[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 109 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 109

  To designate the Beaver Basin Wilderness at Pictured Rocks National 
                  Lakeshore in the State of Michigan.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 6, 2009

Mr. Levin (for himself and Ms. Stabenow) introduced the following bill; 
   which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To designate the Beaver Basin Wilderness at Pictured Rocks National 
                  Lakeshore in the State of Michigan.

    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 ``Beaver Basin Wilderness Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) since 1981, the National Park Service has managed the 
        land designated as the Beaver Basin Wilderness by section 4(a) 
        as a backcountry and wilderness area;
            (2) the land designated by section 4(a) as the Wilderness 
        comprises approximately 16 percent of the area of Pictured 
        Rocks National Lakeshore;
            (3) the decision to propose this portion of the National 
        Lakeshore as wilderness was made after 5 years of planning, 
        which involved extensive public involvement and culminated in 
        the approval of a new general management plan in 2004; and
            (4) the fundamental manner in which the land designated as 
        Wilderness by section 4(a) is managed for purposes of access, 
        public use, and enjoyment will not change as a result of this 
        designation.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Line of demarcation.--The term ``line of demarcation'' 
        means the point on the bank or shore at which the surface 
        waters of Lake Superior meet the land or sand beach, regardless 
        of the level of Lake Superior.
            (2) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled 
        ``Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Beaver Basin Wilderness 
        Boundary'', numbered 625/80,051, and dated April 16, 2007.
            (3) National lakeshore.--The term ``National Lakeshore'' 
        means the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (5) Wilderness.--The term ``Wilderness'' means the Beaver 
        Basin Wilderness designated by section 4(a).

SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF BEAVER BASIN WILDERNESS.

    (a) In General.--In accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
1131 et seq.), the land described in subsection (b) is designated as 
wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation 
System, to be known as the ``Beaver Basin Wilderness''.
    (b) Description of Land.--The land referred to in subsection (a) is 
the land and inland water comprising approximately 11,740 acres within 
the National Lakeshore, as generally depicted on the map.
    (c) Boundary.--
            (1) Line of demarcation.--The line of demarcation shall be 
        the boundary for any portion of the Wilderness that is bordered 
        by Lake Superior.
            (2) Surface water.--The surface water of Lake Superior, 
        regardless of the fluctuating lake level, shall be considered 
        to be outside the boundary of the Wilderness.
    (d) Map and Legal Description.--
            (1) Availability of map.--The map shall be on file and 
        available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of 
        the National Park Service.
            (2) Legal description.--As soon as practicable after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 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 legal description of the boundary of the 
        Wilderness.
            (3) Force and effect.--The map and the legal description 
        submitted under paragraph (2) shall have the same force and 
        effect as if included in this Act, except that the Secretary 
        may correct any clerical or typographical errors in the map and 
        legal description.

SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) Management.--Subject to valid existing rights, the Wilderness 
shall be administered by the Secretary in accordance with the 
Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), except that--
            (1) any reference in that Act to the effective date of that 
        Act shall be considered to be a reference to the date of 
        enactment of this Act; and
            (2) with respect to land administered by the Secretary, any 
        reference in that Act to the Secretary of Agriculture shall be 
        considered to be a reference to the Secretary.
    (b) Use of Electric Motors.--The use of boats powered by electric 
motors on Little Beaver and Big Beaver Lakes may continue, subject to 
any applicable laws (including regulations).

SEC. 6. EFFECT.

    Nothing in this Act--
            (1) modifies, alters, or affects any treaty rights;
            (2) alters the management of the water of Lake Superior 
        within the boundary of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in 
        existence on the date of enactment of this Act; and
            (3) prohibits--
                    (A) the use of motors on the surface water of Lake 
                Superior adjacent to the Wilderness; or
                    (B) the beaching of motorboats at the line of 
                demarcation.
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