[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 28, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2470-S2471]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SUNUNU (for himself and Mr. Gregg):
  S. 2463. A bill to designate as wilderness certain National Forest 
System land in the State of New Hampshire; to the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mr. SUNUNU. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation with 
my friend, the senior Senator from New Hampshire, Judd Gregg, which 
will designate approximately 34,500 acres of forest land in the State 
of New Hampshire as wilderness. Our bill, the New Hampshire Wilderness 
Act of 2006, will enact the recommended wilderness designations as set 
forth in the Forest Service Management Plan for the White Mountain 
National Forest.
  Established under the Weeks Act of 1911, the White Mountain National 
Forest consists of nearly 800,000 acres--732,000 acres in the State of 
New Hampshire and 65,000 acres more in Maine. Over 6 million people 
visit the White Mountain National Forest annually, making it one of the 
most popular National Forests in the Nation.
  In November of 2005, the Forest Service recommended the designation 
of additional acreage as wilderness in its management plan for the 
White Mountain National Forest. The bill that Senator Gregg and I are 
introducing today, the New Hampshire Wilderness Act of 2006, 
incorporates the recommendations of this management plan by designating 
some 23,700 acres in the area of the Wild River as wilderness, and 
adding another 10,800 acres to the existing Sandwich Range Wilderness. 
This land would remain as White Mountain National Forest land under the 
protection of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Similar 
legislation is to be introduced in the House of Representatives by our 
New Hampshire colleagues, Representative Charles Bass and 
Representative Jeb Bradley.
  With the passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964, Congress set out to 
permanently preserve areas of natural beauty for the public to enjoy; 
areas ``where the earth and its community of life are

[[Page S2471]]

untrammeled by man.'' New Hampshire was one of the original States in 
1964 to have wilderness designated with the establishment of the Great 
Gulf Wilderness, and it reflects the view in our State that Granite 
Staters place a premium on safeguarding our natural heritage for future 
generations. In New Hampshire, we presently have four wilderness areas 
comprising more than 102,800 acres; and with the passage of this bill, 
we will expand one current wilderness area and create a fifth.
  In New Hampshire, we have a tradition of multiple use for the 
consideration of our forest lands. In the White Mountain National 
Forest, it is generally understood that decisions affecting the forest 
are vetted thoroughly and that consensus is the guideline by which 
policies are implemented. Indeed, the development of the White Mountain 
National Forest Management Plan is one of the few times in the last 30 
years that the final decision on how a particular National Forest will 
be managed over the next 15 years was not subject to an administrative 
appeal by concerned citizens.
  As my colleagues know, wilderness areas consist of Federal lands that 
are permanently reserved from such activities as mining, logging, road 
construction, vehicular traffic, and building construction. By law, the 
establishment of new wilderness must be approved by Congress. That 
presents a unique responsibility on the part of lawmakers to reflect 
the views of community leaders, residents, visitors and other 
interested parties in designating wilderness. Given the consensus 
approach they undertook in their decision-making process for the White 
Mountain National Forest, we chose to pattern our legislation on the 
recommendations set forth by the Forest Service.
  One need only experience the beauty of the White Mountain National 
Forest once to understand the need to preserve it for future 
generations. The Forest Service has done an admirable job in putting 
together a Forest Management Plan that all can support. I am pleased to 
introduce this measure with Senator Gregg, and I encourage my 
colleagues to give quick consideration to our legislation.
  I ask unanimous consent that the full text of the New Hampshire 
Wilderness Act of 2006 be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2463

       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 ``New Hampshire Wilderness Act 
     of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest 
     Service.
       (2) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of New 
     Hampshire.

     SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS AREAS.

       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 components of the National Wilderness 
     Preservation System:
       (1) Certain Federal land managed by the Forest Service, 
     comprising approximately 23,700 acres, as generally depicted 
     on the map entitled ``Proposed Wild River Wilderness--White 
     Mountain National Forest'', dated February 6, 2006, which 
     shall be known as the ``Wild River Wilderness''.
       (2) Certain Federal land managed by the Forest Service, 
     comprising approximately 10,800 acres, as generally depicted 
     on the map entitled ``Proposed Sandwich Range Wilderness 
     Additions--White Mountain National Forest'', dated February 
     6, 2006, and which are incorporated in the Sandwich Range 
     Wilderness, as designated by the New Hampshire Wilderness Act 
     of 1984 (Public Law 98-323; 98 Stat. 259).

     SEC. 4. MAP AND DESCRIPTION.

       (a) In General.--As soon as practicable after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall file a map and a 
     legal description of each wilderness area designated by 
     section 3 with the committees of appropriate jurisdiction in 
     the Senate and the House of Representatives.
       (b) Force and Effect.--A map and legal description filed 
     under subsection (a) shall have the same force and effect as 
     if included in this Act, except that the Secretary may 
     correct clerical and typographical errors in the map and 
     legal description.
       (c) Public Availability.--Each map and legal description 
     filed under subsection (a) shall be filed and made available 
     for public inspection in the Office of the Chief of the 
     Forest Service.

     SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION.

       (a) Administration.--Subject to valid existing rights, each 
     wilderness area designated under this section shall be 
     administered by the Secretary in accordance with--
       (1) the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 
     U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and
       (2) the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.).
       (b) Effective Date of Wilderness Act.--With respect to any 
     wilderness area designated by this Act, any reference in the 
     Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) to the effective date 
     of the Wilderness Act shall be deemed to be a reference to 
     the date of enactment of this Act.
       (c) Fish and Wildlife.--As provided in section 4(d)(7) of 
     the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(7)), nothing in this 
     Act affects any jurisdiction or responsibility of the State 
     with respect to wildlife and fish in the State.
       (d) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, all 
     Federal land in the wilderness areas designated by section 3 
     are withdrawn from--
       (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under 
     the public land laws;
       (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
       (3) disposition under the mineral leasing laws (including 
     geothermal leasing laws).
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