[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 886 Reported in House (RH)]
Union Calendar No. 54
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 886
[Report No. 110-89]
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 7, 2007
Mr. Larsen of Washington (for himself, Mr. Inslee, and Mr. Dicks)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources
April 17, 2007
Additional sponsors: Mr. McDermott, Mr. Reichert, Mr. Smith of
Washington, and Mr. Baird
April 17, 2007
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the
Union, and ordered to be printed
_______________________________________________________________________
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 2007''.
SEC. 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'' and dated February
6, 2007, which shall be known as the ``Wild Sky Wilderness''.
(b) Map 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
Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the 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. 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 (16 U.S.C. 1131 et
seq.); and
(B) a system of 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 trails
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. 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
section 2(a). 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 (16
U.S.C. 1134(a)), the Secretary of Agriculture shall 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. 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 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 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
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.
Union Calendar No. 54
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 886
[Report No. 110-89]
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
April 17, 2007
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the
Union, and ordered to be printed