on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the Mountaintown National Scenic Area in the Chattahoochee 
                       National Forest, Georgia.

    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 ``Mountaintown National Scenic Area 
Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. MOUNTAINTOWN NATIONAL SCENIC AREA, CHATTAHOOCHEE NATIONAL 
              FOREST, GEORGIA.

    (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established in the 
Chattahoochee National Forest in the State of Georgia the Mountaintown 
National Scenic Area (in this section referred to as the ``scenic 
area'') consisting of approximately 13,382 acres, as generally depicted 
on the map entitled ``Mountaintown Proposed Scenic Area--Chattahoochee 
National Forest, Georgia'' and dated May 3, 2006.
    (b) Map and Descriptions.--As soon as practicable after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to 
Congress a final map and boundary description of the scenic area. The 
map and 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 boundary description. The map and 
boundary description shall be on file and available for public 
inspection in the Office of the Chief of the Forest Service. In the 
case of any discrepancy between the acreage and the map referred to in 
subsection (a) and the map and boundary description required by this 
subsection, the map and boundary description required by this 
subsection shall control.
    (c) Management.--
            (1) Purposes.--The Secretary shall manage the scenic area 
        for the purposes of--
                    (A) ensuring the appropriate protection and 
                preservation of the scenic quality, water quality, 
                natural characteristics, and water resources of the 
                area;
                    (B) protecting and managing vegetation in the area 
                to provide wildlife and fish habitat, consistent with 
                subparagraph (A);
                    (C) providing parcels within the area that may 
                develop characteristics of old-growth forests; and
                    (D) providing a variety of recreation 
                opportunities, consistent with the preceding purposes.
            (2) Priority.--In the case of a conflict between the 
        management purposes specified in paragraph (1) and the laws and 
        regulations generally applicable to the National Forest System, 
        the management purposes shall take precedence.
    (d) Management Plan.--Not later than three years after the date of 
the 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 Chattahoochee National Forest. The amendment 
shall conform to the requirements of this section. Nothing in this 
section shall require the Secretary to revise the land and resource 
management plan for the Chattahoochee National Forest pursuant to 
section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act 
of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604).
    (e) Roads.--After the date of the enactment of this Act, no new 
roads shall be constructed or established within the scenic area, 
except that this prohibition shall not be construed to deny access to 
private lands or interests therein in the scenic area.
    (f) 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.
    (g) Motorized Travel.--Motorized travel shall not be permitted 
within the scenic area, except that the Secretary may authorize 
motorized travel within the scenic area as necessary for administrative 
use in furtherance of the management purposes specified in subsection 
(c)(1) and in support of wildlife management projects in existence as 
of the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (h) Fire.--Wildfires in the scenic area shall be suppressed in a 
manner consistent with the management purposes specified in subsection 
(c)(1), using such means as the Secretary considers appropriate.
    (i) 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 protect private lands.
    (j) Water.--The scenic area shall be administered so as to maintain 
or enhance existing water quality.
    (k) Mining Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, all 
federally owned lands in the scenic area are hereby withdrawn from 
location, entry, and patent under the mining laws of the United States 
and from leasing claims under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws 
of the United States, including amendments to such laws.
                                 <all>