[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1774 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1774

To establish the Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Management Area, to 
   designate certain Federal land as wilderness, and to improve the 
management of noxious weeds in the Lewis and Clark National Forest, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 1, 2011

  Mr. Baucus introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Management Area, to 
   designate certain Federal land as wilderness, and to improve the 
management of noxious weeds in the Lewis and Clark National Forest, 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 ``Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act of 
2011''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Conservation management area.--The term ``Conservation 
        Management Area'' means the Rocky Mountain Front Conservation 
        Management Area established by section 3(a)(1).
            (2) Decommission.--The term ``decommission'' means--
                    (A) to reestablish vegetation on a road; and
                    (B) to restore any natural drainage, watershed 
                function, or other ecological processes that are 
                disrupted or adversely impacted by the road by removing 
                or hydrologically disconnecting the road prism.
            (3) District.--The term ``district'' means the Rocky 
        Mountain Ranger District of the Lewis and Clark National 
        Forest.
            (4) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Rocky 
        Mountain Front Heritage Act'' and dated October 27, 2011.
            (5) Nonmotorized recreation trail.--The term ``nonmotorized 
        recreation trail'' means a trail designed for hiking, 
        bicycling, or equestrian use.
            (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means--
                    (A) with respect to land under the jurisdiction of 
                the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of 
                Agriculture; and
                    (B) with respect to land under the jurisdiction of 
                the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of the 
                Interior.
            (7) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Montana.

SEC. 3. ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT AREA.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--There is established the Rocky Mountain 
        Front Conservation Management Area in the State.
            (2) Area included.--The Conservation Management Area shall 
        consist of approximately 195,073 acres of Federal land managed 
        by the Forest Service and 13,087 acres of Federal land managed 
        by the Bureau of Land Management in the State, as generally 
        depicted on the map.
            (3) Incorporation of acquired land and interests.--Any land 
        or interest in land that is located in the Conservation 
        Management Area and is acquired by the United States from a 
        willing seller shall--
                    (A) become part of the Conservation Management 
                Area; and
                    (B) be managed in accordance with--
                            (i) in the case of land managed by the 
                        Forest Service--
                                    (I) the Act of March 1, 1911 
                                (commonly known as the ``Weeks Law'') 
                                (16 U.S.C. 552 et seq.); and
                                    (II) any laws (including 
                                regulations) applicable to the National 
                                Forest System;
                            (ii) in the case of land managed, by the 
                        Bureau of Land Management, the Federal Land 
                        Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
                        1701 et seq.);
                            (iii) this section; and
                            (iv) any other applicable law (including 
                        regulations).
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of the Conservation Management Area are 
to conserve, protect, and enhance for the benefit and enjoyment of 
present and future generations the recreational, scenic, historical, 
cultural, fish, wildlife, roadless, and ecological values of the 
Conservation Management Area.
    (c) Management.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall manage the 
        Conservation Management Area--
                    (A) in a manner that conserves, protects, and 
                enhances the resources of the Conservation Management 
                Area; and
                    (B) in accordance with--
                            (i) the laws (including regulations) and 
                        rules applicable to the National Forest System 
                        for land managed by the Forest Service;
                            (ii) the Federal Land Policy and Management 
                        Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) for land 
                        managed by the Bureau of Land Management;
                            (iii) this section; and
                            (iv) any other applicable law (including 
                        regulations).
            (2) Uses.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary shall only allow 
                such uses of the Conservation Management Area that the 
                Secretary determines would further the purposes 
                described in subsection (b).
                    (B) Motorized vehicles.--
                            (i) In general.--The use of motorized 
                        vehicles in the Conservation Management Area 
                        shall be permitted only on existing roads, 
                        trails, and areas designated for use by such 
                        vehicles as of the date of enactment of this 
                        Act.
                            (ii) Exceptions.--Nothing in clause (i) 
                        prevents the Secretary from--
                                    (I) rerouting or closing an 
                                existing road or trail to protect 
                                natural resources from degradation, as 
                                determined to be appropriate by the 
                                Secretary;
                                    (II) constructing a temporary road 
                                on which motorized vehicles are 
                                permitted as part of a vegetation 
                                management project in any portion of 
                                the Conservation Management Area 
                                located not more than \1/4\ mile from 
                                the Teton Road, South Teton Road, Sun 
                                River Road, Beaver Willow Road, or 
                                Benchmark Road;
                                    (III) authorizing the use of 
                                motorized vehicles for administrative 
                                purposes (including noxious weed 
                                eradication or grazing management); or
                                    (IV) responding to an emergency.
                            (iii) Temporary roads.--The Secretary shall 
                        decommission any temporary road constructed 
                        under clause (ii)(II) not later than 3 years 
                        after the date on which the applicable 
                        vegetation management project is completed.
                    (C) Grazing.--The Secretary shall permit grazing 
                within the Conservation Management Area, if established 
                on the date of enactment of this Act--
                            (i) subject to--
                                    (I) such reasonable regulations, 
                                policies, and practices as the 
                                Secretary determines appropriate; and
                                    (II) all applicable laws; and
                            (ii) in a manner consistent with the 
                        purposes described in subsection (b).
                    (D) Vegetation management.--Nothing in this Act 
                prevents the Secretary from conducting vegetation 
                management projects within the Conservation Management 
                Area--
                            (i) subject to--
                                    (I) such reasonable regulations, 
                                policies, and practices as the 
                                Secretary determines appropriate; and
                                    (II) all applicable laws (including 
                                regulations); and
                            (ii) in a manner consistent with the 
                        purposes described in subsection (b).

SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS ADDITIONS.

    (a) In General.--In accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
1131 et seq.), the following Federal land in the State is designated as 
wilderness and as additions to existing components of the National 
Wilderness Preservation System:
            (1) Bob marshall wilderness.--Certain land in the Lewis and 
        Clark National Forest, comprising approximately 50,401 acres, 
        as generally depicted on the map, which shall be added to and 
        administered as part of the Bob Marshall Wilderness designated 
        under section 3 of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1132).
            (2) Scapegoat wilderness.--Certain land in the Lewis and 
        Clark National Forest, comprising approximately 16,711 acres, 
        as generally depicted on the map, which shall be added to and 
        administered as part of the Scapegoat Wilderness designated by 
        the first section of Public Law 92-395 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note).
    (b) Management of Wilderness Additions.--Subject to valid existing 
rights, the land designated as wilderness additions by subsection (a) 
shall be administered by the Secretary in accordance with the 
Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), except that any reference in 
that Act to the effective date of that Act shall be deemed to be a 
reference to the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Livestock.--The grazing of livestock and the maintenance of 
existing facilities relating to grazing in the wilderness additions 
designated by this section, if established before the date of enactment 
of this Act, shall be permitted to continue in accordance with--
            (1) section 4(d)(4) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
        1133(d)(4)); and
            (2) the guidelines set forth in the report of the Committee 
        on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives 
        accompanying H.R. 5487 of the 96th Congress (H. Rept. 96-617).
    (d) Wildfire, Insect, and Disease Management.--In accordance with 
section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)), within 
the wilderness additions designated by this section, the Secretary may 
take any measures that the Secretary determines to be necessary to 
control fire, insects, and diseases, including, as the Secretary 
determines appropriate, the coordination of those activities with a 
State or local agency.
    (e) Adjacent Management.--
            (1) In general.--The designation of a wilderness addition 
        by this section shall not create any protective perimeter or 
        buffer zone around the wilderness area.
            (2) Nonwilderness activities.--The fact that nonwilderness 
        activities or uses can be seen or heard from areas within a 
        wilderness addition designated by this section shall not 
        preclude the conduct of those activities or uses outside the 
        boundary of the wilderness area.
    (f) Overflights.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to 
restrict or preclude overflights, including low-level overflights, 
including military, commercial, and general aviation overflights that 
can be seen or heard within wilderness or the Conservation Management 
Area.

SEC. 5. MAPS AND LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS.

    (a) In General.--As soon as practicable after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare maps and legal descriptions of 
the Conservation Management Area and the wilderness additions 
designated by sections 3 and 4, respectively.
    (b) Force of Law.--The maps and legal descriptions prepared under 
subsection (a) shall have the same force and effect as if included in 
this Act, except that the Secretary may correct typographical errors in 
the map and legal descriptions.
    (c) Public Availability.--The maps and legal descriptions prepared 
under subsection (a) shall be on file and available for public 
inspection in the appropriate offices of the Forest Service and Bureau 
of Land Management.

SEC. 6. NOXIOUS WEED MANAGEMENT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall prepare a comprehensive 
management strategy for preventing, controlling, and eradicating 
noxious weeds in the district.
    (b) Contents.--The management strategy shall--
            (1) include recommendations to protect wildlife, forage, 
        and other natural resources in the district from noxious weeds;
            (2) identify opportunities to coordinate noxious weed 
        prevention, control, and eradication efforts in the district 
        with State and local agencies, Indian tribes, nonprofit 
        organizations, and others;
            (3) identify existing resources for preventing, 
        controlling, and eradicating noxious weeds in the district;
            (4) identify additional resources that are appropriate to 
        effectively prevent, control, or eradicate noxious weeds in the 
        district; and
            (5) identify opportunities to coordinate with county weed 
        districts in Glacier, Pondera, Teton, and Lewis and Clark 
        Counties in the State to apply for grants and enter into 
        agreements for noxious weed control and eradication projects 
        under the Noxious Weed Control and Eradication Act of 2004 (7 
        U.S.C. 7781 et seq.).
    (c) Consultation.--In developing the management strategy required 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with--
            (1) the Secretary of the Interior;
            (2) appropriate State, tribal, and local governmental 
        entities; and
            (3) members of the public.

SEC. 7. NONMOTORIZED RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES.

    Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with interested parties, 
shall conduct a study to improve nonmotorized recreation trail 
opportunities (including mountain bicycling) on land not designated as 
wilderness within the district.

SEC. 8. MANAGEMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE; HUNTING AND FISHING.

    Nothing in this Act affects the jurisdiction of the State with 
respect to fish and wildlife management (including the regulation of 
hunting and fishing) on public land in the State.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary 
to carry out this Act.
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