[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 181 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 181

To authorize the establishment of the Niblack and Bokan Mountain mining 
  area road corridors in the State of Alaska, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 30, 2013

  Ms. Murkowski (for herself and Mr. Begich) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the establishment of the Niblack and Bokan Mountain mining 
  area road corridors in the State of Alaska, 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 ``Niblack and Bokan Mountain Mining 
Area Roads Authorization Act''.

SEC. 2. NIBLACK AND BOKAN MOUNTAIN MINING AREA ROAD CORRIDORS.

    (a) Establishment.--Notwithstanding any prohibition against road 
construction in inventoried roadless areas under the Roadless Area 
Conservation Rule established under part 294 of title 36, Code of 
Federal Regulations (and successor regulations), not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall, for 
purposes of connecting the Prince of Wales Island road system in the 
State of Alaska to the area of the Niblack and Bokan Mountain patented 
mineral claims on the southeast side of Prince of Wales Island, 
establish--
            (1) a road corridor that follows 1 of the 2 routes 
        identified as ``Niblack Route 1'' or ``Niblack Route 2'' on the 
        map entitled ``Road to Niblack Mine and Bokan Mountain Route 
        Extension'', numbered 1, and dated June 21, 2012; and
            (2) a road corridor to the Bokan Mountain mine that 
        branches off the Niblack Mine road corridor established under 
        paragraph (1).
    (b) Requirements.--A road corridor established under subsection (a) 
shall--
            (1) minimize the economic costs of the road corridor by 
        using, to the maximum extent practicable, the road network in 
        existence on the date of the establishment;
            (2) minimize effects of the road corridor on surface 
        resources;
            (3) prevent unnecessary or unreasonable surface 
        disturbance; and
            (4) comply with all applicable laws (including 
        regulations).
    (c) Cooperating Agencies.--The State of Alaska and the Prince of 
Wales Community Advisory Council may participate as cooperating 
agencies during the preparation of any environmental impact statement 
prepared with respect to a road corridor under subsection (a).
    (d) Federal Permits.--It is the intent of Congress that any Federal 
permit required for construction of a road corridor established under 
subsection (a) be issued or denied by the date that is not later than 1 
year after the date of application for the permit.
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