[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2216 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 308
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2216
[Report No. 118-156]
To release from wilderness study area designation certain land in the
State of Montana, to improve the management of that land, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 10, 2023
Mr. Daines introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
January 9, 2024
Reported by Mr. Manchin, with an amendment
[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To release from wilderness study area designation certain land in the
State of Montana, to improve the management of that land, 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 ``Montana Sportsmen Conservation
Act''.
<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Congress finds that--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) under the Montana Wilderness Study Act of 1977
(Public Law 95-150; 91 Stat. 1243), 9 wilderness study areas
comprising a total of 973,000 acres of land in the State of
Montana were set aside for the Secretary of Agriculture to
evaluate the suitability of the wilderness study areas for
designation as wilderness, in accordance with the Wilderness
Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), with the evaluation to be
completed not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of
the Montana Wilderness Study Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-150; 91
Stat. 1243);</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) between 1979 and 1986, the Chief of the Forest
Service--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) completed the studies of the 9
wilderness study areas referred to in paragraph (1);
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) based on those studies, determined
that 608,700 acres of the original 973,000 acres
designated as wilderness study areas by the Montana
Wilderness Study Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-150; 91
Stat. 1243) were unsuitable for inclusion in the
National Wilderness Preservation System, including the
81,000 acres within the Middle Fork Judith Wilderness
Study Area;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) in 2021, following a 6-year collaborative
process, the Forest Service again determined, in the revision
of the Helena Lewis and Clark National Forest plan, that the
Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study Area is unsuitable for
inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation
System;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) under the Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), 38 wilderness study areas
comprising a total of 447,327 acres of land in the State of
Montana were set aside by the Bureau of Land Management to
evaluate the suitability of the wilderness study areas for
designation as wilderness, with the evaluation to be completed
not later than 15 years after the date of enactment of that
Act;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) in 1991, the Director of the Bureau of Land
Management submitted to the President a recommendation on the
suitability for designation of the areas described in paragraph
(4), which was subsequently submitted to Congress, under which
the Director of the Bureau of Land Management determined that
273,828 acres in the State of Montana designated as wilderness
study areas by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) were unsuitable for wilderness
designation, including--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) the 11,380 acres of land within the
Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study Area; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) the 11,580 acres of land within the
Wales Creek Wilderness Study Area;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) in 2020, following a 5-year collaborative
process, the Bureau of Land Management, in the revision of the
Missoula Resource Management Plan--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) reaffirmed that the Hoodoo Mountain
Wilderness Study Area and the Wales Creek Wilderness
Study Area were unsuitable for wilderness designation;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) recommended alternative management
parameters for the Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study
Area and the Wales Creek Wilderness Study
Area;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) despite the recommendations of the Forest
Service and the Bureau of Land Management, after the completion
of the studies for suitability of the land in the State of
Montana designated as wilderness study areas under the Montana
Wilderness Study Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-150; 91 Stat. 1243)
and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) over 1,100,000 acres of public land in
the State of Montana remain as wilderness study areas
until Congress acts; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) over 700,000 acres of public land in
the State of Montana currently designated as wilderness
study areas have been determined unsuitable for
wilderness management;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (8) if the wilderness study area designation was
removed from each of the Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study
Area, the Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study Area, and the Wales
Creek Wilderness Study Area, land managers would be able to
better conserve and manage the areas in accordance with
applicable land and resource management plans that retain
certain protections for the areas, while providing for--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) enhanced sportsmen opportunities in
the backcountry of Montana;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) improved public access; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) the conduct of wildlife habitat and
wildfire mitigation projects;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (9) the applicable land and resource management
plans referred to in paragraph (8) were developed through a
multi-year, collaborative process supported by--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) resource needs and conditions;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) the best available science;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (10) following release, the respective land
management agencies shall continue managing the areas described
in paragraph (8)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) in accordance with applicable
environmental and administrative laws; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) based on local input, multiple-use and
sustained yield principles, and land management
objectives.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. RELEASE AND IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF LAND COMPRISING
CERTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS.</DELETED>
SEC. 2. RELEASE AND IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF LAND COMPRISING CERTAIN
WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS.
(a) Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study Area.--The approximately
81,000 acres of land comprising the Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study
Area--
(1) shall no longer be subject to section 3(a) of the
Montana Wilderness Study Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-150; 91
Stat. 1244); and
(2) shall be managed in accordance with the applicable land
and resource management plan most recently adopted under
section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources
Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604).
(b) Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study Area and Wales Creek
Wilderness Study Area.--The approximately 11,380 acres of land
comprising the Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study Area and the
approximately 11,580 acres of land comprising the Wales Creek
Wilderness Study Area--
(1) shall no longer be subject to section 603(c) of the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C.
1782(c)); and
(2) shall be managed in accordance with the applicable land
management plans adopted under section 202 of that Act (43
U.S.C. 1712).
Calendar No. 308
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2216
[Report No. 118-156]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To release from wilderness study area designation certain land in the
State of Montana, to improve the management of that land, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
January 9, 2024
Reported with an amendment