Wilderness Protection Act of 1982

(Measure passed House, amended, roll call #271 (340-58))

Wilderness Protection Act of 1982 - Withdraws from disposition under all laws pertaining to oil, gas, oil shale, coal, phosphate, potassium, sulphur, gilsonite, and geothermal leasing: (1) wilderness areas; (2) lands recommended for wilderness designation, until Congress determines otherwise or until the lands concerned are recommended for other uses; (3) wilderness study areas, for the period of interim wilderness protection and management required by law; and (4) lands identified for further planning in Executive Communication 1504, 96th Congress, until one year after the final approval and implementation of an initial forest plan covering the further planning area.

Exempts from the withdrawal pursuant to this Act: (1) national forest system land released to management for nonwilderness uses; (2) lands designated as congressional wilderness study areas in Colorado and New Mexico and certain lands within the River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho; (3) Bureau of Land Management wilderness study areas; and (4) lands in Alaska.

Permits activities compatible with the preservation of the wilderness environment for the purpose of inventorying energy, mineral, and other resource values in areas withdrawn by this Act. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to augment recurring surveys of mineral values of wilderness areas and to acquire information on the areas withdrawn by this Act by conducting mineral inventories of such areas.

Authorizes the President to recommend to Congress that minerals exploration, development, or extraction be permitted in specified areas withdrawn under this Act, if: (1) there is an urgent national need for the mineral activity; and (2) such need outweighs the public values of the wilderness lands involved and the potentially adverse environmental impacts likely to result. Makes such a recommendation effective only upon enactment of a joint resolution of approval by Congress.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to issue oil and gas leases for the subsurface of national forest or public land wilderness areas that are immediately adjacent to oil and gas producing fields or areas that are prospectively valuable. Prohibits surface occupancy under such leases and provides that such leases may be entered only by directional drilling from outside the wilderness or by other nonsurface disturbing methods.