To accelerate the wilderness designation process by establishing a timetable for the completion of wilderness studies on Federal lands, and for other purposes.

March 6, 2003

Mr. OTTER (for himself, Mr. CANNON, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. AKIN, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. CULBERSON, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. HERGER, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. MCINNIS, Mr. PAUL, Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr. REHBERG, Mr. SHUSTER, Mr. TANCREDO, and Mr. YOUNG of Alaska) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources

To accelerate the wilderness designation process by establishing a timetable for the completion of wilderness studies on Federal lands, 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 `America's Wilderness Protection Act'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

Congress finds the following:

(1) The designation of certain Federal lands as wilderness is beneficial to the American people.

(2) The Wilderness Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 provided for the study of certain lands for wilderness suitability. Areas undergoing such a study have been generally known as `Wilderness Study Areas'.

(3) Wilderness Study Areas were intended to have interim management status pending completion of wilderness suitability studies. Wilderness Study Area status was not intended as a substitute for wilderness designation by Congress.

(4) It was not the intent of Congress that areas continue under Wilderness Study Area status indefinitely. Perpetuation of Wilderness Study Area status is undesirable and hinders the wilderness designation process. Lands that merit wilderness designation should be granted the full protection that such a status would afford and those lands that do not merit such a designation should be released so that they can be managed for the public good as accorded by law.

(5) The establishment of a timetable for the completion of wilderness studies would facilitate the wilderness designation process by supplying a timeframe within which Congress must act.

SEC. 3. TIMETABLE FOR WILDERNESS STUDY COMPLETION.

(a) EXISTING WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS- All areas with Wilderness Study Area status on the date of the enactment of this Act shall be released from Wilderness Study Area status on the earlier of the following:

(1) The date that the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, as appropriate, determines that the area is not suitable for wilderness designation.

(2) 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(3) The date that the area is designated as wilderness by an Act of Congress.

(b) SUBSEQUENT WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS- Any area that is given Wilderness Study Area status after the date of enactment of this Act shall be released from Wilderness Study Area status on the earlier of the following:

(1) The date that the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, as appropriate, determines that the area is not suitable for wilderness designation.

(2) 10 years after the date that the area was given Wilderness Study Area status.

(3) The date that the area is designated as wilderness by an Act of Congress.

(c) RELEASE FROM WILDERNESS STUDY AREA STATUS- Any area that is released from Wilderness Study Area status pursuant to paragraph (a)(1), (a)(2), (b)(1), or (b)(2) shall revert to the land use status such area had immediately before the area was given Wilderness Study Area status and shall not be studied again regarding wilderness designation.

(d) WILDERNESS STUDY AREA- For the purposes of this section, the term `Wilderness Study Area' means any Federal land officially referred to as a `wilderness study area', a `recommended wilderness', a `proposed wilderness', or a `potential wilderness', or any other Federal land that is under study by, or on behalf of, the Federal Government for possible designation as wilderness.

END