America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3780 To designate as wilderness certain Federal portions of the red rock canyons of the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin Deserts in the State of Utah for the benefit of present and future generations of people in the United States. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 8, 2021 Mr. LOWENTHAL (for himself, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. CARSON, Ms. ESHOO, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. PASCRELL, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Ms. BUSH, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. BEYER, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. EVANS, Ms. NORTON, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. MENG, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms. STEVENS, Ms. OMAR, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. NADLER, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. PANETTA, Ms. CHU, Ms. BROWNLEY, Ms. BASS, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mrs. TRAHAN, Ms. NEWMAN, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. QUIGLEY, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. WELCH, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. LAR- SEN of Washington, Mr. KIND, Mr. CASTEN, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. COHEN, Ms. DELBENE, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. MALINOWSKI, Mr. SUOZZI, Ms. CLARKE of New York, and Ms. STRICKLAND) intro- duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To designate as wilderness certain Federal portions of the red rock canyons of the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin Deserts in the State of Utah for the benefit of present and future generations of people in the United States. VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:27 Jun 27, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H3780.IH H3780 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 3780 IH Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 3 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 4 ‘‘America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act’’. 5 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 6 this Act is as follows: 7 Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Definitions. Sec. 3. Findings. Sec. 4. Purposes. TITLE I—DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS AREAS Sec. 101. Great Basin Wilderness Areas. Sec. 102. Grand Staircase-Escalante Wilderness Areas. Sec. 103. Moab-La Sal Canyons Wilderness Areas. Sec. 104. Henry Mountains Wilderness Areas. Sec. 105. Glen Canyon Wilderness Areas. Sec. 106. San Juan-Anasazi Wilderness Areas. Sec. 107. Canyonlands Basin Wilderness Areas. Sec. 108. San Rafael Swell Wilderness Areas. Sec. 109. Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin Wilderness Areas. TITLE II—ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS Sec. 201. General provisions. Sec. 202. Administration. Sec. 203. State school trust land within wilderness areas. Sec. 204. Water. Sec. 205. Roads. Sec. 206. Livestock. Sec. 207. Fish and wildlife. Sec. 208. Protection of Tribal rights. Sec. 209. Management of newly acquired land. Sec. 210. Withdrawal. SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 8 In this Act: 9 (1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 10 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bu- 11 reau of Land Management. 12 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:27 Jun 27, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3780.IH H3780 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 3780 IH (2) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 1 of Utah. 2 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 3 Congress finds that— 4 (1) the land designated as wilderness by this 5 Act is 1 of the largest remaining expanses of unpro- 6 tected, wild public land in the continental United 7 States; 8 (2) the designation of wilderness by this Act 9 would— 10 (A) increase landscape connectivity in the 11 Colorado Plateau; and 12 (B) help to mitigate the impacts of climate 13 change by— 14 (i) providing critical refugia; 15 (ii) reducing surface disturbances that 16 exacerbate the impacts of climate change; 17 (iii) reducing greenhouse gas emis- 18 sions related to the extraction and use of 19 fossil fuels; and 20 (iv) contributing to the goal of pro- 21 tecting 30 percent of global land and 22 waters by 2030; 23 (3) the land designated as wilderness by this 24 Act is— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:27 Jun 27, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3780.IH H3780 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 3780 IH (A) a living cultural landscape; 1 (B) a place of refuge for wild nature; and 2 (C) an important part of Indigenous and 3 non-Indigenous community values; 4 (4) Indian Tribes have been present on the land 5 designated as wilderness by this Act since time im- 6 memorial, using the plant, animal, landform, and 7 spiritual values for sustenance and cultural, medic- 8 inal, and ceremonial activities, purposes for which 9 Indigenous people continue to use the land; and 10 (5) the designation of wilderness by this Act— 11 (A) is vital to the continuation and revital- 12 ization of Indigenous cultures; and 13 (B) serves to protect places of Indigenous 14 use and sanctuary. 15 SEC. 4. PURPOSES. 16 The purposes of this Act are— 17 (1) to designate as wilderness certain Federal 18 portions of the red rock canyons of the Colorado 19 Plateau and the Great Basin Deserts in the State of 20 Utah for the benefit of present and future genera- 21 tions of people in the United States; 22 (2) to protect the cultural, ecological, and sce- 23 nic values of land designated as wilderness by this 24 Act for the benefit, use, and enjoyment of present 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:27 Jun 27, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3780.IH H3780 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 3780 IH and future generations of people in the United 1 States; and 2 (3) to protect the ability of Indigenous and non- 3 Indigenous people to use the land designated as wil- 4 derness by this Act for traditional activities, includ- 5 ing hunting, fishing, hiking, horsepacking, camping, 6 and spirituality as people have used the land for 7 generations. 8 TITLE I—DESIGNATION OF 9 WILDERNESS AREAS 10 SEC. 101. GREAT BASIN WILDERNESS AREAS. 11 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 12 (1) the Great Basin region of western Utah is 13 comprised of starkly beautiful mountain ranges that 14 rise as islands from the desert floor; 15 (2) the Wah Wah Mountains in the Great 16 Basin region are arid and austere, with massive cliff 17 faces and leathery slopes speckled with pin˜on and ju- 18 niper; 19 (3) the Pilot Range and Stansbury Mountains 20 in the Great Basin region are high enough to draw 21 moisture from passing clouds and support eco- 22 systems found nowhere else on earth; 23 (4) from bristlecone pine, the world’s oldest liv- 24 ing organism, to newly flowered mountain meadows, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:27 Jun 27, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3780.IH H3780 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 3780 IH mountains of the Great Basin region are islands of 1 nature that— 2 (A) support remarkable biological diversity; 3 and 4 (B) provide opportunities to experience the 5 colossal silence of the Great Basin; and 6 (5) the Great Basin region of western Utah 7 should be protected and managed to ensure the pres- 8 ervation of the natural conditions of the region. 9 (b) DESIGNATION.—In accordance with the Wilder- 10 ness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following areas in 11 the State are designated as wilderness areas and as com- 12 ponents of the National Wilderness Preservation System: 13 (1) Antelope Range (approximately 17,000 14 acres). 15 (2) Barn Hills (approximately 21,000 acres). 16 (3) Black Hills (approximately 8,700 acres). 17 (4) Bullgrass Knoll (approximately 16,000 18 acres). 19 (5) Burbank Hills/Tunnel Spring (approxi- 20 mately 94,000 acres). 21 (6) Conger Mountain (approximately 31,000 22 acres). 23 (7) Crater and Silver Island Mountains (ap- 24 proximately 121,000 acres). 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:27 Jun 27, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3780.IH H3780 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 3780 IH (8) Crater Bench (approximately 35,000 acres). 1 (9) Cricket Mountains (approximately 56,000 2 acres). 3 (10) Deep Creek Mountains (approximately 4 128,000 acres). 5 (11) Drum Mountains (approximately 40,500 6 acres). 7 (12) Dugway Mountains (approximately 24,500 8 acres). 9 (13) Fish Springs Range (approximately 10 64,500 acres). 11 (14) Granite Peak (approximately 19,500 12 acres). 13 (15) Grassy Mountains (approximately 24,000 14 acres). 15 (16) Grouse Creek Mountains (approximately 16 15,000 acres). 17 (17) House Range (approximately 202,000 18 acres). 19 (18) Keg Mountain (approximately 38,500 20 acres). 21 (19) Kern Mountains (approximately 15,000 22 acres). 23 (20) King Top (approximately 111,000 acres). 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:27 Jun 27, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3780.IH H3780 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 3780 IH (21) Little Goose Creek (approximately 1,300 1 acres). 2 (22) Middle/Granite Mountain (approximately 3 81,000 acres). 4 (23) Mount Escalante (approximately 17,500 5 acres). 6 (24) Mountain Home Range (approximately 7 90,000 acres). 8 (25) Newfoundland Mountains (approximately 9 23,000 acres). 10 (26) Ochre Mountain (approximately 13,500 11 acres). 12 (27) Oquirrh Mountains (approximately 8,900 13 acres). 14 (28) Painted Rock (approximately 26,500 15 acres). 16 (29) Paradise/Steamboat Mountains (approxi- 17 mately 136,000 acres). 18 (30) Pilot Range (approximately 44,000 acres). 19 (31) Red Tops (approximately 28,000 acres). 20 (32) Rockwell-Little Sahara (approximately 21 19,000 acres). 22 (33) San Francisco Mountains (approximately 23 40,000 acres). 24 (34) Sand Ridge (approximately 73,000 acres). 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:27 Jun 27, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3780.IH H3780 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 9 •HR 3780 IH (35) Sevier Plateau (approximately 30,000 1 acres). 2 (36) Simpson Mountains (approximately 43,000 3 acres). 4 (37) Snake Valley (approximately 103,000 5 acres). 6 (38) Spring Creek Canyon (approximately 7 5,200 acres). 8 (39) Stansbury Island (approximately 9,900 9 acres). 10 (40) Stansbury Mountains (approximately 11 25,000 acres). 12 (41) Thomas Range (approximately 41,000 13 acres). 14 (42) Tule Valley (approximately 159,000 15 acres). 16 (43) Wah Wah Mountains (approximately 17 177,000 acres). 18 (44) White Rock Range (approximately 5,500 19 acres). 20 SEC. 102. GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE WILDERNESS 21 AREAS. 22 (a) GRAND STAIRCASE AREA.— 23 (1) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:27 Jun 27, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3780.IH H3780 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 10 •HR 3780 IH (A) the area known as the Grand Staircase 1 rises more than 6,000 feet in a series of great 2 cliffs and plateaus from the depths of the 3 Grand Canyon to the forested rim of Bryce 4 Canyon; 5 (B) the Grand Staircase— 6 (i) spans 6 major life zones, from the 7 lower Sonoran Desert to the alpine forest; 8 and 9 (ii) encompasses geologic formations 10 that display 3,000,000,000 years of 11 Earth’s history; 12 (C) land managed by the Secretary lines 13 the intricate canyon system of the Paria River 14 and forms a vital natural corridor connection to 15 the deserts and forests of those national parks; 16 (D) land described in paragraph (2) (other 17 than East of Bryce, the majority of Upper 18 Kanab Creek, Moquith Mountain, Bunting 19 Point, Canaan Mountain, Orderville Canyon, 20 Parunuweap Canyon, and Vermillion Cliffs) is 21 located within the Grand Staircase-Escalante 22 National Monument, as established in 1996; 23 and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:27 Jun 27, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3780.IH H3780 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 11 •HR 3780 IH (E) the Grand Staircase in Utah should be 1 protected and managed as a wilderness area. 2 (2) DESIGNATION.—In accordance with the 3 Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the fol- 4 lowing areas in the State are designated as wilder- 5 ness areas and as components of the National Wil- 6 derness Preservation System: 7 (A) Bryce Boot (approximately 2,800 8 acres). 9 (B) Bryce View (approximately 850 acres). 10 (C) Bunting Point (approximately 11,000 11 acres). 12 (D) Canaan Mountain (approximately 13 15,000 acres). 14 (E) East of Bryce (approximately 850 15 acres). 16 (F) Glass Eye Canyon (approximately 17 25,000 acres). 18 (G) Ladder Canyon (approximately 14,000 19 acres). 20 (H) Moquith Mountain (approximately 21 15,500 acres). 22 (I) Nephi Point (approximately 15,000 23 acres). 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:27 Jun 27, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3780.IH H3780 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 12 •HR 3780 IH (J) Orderville Canyon (approximately 1 8,100 acres). 2 (K) Paria-Hackberry (approximately 3 196,000 acres). 4 (L) Paria Wilderness Expansion (approxi- 5 mately 4,000 acres). 6 (M) Parunuweap Canyon (approximately 7 44,500 acres). 8 (N) Pine Hollow (approximately 11,000 9 acres). 10 (O) Slopes of Bryce (approximately 3,700 11 acres). 12 (P) Timber Mountain (approximately 13 52,500 acres). 14 (Q) Upper Kanab Creek (approximately 15 51,000 acres). 16 (R) Vermillion Cliffs (approximately 17 26,000 acres). 18 (S) Willis Creek (approximately 21,000 19 acres). 20 (b) KAIPAROWITS PLATEAU.— 21 (1) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 22 (A) the Kaiparowits Plateau east of the 23 Paria River is one of the most rugged and iso- 24 lated wilderness regions in the United States; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:27 Jun 27, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3780.IH H3780 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 13 •HR 3780 IH (B) the Kaiparowits Plateau, a windswept 1 land of harsh beauty, contains distant vistas 2 and a remarkable variety of plant and animal 3 species; 4 (C) ancient forests, an abundance of big 5 game animals, and 22 species of raptors thrive 6 undisturbed on the grassland mesa tops of the 7 Kaiparowits Plateau; 8 (D) each of the areas described in para- 9 graph (2) (other than Heaps Canyon, Little 10 Valley, and Wide Hollow) is located within the 11 Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, 12 as established in 1996; and 13 (E) the Kaiparowits Plateau should be pro- 14 tected and managed as a wilderness area. 15 (2) DESIGNATION.—In accordance with the 16 Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the fol- 17 lowing areas in the State are designated as wilder- 18 ness areas and as components of the National Wil- 19 derness Preservation System: 20 (A) Andalex Not (approximately [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]