California Wilderness Act of 1981

(Measure passed House, amended)

California Wilderness Act of 1981 - Designates as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System the following lands in the State of California: (1) the Boundary Peak Wilderness in the Inyo National Forest; (2) the Caliente Wilderness in the Cleveland National Forest; (3) the Caples Creek Wilderness in the Eldorado National Forest; (4) the Caribou Wilderness Additions in the Lassen National Forest; (5) the Carson - Iceberg Wilderness in the Stanislaus and Toiyabe National Forests; (6) the Castle Crags Wilderness in the Shasta Trinity National Forest; (7) the Chancelulla Wilderness in the Shasta Trinity National Forest; (8) the Cinger Buttes Wilderness in the Lassen National Forest; (9) the Cucamonga Wildereness Additions in the Angeles National Forest; (10) the Deep Wells Wildereness in the Inyo National Forest; (11) the Dick Smith Wilderness in the Los Padres National Forest; (12) the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness in the Sierra National Forest; (13) the Domeland Wilderness Additions in the Sequoia National Forest; (14) the Emigrant Wilderness Additions in the Stanislaus National Forest; (15) the Excelsior Wilderness in the Inyo National Forest; (16) the Fish Canyon Wilderness in the Angeles National Forest; (17) the Granite Chief Wilderness in the Tahoe National Forest; (18) the Granite Peak Wilderness in the San Bernardino National Forest; (19) the Hauser Wilderness in the Cleveland National Forest; (20) the Hoover Wilderness Additions in the Toiyabe National Forest; (21) the Ishi Wilderness in and adjacent to the Lassen National Forest; (22) the John Muir Wilderness Additions in the Inyo and Sierra National Forests; (23) the Lassen Volcanic Wilderness Additions in the Lassen National Forest; (24) the Marble Mountain Wilderness Additions in the Klamath National Forest; (25) the Minarets Wilderness Additions in the Sierra and Inyo National Forests; (26) the Mokelumne Wilderness Additions in the Eldorado, Stanislaus, and Toiyabe National Forests; (27) the Monarch Wilderness in the Sierra and Sequoia National Forests; (28) the Mt. Shasta Wilderness in the Shasta Trinity National Forest; (29) the North Fork Wilderness in the Six Rivers National Forest; (30) the Pattison Wilderness in the Shasta Trinity National Forest; (31) the Pine Creek Wilderness in the Cleveland National Forest; (32) the Pyramid Peak Wilderness in the San Bernardino National Forest; (33) the Red Buttes Wilderness in the Klamath and Rogue River National Forests; (34) the Russian Peak Wilderness in the Klamath National Forest; (35) the San Gorgonio Wilderness Additions in the San Bernardino National Forest; (36) the San Jacinto Wilderness Additions in the San Bernardino National Forest; (37) the San Joaquin Wilderness in the Sierra and Inyo National Forests and the Devils Postpile National Monument; (38) the San Mateo Canyon Wilderness in the Cleveland National Forest; (39) the San Rafael Wilderness Additions in the Los Padres National Forest; (40) the Santa Rosa Wilderness in the San Bernardino National Forest; (41) the Scodies Wilderness in and adjacent to the Sequoia National Forest; (42) the Sheep Mountain Wilderness in the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests; (43) the Sill Hill Wilderness in the Cleveland National Forest; (44) the Siskiyou Wilderness in the Six Rivers, Klamath, and Siskiyou National Forests; (45) the Snow Mountain Wildereness in the Mendocino National Forest; (46) the South Sierra Wilderness in the Sequoia and Inyo National Forests; (47) the South Warner Wilderness Additions in the Modoc National Forest; (48) the Thousand Lakes Wilderness Additions in the Lassen National Forest; (49) the Timbered Crater Wilderness in and adjacent to the Lassen National Forest; (50) the Trinity Alps Wilderness in and adjacent to the Klamath, Shasta Trinity, and Six Rivers National Forests; (51) the Ventana Wilderness Additions in the Los Padres National Forest; and (52) the Yolla - Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness Additions in and adjacent to the Six Rivers and Mendocino National Forests.

Abolishes the previous classifications of the High Sierra Primitive Area, the Emigrant Basin Primitive Area, and the Salmon - Trinity Alps Primitive Area.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to review and report to the President on the suitability for preservation as wilderness of the Monache Wilderness Study Area in the Sequoia National Forest. Requires the Secretary to maintain its presently existing wilderness character.

Directs the Secretary to acquire any privately owned lands within the Trinity Alps, Granite Chief, Castle Crags, and Mount Shasta Wilderness areas designated by this Act.

Adds the following lands to the National Park System: (1) the Mt. Raymond Addition in the Sierra National Forest (to be incorporated into Yosemite National Park); and (2) the Jennie Lakes Addition in the Sequoia National Forest (to be incorporated into Kings Canyon National Park). Requires the Secretary of the Interior to study, and make recommendations to the Congress on, the possible designation of such lands as national park wilderness. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer to the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior specified land in the Stanislaus National Forest for administration as part of Yosemite National Park. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer to the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture specified land in the Sierra National Forest.

Designates the following lands as wilderness: (1) the Yosemite Wilderness in Yosemite National Park; and (2) the Sequoia - Kings Canyon Wilderness in the Sequoia - Kings Canyon National Park.

Requires the lands which have been added to the National Park System by this Act and which represent potential wilderness additions to be designated wilderness upon notice that all uses thereon prohibited by the Wilderness Act have ceased.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to review and report to the President on the suitability for preservation as wilderness of the Eightmile and Blue Creek Planning Areas in the Six Rivers and Klamath National Forests and the Orleans Mountain Planning Area in the Six Rivers National Forest. Requires the Secretary to conduct a special study on the suitability of the Ski Study Area in the Orleans Mountain Planning Area for an alpine ski facility. Directs the Secretary to maintain the presently existing wilderness character of such planning areas. Requires that timber volumes within such planning areas be included in the base used to determine potential yield for the national forests concerned. Subjects certain mining activities within the North Fork Smith roadless area only to Federal laws and regulations for national forest lands designated as nonwilderness.

Exempts the second roadless area review and evaluation program (RARE II) final environmental statement from judicial review with respect to national forest system lands in California. Provides that, upon enactment of this Act, the injunction issued in State of California v. Bergland shall no longer be in force. States that the RARE II is, for purposes of the initial land management plans required by Federal law for national forest lands, an adequate consideration of the suitability of such lands for wilderness designation, and the wilderness option need not be reviewed prior to revision of the initial plans or to the completion date of the initial planning cycle. Provides that areas reviewed in the RARE II and not designated as wilderness by this Act or remaining in further planning need not be protected for wilderness designation pending such revision. Prohibits any further roadless area review and evaluation of national forest system lands in California without express Congressional authorization.

Requires that the Dillon Creek Further Planning Area in the Klamath National Forest be considered for all uses during the preparation of a forest plan for such forest. Prohibits activities which may reduce the wilderness potential of such land during such time. Requires the designation of such planning area for the use recommended to Congress, unless Congress enacts legislation to the contrary within a specified time.