[Senate Report 118-155]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                       Calendar No. 307
                                                       
118th Congress }                                               { Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session    }                                               {  118-155

======================================================================



 
                  BLACKFOOT CLEARWATER STEWARDSHIP ACT

                                _______
                                

                January 9, 2024.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

         Mr. Manchin, from the Committee on Energy and Natural
                   Resources, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 2149]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 2149) to sustain economic development and 
recreational use of National Forest System land in the State of 
Montana, to add certain land to the National Wilderness 
Preservation System, to designate new areas for recreation, and 
for other purposes, having considered the same, reports 
favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the 
bill do pass.

                                PURPOSE

    The purposes of S. 2149 are to direct the Secretary of 
Agriculture to complete a landscape assessment and develop a 
10-year schedule for forest restoration projects on certain 
National Forest lands in the Lolo National Forest in Montana, 
and to designate certain National Forest lands in the State as 
recreation areas or as components of the National Wilderness 
Preservation System.

                          BACKGROUND AND NEED

    The Seeley Lake District of the Lolo National Forest in 
west-central Montana lies in a heavily forested valley, 
bordered by the Swan Mountain range to the east and the Mission 
Mountains range to the west. The area provides numerous 
opportunities for diverse four-season recreation such as 
snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, hiking, hunting, and 
fishing. The Forest also provides timber to support the forest 
products industry.
    Over the past 6 years a collaborative group comprised of 
various organizations and stakeholders have worked to develop 
landscape-scale planning within the 400,000-acre Blackfoot 
Clearwater Stewardship Project area. The collective planning 
effort is designed to provide for forest restoration 
treatments, designate certain areas for recreation, and 
permanently protect certain landscapes and fish and wildlife 
habitat through wilderness designation. S. 2149 would advance 
this collective planning effort by addressing specifically the 
restoration, conservation, and recreation aspects of the 
project area.

                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    S. 2149 was introduced by Senator Tester on June 22, 2023. 
The Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining held a 
hearing on S. 2149 on July 12, 2023.
    Senator Tester introduced similar legislation in the 117th 
Congress, S. 1493, on April 29, 2021. The Subcommittee on 
Public Lands, Forests, and Mining held a hearing on S. 1493 on 
October 19, 2021.
    Similar legislation, S. 1765, was introduced in the 116th 
Congress by Senator Tester on June 10, 2019. The Subcommittee 
on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining held a hearing on S. 1765 
on September 16, 2020 (S. Hrg. 116-380).
    During the 115th Congress, Senator Tester introduced 
similar legislation, S. 507, on March 2, 2017. The Subcommittee 
on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining held a hearing on the bill 
on February 7, 2018 (S. Hrg. 115-502).

                        COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

    The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 
open business session on September 21, 2023, by a majority 
voice vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass 
S. 2149. Senator Lee asked to be recorded as voting no.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title; table of contents

    Subsection (a) provides the short title of the bill, the 
``Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act.''
    Subsection (b) provides a table of contents for the bill.

Section 2. Definitions

    Section 2 defines key terms used in the bill.

                      TITLE I--FOREST RESTORATION

Sec. 101. Landscape assessment

    Subsection (a) directs the Secretary of Agriculture 
(Secretary), in collaboration with interested parties, to 
conduct a landscape assessment of the Steely Lake Ranger 
District in the Lolo National Forest (District) no later than 3 
years after the date of enactment of this Act.
    Subsection (b) requires the landscape assessment to 
consider ecological conditions of the forests and watersheds in 
the District and to identify restoration actions needed for 
ecosystem sustainability, resilience, and health by assisting 
in the recovery of forest ecosystems.
    Subsection (c) provides that the Secretary may fulfill the 
requirements of this section by using any landscape assessment 
underway at the date of enactment of this Act that contains the 
components required under subsection (b).
    Subsection (d) requires the Secretary to develop a 10-year 
schedule of restoration projects following the completion of 
the landscape assessment.

Sec. 102. Environmental review of collaboratively developed restoration 
        projects

    Subsection (a) defines a collaboratively developed 
restoration project to be in accordance with the requirements 
of the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program 
established by section 4003(b) of Public Law 111-11 (16 U.S.C. 
7303(b)).
    Subsection (b) allows a collaboratively developed 
restoration project to be carried out in accordance with 
hazardous fuel reduction projects under the Healthy Forests 
Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6514-6516).
    Subsection (c) authorizes the Secretary to request a 
meeting with an objector to any of the collaboratively 
developed restoration project within the District.

                          TITLE II--RECREATION

Sec. 201. Otatsy Recreation Management Area

    Subsection (a) establishes the 2,013 acre Otatsy Recreation 
Management Area in the Lolo National Forest as depicted on the 
map and subject to valid existing rights.
    Subsection (b) requires the Secretary to manage the 
recreation management area in accordance with this section, to 
conserve, protect, and enhance the scenic, fish and wildlife, 
recreational, backcountry heritage, and other natural resource 
values of the recreation management area, and any laws 
applicable to the National Forest System.
    Subsection (c) prohibits permanent roads and timber 
harvesting on federal land within the recreation management 
area. It also prohibits the use of motorized and mechanized 
vehicles and the establishment of temporary roads within the 
area, except as necessary to provide for snowmobile use, 
meeting the minimum requirements of administration of the area, 
and to protect public health and safety.
    Subsection (d) provides that the use of snowmobiles shall 
be allowed in the recreation management area between December 1 
and April 1, during periods of adequate snow cover, and subject 
to terms and conditions the Secretary deems necessary.
    Subsection (e) authorizes the Secretary to carry out 
measures the Secretary determines to be necessary to control 
fire, insects, and diseases, and allows for the coordination of 
those activities with State and local agencies.
    Subsection (f) withdraws the recreation management area 
from all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the 
public land laws; location, entry and patent under the mining 
laws; and disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and 
geothermal leasing or mineral materials.

Sec. 202. Spread Mountain Recreation Area

    Subsection (a) establishes the 3,835 acre Spread Mountain 
Recreation Area as depicted on the map and subject to valid 
existing rights.
    Subsection (b) requires the Secretary to manage the 
recreation area in accordance with this section, to conserve, 
protect, and enhance the scenic, fish and wildlife, 
recreational, backcountry heritage, and other natural resource 
values of the recreation area, and any laws applicable to the 
National Forest System.
    Subsection (c) prohibits permanent roads and timber 
harvesting on federal land within the recreation area. It also 
prohibits the use of motorized and mechanized vehicles and the 
establishment of temporary roads within the area, except as 
necessary to meet the minimum requirements of administration of 
the area, and to protect public health and safety.
    Subsection (d) provides that nothing in this section 
prohibits the use of mechanized vehicles, access by 
pedestrians, or horse travel and any construction of trails for 
these uses within the recreation area.
    Subsection (e) authorizes the Secretary to carry out 
measures the Secretary determines to be necessary to control 
fire, insects, and diseases, and allows for the coordination of 
those activities with State and local agencies.
    Subsection (f) withdraws the area for inclusion in the 
recreation area from all forms of entry, appropriation, or 
disposal under the public land laws; location, entry and patent 
under the mining laws; and disposition under all laws 
pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral 
materials.

Sec. 203. Trail-based recreation

    Subsection (a) defines the term ``collaboratively 
developed'' to include multiple interested persona representing 
diverse interests, and to be transparent and non-exclusive.
    Subsection (b) authorizes the Secretary to analyze a 
collaboratively-developed proposal if submitted no later than 5 
years after the date of enactment of this Act, in accordance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and subject 
to appropriations, to provide for the construction of any 
routes included in the proposal. The subsection also requires 
the Secretary to complete the analysis no later than 3 years 
after the Secretary receives the proposal, and to give priority 
to expanding motorized and non-motorized recreational trail 
opportunities within the district that are in the public 
interest.
    Subsection (c) authorizes the Secretary to accept volunteer 
services and contributions from non-Federal sources to 
construct and maintain recreational trails.
    Subsection (d) requires the Secretary to carry out this 
section in compliance with the laws generally applicable to the 
National Forest System and this Act.
    Subsection (e) states that nothing in this section affects 
the ownership or management of, or any other right relating to, 
any non-Federal land (including any interests in land).

                        TITLE III--CONSERVATION

Sec. 301. Designation of wilderness areas

    Section 301 designates the following areas as additions to 
existing National Forest wilderness areas in Montana, and as 
components of the National Wilderness Preservation System:
    Paragraph (1) designates the 39,422 acre North Fork 
Blackfoot-Monture Creek Addition and the 7,784 ace Grizzly 
Basin of the Swan Range Addition to be a part of the Bob 
Marshall Wilderness.
    Paragraph (2) designates the 4,462 acre West Fork 
Clearwater Addition to be a part of the Mission Mountain 
Wilderness.
    Paragraph (3) designates the 27,392 acre North Fork 
Blackfoot-Monture Creek Addition to be a part of the Scapegoat 
Wilderness.

Sec. 302. Administration of wilderness areas

    Subsection (a) directs the Secretary to manage the 
wilderness area additions designated by this title in 
accordance with the Wilderness Act.
    Subsection (b) provides that any land within the boundary 
of a wilderness area designated in section 301 shall become a 
part of the wilderness area in which the land is located, be 
withdrawn from the public lands and mining laws, and be managed 
in accordance with the Wilderness Act.
    Subsection (c) withdraws any land designated as wilderness 
in section 301 from all forms of entry, appropriation, or 
disposal under the public land laws; location, entry and patent 
under the mining laws; and disposition under all laws 
pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral 
materials.
    Subsection (d) authorizes the Secretary, in accordance with 
section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)), 
to carry out measures the Secretary determines to be necessary 
in the wilderness areas designated in section 301 to control 
fire, insects, and diseases, and allows for the coordination of 
those activities with State and local agencies.
    Subsection (e) requires the Secretary, in accordance with 
section 5(a) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1134(a)), to 
provide the owner of private lands within the boundary of a 
wilderness area designated in section 301 access to their land.
    Subsection (f) provides that nothing in this title affects 
the jurisdiction or responsibilities of the State of Montana 
with respect to fish and wildlife including hunting, fishing, 
and trapping.
    Subsection (g) clarifies that nothing in this tile prevents 
the installation or maintenance of hydrological, 
meteorological, or climatological instrumentation in a 
wilderness area designated in section 301, if the Secretary 
determines that it is necessary to advance scientific, 
educational, or conservation purposes of the wilderness area.
    Subsection (h) permits the continued use of livestock 
grazing if it was established before the date of enactment of 
this Act, and requires grazing to be in accordance with the 
Wilderness Act and the grazing guidelines described in House 
Report 96-617.
    Subsection (i) authorizes commercial recreational services 
(including authorized outfitting and guide activities) to 
operate within the wilderness areas to the extent necessary for 
activities that fulfill the recreational or other wilderness 
purposes of the areas, in accordance with section 4(d)(5) of 
the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 133(d)(5)). The Secretary is not 
required to modify any permit to provide outfitting and guide 
services within the wilderness areas if the Secretary 
determines that such services are in compliance with the 
Wilderness Act.
    Subsection (j) provides that the designation of a 
wilderness addition in section 301 shall not create any 
protective perimeter or buffer zone around the wilderness area 
and the fact that any non-wilderness activity that can be seen 
or heard within the wilderness area shall not preclude the 
activity from occurring.

Sec. 303. Maps and legal description

    Subsection (a) requires the Secretary to file a map and 
legal description of the Otatsy Recreation Management Area, the 
Spread Mountain Recreation Area, and each wilderness area 
designated under this Act.
    Subsection (b) requires the Secretary to submit the maps 
and legal description to the House and Senate authorizing 
committees.
    Subsection (c) provides that the maps and legal 
descriptions filed under subsection (b) shall have the same 
force and effect as if included in this title.
    Subsection (d) requires the maps and legal description to 
be on file and publically available in the appropriate offices 
of the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

                            TITLE IV--EFFECT

Sec. 401. Protection of tribal treaty rights

    This section clarifies that nothing in this Act alters, 
modifies, enlarges, diminishes, or abrogates the treaty rights 
of any Indian Tribe.

                   COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

    The Committee has requested, but has not yet received, the 
Congressional Budget Office's estimate of the cost of S. 2149 
as ordered reported. When the Congressional Budget Office 
completes its cost estimate, it will be posted on the Internet 
at www.cbo.gov.

                      REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

    In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following 
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in 
carrying out S. 2149. The bill is not a regulatory measure in 
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or 
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals 
and businesses. No personal information would be collected in 
administering the program. Therefore, there would be no impact 
on personal privacy. Little, if any, additional paperwork would 
result from the enactment of S. 2149, as ordered reported.

                   CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

    S. 2149, as ordered reported, does not contain any 
congressionally directed spending items, limited tax benefits, 
or limited tariff benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate.

                        EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

    The testimony provided by the Forest Service at the 
Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining hearing on S. 
2149 held on July 12, 2023, follows:

  Testimony of Chris French, Deputy Chief United States Department of 
                       Agriculture Forest Service


           s. 2149, ``blackfoot clearwater stewardship act''


    S. 2149, the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act, is a 
multi-faceted bill affecting the Lolo National Forest (Lolo) in 
Montana. USDA supports this bill and strongly appreciates 
Senator Tester's commitment to Montana's natural resources and 
public lands. We recognize that the proposed bill is the 
product of a collaborative effort, and we appreciate that this 
legislation would provide benefits to Montana's communities and 
the Lolo National Forest. We look forward to working with the 
subcommittee and Senator Tester as the bill progresses.
    The bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a 
landscape assessment of watershed conditions and restoration 
needs on the Seeley Lake Ranger District within three years of 
enactment. It further directs the Secretary, in collaboration 
with interested parties, to develop a 10-year schedule of 
restoration projects as soon as practicable following the 
assessment. Restoration projects developed pursuant to the Act 
may be implemented using the authorities found in the Healthy 
Forests Restoration Act of 2003.
    Additionally, the bill would establish a 2,013-acre Otatsy 
Recreation Management Area in which recreational motorized and 
mechanized uses and temporary roads generally would be 
prohibited and snowmobiles would be allowed during the winter, 
as determined by the Secretary. S. 2149 also would establish a 
3,835-acre Spread Mountain Recreation Area in which motorized 
use generally would be prohibited but mechanized use would be 
allowed. S. 2149 would require the Secretary to analyze, within 
three years of receipt, a collaboratively developed proposal to 
improve motorized and non-motorized recreational trail 
opportunities within the district if such a proposal is 
submitted within five years of enactment. Finally, the bill 
would designate an additional 79,060 acres to the National 
Wilderness Preservation System.
    The Lolo Land Management Plan revision, which includes 
extensive public engagement, has begun. The land management 
plan revision includes a forest-wide assessment to inform the 
development of desired conditions and objectives for the 
restoration and maintenance of ecological conditions across the 
plan area. It identifies priority watersheds for restoration 
using the National Watershed Condition Framework. As that 
effort overlaps with and informs the requirements in Title 1, 
we would like to work with the bill sponsor to coordinate the 
desired outcomes of this legislation with our plan revision 
process.
    Title II, section 203, would require the Forest Service to 
prepare a NEPA analysis for any collaboratively developed 
proposal to improve motorized and non-motorized recreational 
trail opportunities within the Ranger District within three 
years of receipt of the proposal. USDA would like to work with 
the bill sponsor to align this work with the land management 
plan revision process to enhance efficiency.
    USDA recognizes and appreciates that the bill is the 
product of a collaborative effort. The concepts embodied in 
this legislation--such as recognizing collaboratively developed 
landscape scale restoration and recreation proposals--are 
greatly appreciated. USDA shares Senator Tester's respect for 
and commitment to collaboration, and the Forest Service is 
working with and will continue to work with Senator Tester on 
modifications to ensure that implementation of the bill will 
complement the Lolo National Forest land management plan 
revision process.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no 
changes in existing law are made by S. 2149, as ordered 
reported.