[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 192 (Monday, December 12, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H9678-H9680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BONNEVILLE SHORELINE TRAIL ADVANCEMENT ACT
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2551) to designate and adjust certain lands in the State of
Utah as components of the National Wilderness
[[Page H9679]]
Preservation System, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2551
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 ``Bonneville Shoreline Trail
Advancement Act''.
SEC. 2. WILDERNESS AREA INCLUDED IN MOUNT OLYMPUS WILDERNESS.
Section 102(a) of the Utah Wilderness Act of 1984 (Public
Law 98-428; 98 Stat. 1657; 16 U.S.C. 1132 note) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (11), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (12), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(13) certain lands in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National
Forest which comprise approximately 326.27 acres as generally
depicted on a map entitled the `Bonneville Shoreline Trail
Legislative Map' dated July 9, 2020, are, subject to valid
existing rights, hereby incorporated as part of the Mount
Olympus Wilderness designated under paragraph (3).''.
SEC. 3. WILDERNESS BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS.
(a) Mount Naomi Wilderness Boundary Adjustment.--
(1) Adjustment.--Section 102 of the Utah Wilderness Act of
1984 (Public Law 98-428, 98 Stat. 1657, 16 U.S.C. 1132 note)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Mount Naomi Wilderness Boundary Adjustment.--Certain
lands in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest which
comprise approximately 11.17 acres as generally depicted on a
map entitled the `Bonneville Shoreline Trail Legislative
Map', dated July 9, 2020, are hereby removed from the Mount
Naomi Wilderness designated under subsection (a)(1).''.
(2) Management.--The Mount Naomi Wilderness, as designated
under section 102(a)(1) of the Utah Wilderness Act of 1984
(Public Law 98-428; 98 Stat. 1658; 16 U.S.C. 1132 note) and
adjusted under paragraph (1), effective beginning on the date
of the enactment of this Act, shall be managed as part of the
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
(b) Mount Olympus Wilderness Boundary Adjustment.--
(1) Adjustment.--Section 102 of the Utah Wilderness Act of
1984 (Public Law 98-428; 98 Stat. 1657; 16 U.S.C. 1132 note),
as amended by subsection (a), is further amended by adding
the at the end the following:
``(d) Mount Olympus Wilderness Boundary Adjustment.--
Certain lands in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
which comprise approximately 197.4 acres as generally
depicted on a map entitled the `Bonneville Shoreline Trail
Legislative Map', dated July 9, 2020, are hereby removed from
the Mount Olympus Wilderness designated under subsection
(a)(3).''.
(2) Management.--The Mount Olympus Wilderness, as
designated under section 102(a)(3) of the Utah Wilderness Act
of 1984 (Public Law 98-428; 98 Stat. 1658; 16 U.S.C. 1132
note) and adjusted under paragraph (1), effective beginning
on the date of the enactment of this Act, shall be managed as
part of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
(c) Twin Peaks Wilderness Boundary Adjustment.--
(1) Adjustment.--Section 102 of the Utah Wilderness Act of
1984 (Public Law 98-428, 98 Stat. 1657, 16 U.S.C. 1132 note),
as amended by subsections (a) and (b), is further amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(e) Twin Peaks Wilderness Boundary Adjustment.--Certain
lands in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest which
comprise approximately 9.8 acres as generally depicted on a
map entitled the `Bonneville Shoreline Trail Legislative
Map', dated July 9, 2020, are hereby removed from the Twin
Peaks Wilderness designated under subsection (a)(4).''.
(2) Management.--The Twin Peaks Wilderness, as designated
under section 102(a)(4) of the Utah Wilderness Act of 1984
(Public Law 98-428; 98 Stat. 1658; 16 U.S.C. 1132 note) and
adjusted under paragraph (1), effective beginning on the date
of the enactment of this Act, shall be managed as part of the
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
(d) Lone Peak Wilderness Boundary Adjustment.--
(1) Adjustment.--Section 2 of the Endangered American
Wilderness Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-237; 92 Stat. 42; 16
U.S.C. 1132 note) is amended--
(A) in subsection (j), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in subsection (k), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(l) certain lands in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National
Forest, Utah, which comprise approximately 107.9 acres as
generally depicted on a map entitled the `Bonneville
Shoreline Trail Legislative Map', dated July 9, 2020, are
hereby removed from the Lone Peak Wilderness Area designated
under subsection (i).''.
(2) Management.--The Lone Peak Wilderness Area, as
designated under section 2(i) of the Endangered American
Wilderness Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-237; 92 Stat. 42; 16
U.S.C. 1132 note) and adjusted under paragraph (1), effective
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, shall be
managed as part of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
SEC. 4. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this Act--
(1) affects the use or allocation, in existence on the date
of enactment of this Act, of any water, water right, or
interest in water;
(2) affects any water right (as defined by applicable State
law) in existence on the date of enactment of this Act,
including any water right held by the United States;
(3) affects any interstate water compact in existence on
the date of enactment of this Act; or
(4) shall be considered to be a relinquishment or reduction
of any water rights reserved or appropriated by the United
States in the State on or before the date of enactment of
this Act.
SEC. 5. MAP.
(a) Map on File.--The map entitled the ``Bonneville
Shoreline Trail Legislative Map'', dated July 9, 2020, shall
be on file and available for inspection in the office of the
Chief of the Forest Service.
(b) Corrections.--The Secretary of Agriculture may make
technical corrections to the map described in subsection (a).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) and the gentleman from California (Mr.
Obernolte) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.
General Leave
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arizona?
There was no objection.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2551, introduced by our
colleague, Representative John Curtis.
This bill will adjust management boundaries to allow the advancement
of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, while also designating nearby U.S.
Forest Service land for permanent protection.
The Bonneville Shoreline Trail is a regional multiuse concept trail
that will stretch 280 miles from the Idaho border to Nephi, Utah.
Currently, more than 90 miles of the trail have been built.
Certain areas of the trail are currently impeded, preventing hikers
and cyclists from enjoying the full scope of recreational opportunities
it is meant to offer.
While advancement of the trail will expand access to recreation in
two of Utah's most populated counties and ensure that local residents
and visitors can take advantage of the trail for years to come, which,
of course, is a good thing, it is my understanding that this particular
proposal has also been part of a broader discussion known as the
Mountain Accord that is designed to deal with a number of regional
transportation and land-use planning issues.
I encourage the local stakeholders to keep working on that plan to
solve ongoing issues and advance even more meaningful conservation
protections for the Wasatch Mountains.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2551 is a commonsense piece of legislation,
sponsored by Representative John Curtis of Utah, that would improve
access along a popular bike trail in Utah known as the Bonneville
Shoreline Trail.
Approximately 326 acres of the trail are currently inaccessible for
bikers due to overlapping wilderness designations. Representative
Curtis' bill simply swaps these 326 acres out of the Mount Olympus
Wilderness Area and adds in equal acreage in separate areas to ensure
access to outdoor recreational activities.
This is a great example of commonsense types of bills that the House
should be considering. It is locally supported. It is a solution that
will allow for more outdoor recreation and enjoyment of our public
lands.
During a hearing on the bill, the Biden administration testified in
support of this legislation. The bill also enjoys the support of more
than 30 diverse stakeholders, including the Governor of Utah, The Trust
for Public Land, the Outdoor Alliance, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail
Committee,
[[Page H9680]]
PeopleforBikes, American Trails, the International Mountain Biking
Association, and several others.
Letters from these organizations state, in part, that the bill will
help create opportunities for new extracurricular activities for
students at a local high school, provide equitable access to the
outdoors, and support local small businesses.
The Outdoor Alliance also wrote a letter supporting the bill, which
states that: ``Common sense, modest adjustments, offset by new
wilderness additions, can be an important tool for ensuring that
existing boundaries do not create insurmountable obstacles to
sustainable recreation in places where relatively minor adjustments can
be made without undercutting the values that animate the Wilderness
Act. We believe that these conditions are met here.''
Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield such time as
he may consume to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Curtis).
Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the passage of the
Bonneville Shoreline Trail Advancement Act.
Today, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail extends over 100 miles and will
one day go from the Idaho border to Nephi, Utah, over 280 miles.
Unfortunately, the vision is limited in some areas, and my bill would
fix this problem and support its completion.
In particular, my bill would release very small and targeted parcels
of wilderness, often where the trail already has been constructed, and
in turn designate other more deserving lands for protection. This win-
win ensures the protection of this area while allowing for the trail to
exist in appropriate areas without wilderness characteristics.
This commonsense approach is why my bill is supported by Utah's
Governor, the entire Utah delegation, multiple surrounding local
governments, Trails Utah, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Committee,
Outdoor Alliance, The Trust for Public Land, IMBA, and, most
importantly, my grandson Jett, who is an avid bike rider on this trail.
With the rapid growth in and around Salt Lake City, it is more
important than ever to support new recreation opportunities such as the
Bonneville Shoreline Trail.
Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I urge support of the legislation, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Kelly of Illinois). The question is on
the motion offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) that
the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2551.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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