[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 5, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S3166]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. JOHNSON:
  S. 3310. A bill to designate certain wilderness areas in the National 
Forest System in the State of South Dakota; to the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources.
  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, today, I am introducing legislation to 
protect the Cheyenne River Valley in the Buffalo Gap National 
Grassland. My bill will establish the first National Grassland 
wilderness area in the United States and provide the public with a 
unique experience to enjoy these public lands.
  The Cheyenne River Valley in the Buffalo Gap National Grassland 
includes some of the finest prairie wilderness in the United States. 
Located among isolated buttes and the wide Cheyenne River Valley, these 
lands remain largely isolated and in the form that the Native people 
who first inhabited these lands would recognize.
  The lands of the Cheyenne River Valley--Indian Creek, Red Shirt and 
Chalk Hills--exhibit the characteristics of undisturbed, wild lands. 
Consistent with their natural character, the U.S. Forest Service 
identified these lands for inclusion in the Wilderness Preservation 
System. In fact, since 2002, the Indian Creek and Red Shirt areas have 
been managed by the Forest Service to preserve their wilderness 
qualities, including a prohibition on motorized traffic that created 
one of the largest roadless areas in the Great Plains. My legislation 
builds off the Forest Service recommendation in a manner consistent 
with the history and purposes of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland.
  These lands also support livestock grazing, a productive use and 
integral part of managing the health and sustainability of native 
grassland. My bill safeguards existing grazing, consistent with the 
Wilderness Act, by directing the Forest Service to allow for the 
continuation of grazing.
  By designating a portion of the Cheyenne River Valley as wilderness, 
it is possible to protect its undeveloped character from encroaching 
motorized recreation while providing hunters, rock collectors, campers 
and hikers a new way to enjoy prairie grasslands.
  The public benefits from enjoying a variety of experiences on our 
public lands. These lands provide food and fiber and are a natural 
asset to be responsibly and sustainably managed. America's grasslands, 
with millions of acres of rangeland, can also sustain other purposes, 
including the solitude and primitive character of wilderness. 
Establishing a first-of-its-kind grasslands wilderness fills a long 
overlooked gap and completes the unique history and varied landscapes 
of our National Grasslands.
  I have named this bill in honor of my friend and a great advocate for 
South Dakotan's open spaces, the late Tony Dean. It is his words in 
describing the purposes of creating a grasslands wilderness bill that I 
turn to for the best explanation for why this bill is necessary. Tony 
said:

       Let's relate wilderness from the perspective of a hunter. 
     It does not take a rocket scientist among hunters to 
     recognize that once the opening salvo takes place on opening 
     morning of the big game seasons, no matter where you live, 
     the best hunting is almost always found far from the nearest 
     road.

  That sentiment is what, in part, this legislation is aimed at 
creating: a place held from competition of multiple uses and 
development, a place where the public and future generations can enjoy 
a unique wilderness experience found in few places outside my great 
State.
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