[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2942 Reported in House (RH)]
Union Calendar No. 376
103d CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 2942
[Report No. 103-686]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To designate certain lands in the Commonwealth of Virginia as a
National Scenic Area for protection of the watershed and scenic values,
recreation use, protection of wildlife and their habitat, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
August 8, 1994
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
Union Calendar No. 376
103d CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 2942
[Report No. 103-686]
To designate certain lands in the Commonwealth of Virginia as a
National Scenic Area for protection of the watershed and scenic values,
recreation use, protection of wildlife and their habitat, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 6, 1993
Mr. Goodlatte introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
August 8, 1994
Additional sponsors: Mr. Roberts, Mr. Lewis of Florida, Mr. Emerson,
Mr. Doolittle, Mr. Boehner, Mr. Kingston, Mr. Ewing, Mr. Gunderson, Mr.
Bateman, Mr. Calvert, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Bliley, Mr. Dickey, Mr. Smith of
Michigan, Mr. Sisisky, Mrs. Clayton, Mr. Payne of Virginia, Mrs. Byrne,
Mr. Scott, Mr. Baesler, Mr. Inslee, Mr. Pomeroy, Ms. Long, Mr. Smith of
Texas, Mr. Moran, Mr. Pickett, Mr. Volkmer, Mr. Boucher, Mr. Dixon, Mr.
Brown of California, Mrs. Thurman, Mr. Stenholm, Mr. Condit, Mr. Minge,
Mr. Combest, Mr. Pombo, Mr. Smith of Oregon, Mr. Canady, Mr. Everett,
Mr. Allard, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Nussle, Mr. Rose, and Mr. Peterson of
Minnesota
August 8, 1994
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on August
6, 1993]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To designate certain lands in the Commonwealth of Virginia as a
National Scenic Area for protection of the watershed and scenic values,
recreation use, protection of wildlife and their habitat, and for other
purposes.
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 ``Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area
Act''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act with respect to the Mount Pleasant
National Scenic Area are to--
(1) ensure appropriate protection and preservation of the
scenic quality, water quality, natural characteristics, and
water resources;
(2) protect and manage vegetation to provide wildlife and
fish habitat, consistent with paragraph (1);
(3) provide areas that may develop characteristics of old-
growth forests; and
(4) provide a variety of recreation opportunities that are
not inconsistent with the preceding purposes.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF MOUNT PLEASANT NATIONAL SCENIC AREA.
(a) In General.--
(1) Establishment.--There is hereby established in the
George Washington National Forest, Virginia, the Mount Pleasant
National Scenic Area (in this section referred to as the
``scenic area'').
(2) Lands included in scenic area.--The scenic area shall
consist of certain lands in the George Washington National
Forest, Virginia, which comprise approximately seven thousand
five hundred and eighty acres, as generally depicted on a map
entitled ``Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area--Proposed'',
dated June 21, 1993.
(3) Maps and descriptions.--As soon as practicable after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall file
a map and boundary description of the scenic area with the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate
and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives. The map and description shall have the same
force and effect as if included in this Act, except that the
Secretary is authorized to correct clerical and typographical
errors in such boundary description and map. Such map and
boundary description shall be on file and available for public
inspection in the Office of the Chief of the Forest Service,
Department of Agriculture. In the case of any discrepancy
between the acreage and the map described in paragraph (2), the
map shall control.
(b) Administration.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Agriculture (in this
section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall administer the
scenic area in accordance with this Act and the laws and
regulations generally applicable to the National Forest System.
In the event of conflict between this Act and other laws and
regulations, this Act shall take precedence.
(2) Management plan.--Within three years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a
management plan for the scenic area as an amendment to the Land
and Resource Management Plan for the George Washington National
Forest. Such an amendment shall conform to the provisions of
this Act. Nothing in this Act shall require the Secretary to
revise the Land and Resource Management Plan for the George
Washington National Forest pursuant to section 6 of the Forest
and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16
U.S.C. 1604).
(c) Roads.--After the date of the enactment of this Act, no new
permanent roads shall be constructed within the scenic area, except
that this prohibition shall not be construed to deny access to private
lands or interests therein in the scenic area.
(d) Vegetation Management.--No timber harvest shall be allowed
within the scenic area, except as may be necessary in the control of
fire, insects, and diseases and to provide for public safety and trail
access. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Secretary may engage in
vegetation manipulation practices for maintenance of existing wildlife
clearings and visual quality. Firewood may be harvested for personal
use along perimeter roads under such conditions as the Secretary may
impose.
(e) Motorized Travel.--
(1) Authorized routes.--Motorized travel in the scenic area
shall be allowed on State Route 635. Subject to such conditions
as the Secretary may impose, motorized travel in the scenic
area shall also be allowed on Forest Development Road 51.
(2) Other areas.--Other than as provided in paragraph (1),
motorized travel shall not be permitted within the scenic area,
except that the Secretary may authorize motorized travel within
the scenic area as necessary for administrative use in
furtherance of the purposes of this Act and on temporary routes
in support of wildlife management projects.
(f) Fire.--Wildfires shall be suppressed in a manner consistent
with the purposes of this Act, using such means as the Secretary
considers appropriate.
(g) Insects and Disease.--Insect and disease outbreaks may be
controlled in the scenic area to maintain scenic quality, prevent tree
mortality, reduce hazards to visitors, or protect private lands.
(h) Water.--The scenic area shall be administered so as to maintain
or enhance existing water quality.
(i) Mining withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, all
federally owned lands in the scenic area are hereby withdrawn from
location, entry, and patent under the mining laws of the United States
and from leasing claims under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws
of the United States, including amendments to such laws.