[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 24 (Tuesday, March 8, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 BISTI/DE-NA-ZIN WILDERNESS EXPANSION AND FOSSIL FOREST PROTECTION ACT

  Mr. HOLLINGS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar No. 374, S. 
313, a bill relating to the San Juan Basin; that the committee 
amendments be agreed to en bloc; that the bill be read a third time, 
passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; and that 
any statements relative to passage of this item appear at the 
appropriate place in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  So the bill (S. 313) was deemed read the third time and passed, as 
follows:

                                 S. 313

       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 ``Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness 
     Expansion and Fossil Forest Protection Act''.

     SEC. 2. BISTI/DE-NA-ZIN WILDERNESS.

       (a) Wilderness Designation.--Section 102 of the San Juan 
     Basin Wilderness Protection Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-603) 
     is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) by striking ``wilderness, and, therefore,'' and all 
     that follows through ``System--'' and inserting ``wilderness 
     areas, and as one component of the National Wilderness 
     Preservation System, to be known as the `Bisti/De-Na-Zin 
     Wilderness'--'';
       (B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``, and which shall be 
     known as the Bisti Wilderness; and'' and inserting a 
     semicolon;
       (C) in paragraph (2), by striking ``, and which shall be 
     known as the De-na-zin Wilderness.'' and inserting ``; and''; 
     and
       (D) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(3) certain lands in the Farmington District of the 
     Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico, which comprise 
     approximately 16,674 acres, as generally depicted on a map 
     entitled `Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness Amendment Proposal', 
     dated May 1992.'';
       (2) in the first sentence of subsection (c), by inserting 
     after ``of this Act'' the following: ``with regard to the 
     areas described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a), 
     and as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of 
     subsection (a)(3) with regard to the area described in 
     subsection (a)(3)'';
       (3) in subsection (d), by inserting after ``of this Act'' 
     the following: ``with regard to the areas described in 
     paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a), and where 
     established prior to the date of enactment of subsection 
     (a)(3) with regard to the area described in subsection 
     (a)(3)''; and
       (4) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(e)(1) Subject to valid existing rights, the lands 
     described in subsection (a)(3) are withdrawn from all forms 
     of appropriation under the mining laws and from disposition 
     under all laws pertaining to mineral leasing, geothermal 
     leasing, and mineral material sales.
       ``(2) The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to issue 
     coal leases in New Mexico in exchange for any preference 
     right coal lease application within the area described in 
     section 2(a)(3). Such exchanges shall be made in accordance 
     with applicable existing laws and regulations relating to 
     coal leases after a determination has been made by the 
     Secretary that the applicant is entitled to a preference 
     right lease and that the exchange is in the public interest.
       ``(3) Operations on oil and gas leases issued prior to the 
     date of enactment of subsection (a)(3) shall be subject to 
     the applicable provisions of Group 3100 of title 43, Code of 
     Federal Regulations (including section 3162.5-1), and such 
     other terms, stipulations, and conditions as the Secretary of 
     the Interior considers necessary to avoid significant 
     disturbance of the land surface or impairment of the 
     ecological, educational, scientific, recreational, scenic, 
     and other wilderness values of the lands described in 
     subsection (a)(3) in existence on the date of enactment of 
     subsection (a)(3).''.
       (b) Exchanges for State Lands.--Section 104 of the Act is 
     amended--
       (1) in the first sentence of subsection (b), by inserting 
     after ``of this Act'' the following: ``with regard to the 
     areas described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a), 
     and not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of 
     subsection (a)(3) with regard to the area described in 
     subsection (a)(3)'';
       (2) in subsection (c), by inserting before the period the 
     following: ``with regard to the areas described in paragraphs 
     (1) and (2) of subsection (a), and as of the date of 
     enactment of subsection (a)(3) with regard to the area 
     described in subsection (a)(3)''; and
       (3) in the last sentence of subsection (d), by inserting 
     before the period the following: ``with regard to the areas 
     described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a), and 
     not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
     subsection (a)(3) with regard to the area described in 
     subsection (a)(3)''.
       (c) Exchanges for Indian Lands.--Section 105 of the Act is 
     amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(d)(1) The Secretary of the Interior shall exchange any 
     lands held in trust for the Navajo Tribe by the Bureau of 
     Indian Affairs that are within the boundary of the area 
     described in subsection (a)(3).
       ``(2) The lands shall be exchanged for lands within New 
     Mexico approximately equal in value that are selected by the 
     Navajo Tribe.
       ``(3) After the exchange, the lands selected by the Navajo 
     Tribe shall be held in trust by the Secretary of the Interior 
     in the same manner as the lands described in paragraph 
     (1).''.

     SEC. 3. FOSSIL FOREST RESEARCH NATURAL AREA.

       Section 103 of the San Juan Basin Wilderness Protection Act 
     of 1984 (Public Law 98-603) is amended to read as follows:

     ``SEC. 103. FOSSIL FOREST RESEARCH NATURAL AREA.

       ``(a) Establishment.--To conserve and protect natural 
     values and to provide scientific knowledge, education, and 
     interpretation for the benefit of future generations, there 
     is established the Fossil Forest Research Natural Area 
     (referred to in this section as the `Area'), consisting of 
     the approximately 2,770 acres in the Farmington District of 
     the Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico, as generally 
     depicted on a map entitled `Fossil Forest', dated June 1983.
       ``(b) Map and Legal Description.--
       ``(1) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of 
     enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary of the Interior 
     shall file a map and legal description of the Area with the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and 
     the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
     Representatives.
       ``(2) Force and effect.--The map and legal description 
     described in paragraph (1) shall have the same force and 
     effect as if included in this Act.
       ``(3) Technical corrections.--The Secretary of the Interior 
     may correct clerical, typographical, and cartographical 
     errors in the map and legal description subsequent to filing 
     the map pursuant to paragraph (1).
       ``(4) Public inspection.--The map and legal description 
     shall be on file and available for public inspection in the 
     Office of the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, 
     Department of the Interior.
       ``(c) Management.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting 
     through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, shall 
     manage the Area--
       ``(A) to protect the resources within the Area; and
       ``(B) in accordance with--
       ``(i) this Act;
       ``(ii) the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
     (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and
       ``(iii) other applicable provisions of law.
       ``(2) Mining.--
       ``(A) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, the 
     lands within the Area are withdrawn from all forms of 
     appropriation under the mining laws and from disposition 
     under all laws pertaining to mineral leasing, geothermal 
     leasing, and mineral material sales.
       ``(B) Coal preference rights.--The Secretary of the 
     Interior is authorized to issue coal leases in New Mexico in 
     exchange for any preference right coal lease application 
     within the Area. Such exchanges shall be made in accordance 
     with applicable existing laws and regulations relating to 
     coal leases after a determination has been made by the 
     Secretary that the applicant is entitled to a preference 
     right lease and that the exchange is in the public interest.
       ``(C) Oil and gas leases.--Operations on oil and gas leases 
     issued prior to the date of enactment of this paragraph shall 
     be subject to the applicable provisions of Group 3100 of 
     title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (including section 
     3162.5-1), and such other terms, stipulations, and conditions 
     as the Secretary of the Interior considers necessary to avoid 
     significant disturbance of the land surface or impairment of 
     the natural, educational, and scientific research values of 
     the Area in existence on the date of enactment of this 
     paragraph.
       ``(3) Grazing.--Livestock grazing on lands within the Area 
     may not be permitted.
       ``(d) Inventory.--Not later than 3 full fiscal years after 
     the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary of 
     the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of 
     Land Management, shall develop a baseline inventory of all 
     categories of fossil resources within the Area. After the 
     inventory is developed, the Secretary shall conduct 
     monitoring surveys at intervals specified in the management 
     plan developed for the Area in accordance with subsection 
     (e).
       ``(e) Management Plan.--
       ``(1) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
     develop and submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural 
     Resources of the House of Representatives a management plan 
     that describes the appropriate uses of the Area consistent 
     with this Act.
       ``(2) Contents.--The management plan shall include--
       ``(A) a plan for the implementation of a continuing 
     cooperative program with other agencies and groups for--
       ``(i) laboratory and field interpretation; and
       ``(ii) public education about the resources and values of 
     the Area (including vertebrate fossils);
       ``(B) provisions for vehicle management that are consistent 
     with the purpose of the Area and that provide for the use of 
     vehicles to the minimum extent necessary to accomplish an 
     individual scientific project;
       ``(C) procedures for the excavation and collection of 
     fossil remains, including botanical fossils, and the use of 
     motorized and mechanical equipment to the minimum extent 
     necessary to accomplish an individual scientific project; and
       ``(D) mitigation and reclamation standards for activities 
     that disturb the surface to the detriment of scenic and 
     environmental values.''.

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