A bill to designate wilderness areas and a cooperative management and protection area in the vicinity of Steens Mountain in Harney County, Oregon, and for other purposes.
Subtitle B: Management of Federal Lands - Sets forth provisions regarding management of Federal Area lands and requires a plan for the long-range protection and management of such lands. Includes within the plan a transportation plan for Federal lands in the Area.
(Sec. 112) Prohibits off-road travel in Federal lands in the Area, except under certain circumstances. Bars construction of roads or trails for motorized vehicles unless the Secretary determines it necessary for public safety or environmental protection.
(Sec. 113) Permits uses of Federal lands in the Area only to further the purposes for which the Area is established. Makes such lands unavailable for commercial timber harvest. Permits the removal of trees only if the Secretary determines such removal is needed for ecological restoration and maintenance or public safety. Authorizes the sale of forest products from such removals except in the Steens Mountain Wilderness Area and wilderness study areas described in title II of this Act. Permits fishing, hunting, and trapping on such lands, with authorized limitations. Requires the cancellation of specified grazing in the Lowther and Roaring Springs allotments. Requires replacement of lost livestock forage resulting from the selection of Federal lands within the Fields Basin Allotment to include specified pasture assignments within the Miners Field Allotment. Bars the construction of new facilities on Federal lands in the Area unless the structure is: (1) minimal in nature and consistent with this Act; and (2) necessary for enhancing botanical, fish, wildlife, or watershed conditions, for public information, health, or safety, or for livestock or recreation management.
Withdraws all Federal lands in the Area from entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws, except for certain land exchanges that further the purposes of this Act as determined by the Secretary.
(Sec. 114) Authorizes the Secretary to acquire non-Federal lands and interests in lands in the Area or the Wilderness Area established by this Act.
(Sec. 115) Allows the Secretary to renew a special recreational use permit applicable to Wilderness Area lands if the permit is consistent with the Wilderness Act. Requires the Secretary, if renewal is not consistent with such Act, to seek other opportunities for the permit holder to realize historic permit use.
Subtitle C: Cooperative Management - Authorizes the Secretary to work with non-Federal landowners and other parties who agree to participate in the cooperative management of Federal and non-Federal lands in the Area. Permits the Secretary to enter into agreements with the Burns Paiute Tribe to protect cultural sites in the Area.
(Sec. 122) Authorizes the Secretary to enter into a nondevelopment or conservation easement with willing landowners to further this Act's purposes.
Permits the Secretary to provide technical assistance, cost-share or incentive payments, and education to private landowners in the Area who enter into contracts with the Secretary to protect or enhance ecological resources on private land if those protections or enhancements also benefit public lands.
Subtitle D: Advisory Council - Requires the Secretary to establish the Steens Mountain Advisory Council to advise the Secretary in managing the Wilderness Area and the Area and in promoting cooperative management.
(Sec. 133) Directs the Secretary to appoint, as needed or at the advisory council's request, a team of scientists to provide advice on questions relating to Area management.
Title II: Steens Mountain Wilderness Area - Requires the Secretary to designate certain Federal lands in the Area as the Steens Mountain Wilderness Area.
(Sec. 202) Retires certain grazing permits in the Wilderness Area.
(Sec. 203) Reserves a quantity of water sufficient to fulfill the purposes for which the Wilderness Area is designated.
(Sec. 204) Continues the management of wilderness study areas within the Area excluded from the Wilderness Area as wilderness study areas.
Bars management of juniper species in the wilderness study areas with mechanized tools unless the Secretary first considers nonmechanized treatments and the recommendations of the science committee and advisory council.
Title III: Wild and Scenic Rivers and Trout Reserve - Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to expand the number of segments of the Donner und Blitzen River in Oregon to be administered as a wild river. Designates specified segments of Little Wildhorse and Wildhorse Creeks located in the Area as a wild river.
(Sec. 302) Directs the Secretary to designate the Donner und Blitzen Redband Trout Reserve. Excludes private lands adjacent to the river from the Reserve. Requires the Secretary to remove the dam located below the mouth of Fish Creek and above Page Springs if removal of the dam is scientifically justified and funds are available for such purpose.
Title IV: Mineral Withdrawal Area - Requires all Federal lands included within the withdrawal boundary in the Area to be withdrawn from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws and operation of the mineral leasing, geothermal, and minerals materials laws. Authorizes the development of saleable mineral resources for road maintenance use only in locations identified as gravel pits within such boundaries (excluding the Wilderness Area, wilderness study areas, and wild and scenic rivers) where development was previously authorized.
(Sec. 402) Requires the Secretary to acquire State lands and mineral interests within the mineral withdrawal area in exchange for: (1) Federal lands or mineral interests outside such area; (2) a monetary payment to the State; or (3) a combination of a conveyance and payment.
Title V: Establishment of Wildlands Juniper Management Area - Directs the Secretary to establish a wildlands juniper management area consisting of Area Federal lands. Requires special management practices to be adopted for such area to restore the historic fire regime and native vegetation communities on Steens Mountain.
Authorizes appropriations to carry out this title and juniper management provisions of title I of this Act.
Title VI: Land Exchanges - Authorizes the Secretary, for purposes of protecting and consolidating Federal lands within the Wilderness Area, to carry out land exchanges with specified corporations and individuals to include acquired private lands in the Wilderness Area. Requires the Secretary to make economic adjustment disbursements to such entities.
Title VII: Funding Authorities - Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes appropriations from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for acquisition of non-Federal lands and interests in the Area and Wilderness Area and for entering into nondevelopment and conservation easements.
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Forests and Public Land Management. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 106-914.
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