[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5009 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5009

   To designate certain lands in the Wasatch Mountains of Salt Lake 
          County, Utah, as wilderness, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 13, 2010

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To designate certain lands in the Wasatch Mountains of Salt Lake 
          County, Utah, 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 ``Wasatch Wilderness and Watershed 
Protection Act of 2010''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS, UINTA-WASATCH-CACHE NATIONAL 
              FORESTS, UTAH.

    (a) Designation.--In furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following Federal lands within the 
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forests in Salt Lake County, Utah, are 
designated as wilderness and as either a new component of the National 
Wilderness Preservation System or as an addition to an existing 
component of the National Wilderness Preservation System:
            (1) Certain lands in the vicinity of the Lone Peak 
        Wilderness comprising approximately 4,627 acres, as generally 
        depicted on the map titled ``Wasatch Mountains Wilderness and 
        Watershed Protection'' and dated January 29, 2010 (in this 
        subsection referred to as the ``map''), which shall be added to 
        and administered as part of the Lone Peak Wilderness designated 
        by section 2(I) of Public Law 95-237 (92 Stat. 42).
            (2) Certain lands in the vicinity of the Mount Olympus 
        Wilderness comprising approximately 813 acres, as generally 
        depicted on the map, which shall be added to and administered 
        as part of the Mount Olympus Wilderness designated by section 
        102(a)(3) of Public Law 98-428 (98 Stat. 1658).
            (3) Certain lands comprising approximately 2,342 acres, as 
        generally depicted on the map, which shall be known as the 
        ``Bear Trap Wilderness''.
            (4) Certain lands comprising approximately 7,759 acres, as 
        generally depicted on the map, which shall be known as the 
        ``Wayne Owens Grandeur Peak/Mount Aire Wilderness''.
    (b) Map and Description.--
            (1) Filing and availability.--As soon as practicable after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
        Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, 
        shall file with the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
        of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
        Resources of the Senate a map and legal description of each 
        wilderness area designated or expanded by paragraphs (1) 
        through (4) of subsection (a). The maps and legal descriptions 
        shall be on file and available for public inspection in the 
        office of the Chief of the Forest Service.
            (2) Force of law.--The maps and legal descriptions filed 
        under paragraph (1) and (2) 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 maps and legal descriptions.

SEC. 3. HELISKIING SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA, UINTA-WASATCH-CACHE 
              NATIONAL FORESTS, UTAH.

    (a) Designation.--Certain Federal lands contiguous to the existing 
Mount Olympus, Twin Peaks, and Lone Peak Wilderness Areas, and the 
Wayne Owens Grandeur Peak/Mount Aire Wilderness Area enacted by this 
legislation in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest comprising 
approximately 10,479 acres, as generally depicted on a map titled 
``Wasatch Mountains Wilderness and Watershed Protection'' and dated 
January 29, 2010, are hereby designated as the ``Heliskiing Special 
Management Area''.
    (b) Maps and Descriptions.--
            (1) Filing and availability.--As soon as practicable after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
        Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, 
        shall file with the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
        of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
        Resources of the Senate a map and legal description of the 
        Heliskiing Special Management Area. The map and legal 
        description shall be on file and available for public 
        inspection in the office of the Chief of the Forest Service.
            (2) Force of law.--The maps and legal descriptions filed 
        under paragraph (1) shall have the same force and effect as if 
        included in this Act, except that the Secretary of Agriculture 
        may correct typographical errors in the maps and legal 
        descriptions.
    (c) Management.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall manage 
        activities within the Heliskiing Special Management Area to 
        maintain the area's presently existing wilderness character and 
        potential for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation 
        System.
            (2) Prohibitions.--
                    (A) Permanent roads.--Permanent roads may not be 
                established in the Heliskiing Special Management Area.
                    (B) Temporary roads and vehicles.--Except as 
                necessary to meet the minimum requirements for the 
                administration of the Heliskiing Special Management 
                Area and to protect public health and safety--
                            (i) the use of motorized or mechanized 
                        vehicles, except as described in paragraph (3), 
                        is prohibited in the Heliskiing Special 
                        Management Area; and
                            (ii) the establishment of temporary roads 
                        is prohibited in the Heliskiing Special 
                        Management Area.
            (3) Allowable activities.--The Secretary of Agriculture may 
        allow Heliskiing, that have been authorized on the Federal 
        lands included within the Heliskiing Special Management Area as 
        of the date of the enactment of this Act to continue within the 
        area designated as the Heliskiing Special Management Area. The 
        designation of the Heliskiing Special Management Area shall not 
        impact future permit processes relating to such activities.
            (4) Applicable law.--Any uses of the Federal lands included 
        within the Heliskiing Special Management Area, including 
        activities described in paragraph (3), shall be carried out in 
        accordance with applicable law.
    (d) Eventual Designation as Wasatch Mountain Wilderness.--
            (1) Designation for wilderness.--The Federal lands included 
        within the Heliskiing Special Management Area shall be 
        designated as wilderness and as a new component of the National 
        Wilderness Preservation System on the date on which the 
        Secretary of Agriculture publishes in the Federal Register 
        notice that all commercial helicopter-assisted skiing or 
        snowboarding activities on the lands has been terminated.
            (2) Renaming.--Upon its designation as wilderness under 
        paragraph (1), the Heliskiing Special Management Area shall be 
        known and redesignated as the ``Wasatch Mountain Wilderness''.

SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

    (a) Covered Land Defined.--In this section, the term ``covered 
land'' means--
            (1) the wilderness areas designated or expanded by sections 
        2 and 3; and
            (2) the Heliskiing Special Management Area designated by 
        section 3.
    (b) Administration Generally.--Subject to valid rights in existence 
on the date of the enactment of this Act, land designated as wilderness 
by section 2 or 3 shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture 
in accordance with--
            (1) the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.); and
            (2) this Act.
    (c) Treatment of Effective Date of Wilderness Act.--
            (1) In general.--With respect to land designated as 
        wilderness by section 2, any reference in the Wilderness Act 
        (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) to the effective date of the 
        Wilderness Act shall be deemed to be a reference to the date of 
        the enactment of this Act.
            (2) Wasatch mountain wilderness.--With respect to the 
        Wasatch Mountain Wilderness designated by section 3, 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 
        the Federal Register notice referred to in section 3(d)(1).
    (d) Fish and Wildlife.--Nothing in this Act shall affect the 
jurisdiction or responsibility of the State of Utah with respect to 
wildlife and fish.
    (e) No Buffer Zones.--
            (1) In general.--Nothing in this Act shall create a 
        protective perimeter or buffer zone around covered land.
            (2) Activities outside wilderness.--The fact that a 
        nonwilderness activity or use can be seen or heard from within 
        covered land shall not preclude the conduct of the activity or 
        use outside the boundary of the covered land.
    (f) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid rights in existence on the date 
of the enactment of this Act, covered land is withdrawn from all forms 
of--
            (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under public land 
        laws;
            (2) location, entry, and patent under mining laws; and
            (3) disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and 
        geothermal leasing or mineral materials.
    (g) Acquired Land.--Any land or interest in land located inside the 
boundaries of covered land that is acquired by the United States after 
the date of the enactment of this Act shall become part of the relevant 
wilderness or special management area and shall be managed in 
accordance with this Act and other applicable law.

SEC. 5. LAND EXCHANGE, UINTA-WASATCH-CACHE NATIONAL FOREST.

    (a) Description of Land Exchange.--The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall expedite a land exchange between Snowbird Corp and the Secretary 
involving land owned by Snowbird Corp in the Flagstaff White Pine and 
Red Pine areas of Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons of the Uinta-
Wasatch-Cache National Forest and National Forest System land located 
in the American Fork Twins. It is the intent of Congress that the land 
exchange be completed not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. It is the intent of Congress that the Secretary, 
acting through the Chief of the Forest Service and the Uinta-Wasatch-
Cache National Forest, and in accordance with applicable law, 
expeditiously facilitates the land exchange process contemplated in the 
subsection (a) and Snowbird's associated expansion process to ensure 
the continued outdoor recreational opportunities for the public.
    (b) Management of Acquired Land.--The land acquired by the 
Secretary of Agriculture in the land exchange described in subsection 
(a) shall be included in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and 
managed by the Secretary so as to maintain the land's existing 
wilderness character and potential for inclusion in the National 
Wilderness Preservation System. The Red Pine/White Pine Area land 
acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture in the land exchange described 
in subsection (a) shall be included in the Uinta-Wasatch National 
Forest and managed by the Secretary so as to maintain the land's 
existing wilderness character and for inclusion in the National 
Wilderness Preservation System.
    (c) Private Property.--The Lands acquired by Snowbird Corp in the 
land exchange described in subsection (a) shall become Snowbird's 
private property. These lands are adjacent to other areas currently 
used by Snowbird for ski resort operations, either owned or managed 
under a special use permit issued by the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National 
Forest. It is anticipated that Snowbird will expand its ski resort 
operations into these acquired lands, to include chairlifts, tramway 
facilities, or both.
    (d) Prohibitions.--The following are prohibited on the land 
acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture in the land exchange described 
in subsection (a):
            (1) Permanent roads.
            (2) Except as necessary to meet the minimum requirements 
        for the administration of the land and to protect public health 
        and safety--
                    (A) the use of motorized or mechanized vehicles, 
                except as described in subsection (e); and
                    (B) the establishment of temporary roads.
            (3) Ski resort expansion including chairlift construction 
        and operation.
    (e) Avalanche Control Devices.--The Secretary of Agriculture may 
allow GAZEX, or similar avalanche control devices within the acquired 
Flagstaff Area land, to facilitate avalanche control to be installed 
and maintained on the land acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture in 
the land exchange described in subsection (a) for the sole purpose of 
protecting public health and property.
    (f) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, the land 
acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture in the land exchange described 
in subsection (a) is withdrawn from--
            (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under 
        the public land laws;
            (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
            (3) disposition under all laws relating to mineral and 
        energy leasing.

SEC. 6. WATERSHED MANAGEMENT.

    Subject to such reasonable regulations as are considered by the 
Secretary of Agriculture, nothing in this Act shall be construed to 
limit motorized access, road maintenance, and ``necessary vegetation 
management'' by the ``Forest Service and local government entities with 
watershed management responsibilities'' on the land designated as 
wilderness by section 2 or 3 and the Heliskiing Special Management Area 
designated by section 3 for those minimum maintenance activities that 
may be necessary--
            (1) to guarantee the continued viability of watershed 
        facilities currently in existence on the date of enactment of 
        this Act;
            (2) in the future to prevent the degradation of the water 
        supply on such lands or special management area;
            (3) to guarantee the continued viability of watershed 
        facilities and existing water infrastructure, especially the 
        continued maintenance of White Pine Reservoir; or
            (4) in the future to conduct vegetation management 
        activities to prevent degradation of the water supply mainly 
        due to widespread fire, disease, and insect infestations.
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