[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6493 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6493

 To establish the boundary of the Curecanti National Recreation Area, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 2, 2010

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the boundary of the Curecanti National Recreation Area, 
                        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 ``Curecanti National Recreation Area 
Boundary Establishment Act of 2010''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Since 1965, the National Park Service has been co-
        managing the Curecanti National Recreation Area under 
        agreements with the Bureau of Reclamation.
            (2) The Curecanti National Recreation Area has never been 
        legislatively established.
            (3) Public Law 106-76 directed the National Park Service to 
        conduct a study to assess the natural, cultural, recreational, 
        and scenic resources within and surrounding Curecanti National 
        Recreation Area, and to identify and recommend a variety of 
        alternatives and tools to protect those resource values and the 
        character of the land.
            (4) The Curecanti National Recreation Area includes an 
        abundance of natural, historic, and archeological features in a 
        setting of canyons, pinnacles, cliffs, and mesas, offering the 
        public opportunities for recreation and reflection within its 
        scenic landscape.
            (5) The National Park Service, in cooperation with the 
        Bureau of Reclamation, completed the Curecanti Resource 
        Protection Study/EIS, and prepared a Report to Congress, 
        October 2009, which recommends that Congress pass enabling 
        legislation for the National Recreation Area.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Map to 
        Establish Curecanti National Recreation Area'', numbered 616/
        100485, and dated March 5, 2010.
            (2) National recreation area.--The term ``national 
        recreation area'' means the Curecanti National Recreation Area, 
        established in section 4.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 4. CURECANTI NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, COLORADO.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the Curecanti National 
Recreation Area in the State of Colorado, as a unit of the National 
Park System, consisting of approximately 51,830 acres, as generally 
depicted on the map.
    (b) Conservation Opportunity Area.--There is established a 
conservation opportunity area, consisting of approximately 24,300 
acres, as generally depicted on the map.
    (c) Availability of Map.--The map shall be on file and available 
for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park 
Service.

SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION OF NATIONAL RECREATION AREA.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall administer the national 
recreation area in accordance with this Act, the cooperative agreements 
described in this section, and with laws and regulations generally 
applicable to units of the National Park System, including the National 
Park Service Organic Act (39 Stat. 535, 16 U.S.C. 1).
    (b) Dam, Power Plant, and Reservoir Management and Operations.--
Nothing in this Act shall affect or interfere with the authority of the 
Secretary under--
            (1) the National Reclamation Act (Public Law 57-161; Stat. 
        388), as amended and supplemented, to operate the Uncompahgre 
        Valley Reclamation Project; or
            (2) Public Law 84-485, as amended and supplemented, to 
        operate the Wayne N. Aspinall Unit of the Colorado River 
        Storage Project.
    (c) Cooperative Agreements.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may enter into, or modify 
        existing, management agreements involving the National Park 
        Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bureau of Land 
        Management, or the Forest Service to manage Federal lands 
        within the boundary of the national recreation area.
            (2) State lands.--The Secretary may enter into cooperative 
        management agreements for any lands administered by the State 
        of Colorado that are within or adjacent to the national 
        recreation area, pursuant to the cooperative management 
        authority found in section 802(a) of the National Parks Omnibus 
        Management Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-391).
    (d) Recreational Activities.--The Secretary shall allow boating, 
boating-related activities, hunting, and fishing within the national 
recreation area in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws. 
The Secretary may designate zones where, and establish periods when, no 
boating, hunting, or fishing shall be permitted for reasons of public 
safety.
    (e) Conservation Opportunity Area.--Within the boundaries of the 
conservation opportunity area established under this Act, the Secretary 
is authorized to acquire lands, or interests in lands, including 
conservation easements from willing sellers, and to provide technical 
assistance to landowners in order to conserve resources and values 
identified as important to the national recreation area on lands that 
are outside but adjacent to the national recreation area.
    (f) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, all Federal 
lands within the national recreation area are withdrawn from all forms 
of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; from 
location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and from disposition 
under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing, and all 
amendments thereto.
    (g) Grazing.--
            (1) State or private lands.--On State or private lands 
        acquired for the national recreation area on which authorized 
        grazing is occurring on the date of enactment of this Act, the 
        Secretary, in consultation with the lessee, may allow the 
        continuation of grazing on the land by the lessee at the time 
        of acquisition, subject to applicable law (including 
        regulations).
            (2) Federal land.--Where grazing is allowed on land that is 
        Federal land on the date of the enactment of this section and 
        is located within the boundary of the national recreation area, 
        the Secretary is authorized to allow the continuation of such 
        grazing unless the Secretary determines that grazing would harm 
        the resources or values of the national recreation area.
            (3) Termination of leases.--Nothing in this section shall 
        prohibit the Secretary from accepting the voluntary termination 
        of leases or permits for grazing within the national recreation 
        area.

SEC. 6. ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY AND BOUNDARY MANAGEMENT.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to acquire from 
willing sellers lands, or interests in lands, within the boundary of 
the national recreation area or the conservation opportunity area 
necessary for effective management of the national recreation area. 
Lands acquired within the conservation opportunity area shall be added 
to the national recreation area and the boundary of the national 
recreation area shall be adjusted accordingly.
    (b) Acquisition.--Lands identified in subsection (a) may be 
acquired by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, 
transfer from another Federal agency, or exchange. Lands or interests 
in lands owned by the State of Colorado, or a political subdivision 
thereof, may only be acquired by donation or exchange.
    (c) Exchanges.--For purposes of management efficiency and expanded 
recreational opportunities, the Secretary is authorized to conduct land 
exchanges with the Secretary of Agriculture and between the National 
Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
    (d) Transfer of Administrative Jurisdiction.--The Secretary of 
Agriculture and the Bureau of Land Management shall transfer, without 
consideration, administrative jurisdiction for lands to be added to the 
national recreation area, as shown on the map, to the National Park 
Service. The boundary of the Gunnison National Forest shall be modified 
to reflect the transfer of administrative jurisdiction from the 
Secretary of Agriculture.

SEC. 7. GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which 
funds are made available to carry out this Act, the National Park 
Service, in consultation with the Bureau of Reclamation, shall prepare 
a general management plan for the national recreation area.
    (b) Inclusions.--The general management plan shall include, at a 
minimum--
            (1) measures for the preservation of the resources of the 
        national recreation area;
            (2) requirements for the type and extent of development and 
        use of the national recreation area;
            (3) identification of visitor carrying capacities for the 
        national recreation area; and
            (4) opportunities for involvement by the Bureau of 
        Reclamation, the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, 
        the State of Colorado, and other local and national entities in 
        the formulation of educational and recreational programs for 
        the national recreation area and for developing and supporting 
        the national recreation area.
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