1.This Act may be cited as the
Walnut Canyon Study Act of
2007
.
2.The purposes of this Act are—
(1)to authorize a study of the study area to
evaluate public uses and public values; and
(2)to obtain recommendations for options for
the management of the public uses and protection of resources of the study
area.
3.In this Act:
(1)The term map means the map
entitled Walnut Canyon Proposed Study Area
and dated July 17,
2003.
(2)The term Monument means the
Walnut Canyon National Monument in the State of Arizona.
(3)The term public use, with
respect to the study area, includes—
(A)livestock grazing;
(B)hunting;
(C)access to forested areas;
(D)bird watching;
(E)camping;
(F)driving for pleasure on roads and
trails;
(G)firewood gathering;
(H)general exercise;
(I)group uses;
(J)hiking;
(K)horseback riding;
(L)hunting;
(M)mountain biking;
(N)painting;
(O)rock climbing;
(P)sightseeing;
(Q)skiing;
(R)snowmobiling;
(S)target practice, as permitted;
(T)walking with pets; and
(U)wildlife viewing.
(4)The term public value, with
respect to the study area, includes—
(A)geologic features;
(B)historic sites;
(C)potential urban development;
(D)prehistoric sites;
(E)riparian communities;
(F)scenery;
(G)scientific education;
(H)solitude and serenity;
(I)vegetation diversity;
(J)watershed health;
(K)wildfire hazard reduction for healthy
forests;
(L)wildlife and wildlife habitat;
(M)fee-free access; and
(N)recreational uses.
(5)The term Secretaries means the
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, acting
jointly.
(6)The term study area means the
area identified on the map as Walnut Canyon Proposed Study Area
,
consisting of 30,818 acres, of which—
(A)24,987 acres is Federal land in Coconino
National Forest;
(B)2,037 acres is State land;
(C)214 acres is private land; and
(D)3,580 acres is the Monument.
4.
(a)The Secretaries shall conduct a study of
the study area.
(b)The study shall evaluate—
(1)the significance of the resources and
public values of the study area as the resources and public values pertain
to—
(A)the management objectives of the Forest
Service; and
(B)the management objectives of the National
Park Service;
(2)the opportunities for maintaining existing
public uses; and
(3)a range of options for managing and
conserving resources by the National Park Service or the Forest Service, or by
both agencies acting jointly, including the suitability and feasibility
of—
(A)a boundary adjustment to the
Monument;
(B)designation of the study area as a National
Recreation Area;
(C)maintaining the study area as managed by
the Forest Service; and
(D)any other designation or management option
that will accomplish both the protection of resources and the maintenance of
public use and access for the study area.
(c)In conducting the study, the Secretaries
shall—
(1)designate a lead agency;
(2)consult with appropriate Federal, State,
county, and local government entities;
(3)contract with a third-party consultant with
experience in park and land use planning to prepare a draft study; and
(4)collaborate with the persons identified in
subsection (d) in developing a scope of work for the draft study under the
guidance of the third-party consultant.
(d)The Secretaries, the Forest Supervisor of
the Coconino National Forest, the Superintendent of the Flagstaff Area National
Monuments, the Flagstaff City Council, and the Coconino County Board of
Supervisors shall—
(1)review the draft study prepared by the
third-party consultant; and
(2)provide to the third-party consultant
comments on the draft study.
(e)Not later than 18 months after the date on
which funds are first made available to carry out this Act, the Secretaries
shall submit to Congress a report that—
(1)describes the findings and conclusions of
the study conducted under this section; and
(2)makes a recommendation for the future
management of the study area.
(f)Nothing in this Act affects the management
of the land depicted on the map.
(g)Authorization of
appropriationsThere is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $350,000.
1.This Act may be cited as the
Walnut Canyon Study Act of
2007
.
2.In this Act:
(1)The
term map means the map entitled Walnut Canyon Proposed
Study Area
and dated July 17, 2007.
(2)The
term Secretaries means the Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Agriculture, acting jointly.
(3)The term study area means the area identified
on the map as the Walnut Canyon Proposed Study Area
.
3.
(a)The Secretaries shall conduct a study of the study area
to assess—
(1)the suitability and
feasibility of designating all or part of the study area as an addition to
Walnut Canyon National Monument, in accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law
91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–5(c));
(2)continued management of
the study area by the Forest Service; or
(3)any other designation or
management option that would provide for—
(A)protection of resources
within the study area; and
(B)continued access to, and
use of, the study area by the public.
(b)The
Secretaries shall provide for public comment in the preparation of the study,
including consultation with appropriate Federal, State, and local governmental
entities.
(c)Not
later than 18 months after the date on which funds are made available to carry
out this Act, the Secretaries shall submit to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the
House of Representatives a report that describes—
(1)the results of the study;
and
(2)any recommendations of
the Secretaries.
(d)Authorization of
appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated such sums
as are necessary to carry out this Act.
September 17, 2007
Reported with an amendment