Federal

Protecting America’s Rock Climbing Act

Source: Congress.gov · 916 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill requires two federal officials—the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior—to create written guidance about rock climbing activities on federal lands, including protected wilderness areas. The guidance must be completed within 18 months after the bill becomes law.

Who It Affects

People who participate in recreational rock climbing on federal lands, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, and federal land managers.

Key Provisions

- The Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of the Interior must issue guidance for recreational climbing activities on federal lands within 18 months of the bill becoming law (Sec. 2(a)) - The guidance must ensure climbing activities follow all laws and regulations that apply to those federal lands (Sec. 2(b)) - The guidance must recognize that recreational climbing, including setting and maintaining permanent anchors (metal devices that secure ropes), is allowed in wilderness areas if it follows the Wilderness Act and other applicable laws (Sec. 2(c)) - The guidance must describe what requirements apply to placing and maintaining permanent anchors for climbing in wilderness areas (Sec. 2(d)) - The guidance must allow people to continue using and maintaining climbing routes that already existed when the bill becomes law (Sec. 2(e)) - The agencies must allow the public to provide comments before finalizing the guidance (Sec. 2(f))

What Changes

Federal land managers will have written guidance on how to handle recreational rock climbing on their lands, including whether permanent anchors can be placed and maintained in wilderness areas.

Important Definitions

- Covered Federal land: National Forest System lands and other lands under the Secretary of Interior's control, including wilderness areas (Sec. 2(g))

Effective Date

Not specified in bill text

IB Union Calendar No. 774 118TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 1380 [Report No. 118–749, Part I] To require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to issue guidance on climbing management in designated wilderness areas, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 7, 2023 Mr. CURTIS (for himself and Mr. NEGUSE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned NOVEMBER 18, 2024 Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] NOVEMBER 18, 2024 Referral to the Committee on Agriculture extended for a period ending not later than December 19, 2024 DECEMBER 19, 2024 Additional sponsors: Ms. STANSBURY, Ms. LEE of Nevada, Mr. EDWARDS, Mr. LIEU and Mr. FITZPATRICK DECEMBER 19, 2024 Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 7, 2023] VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:52 Dec 24, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H1380.RH H1380 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 1380 RH A BILL To require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to issue guidance on climbing manage- ment in designated wilderness areas, and for other pur- poses. VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:52 Dec 24, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H1380.RH H1380 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 1380 RH 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. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting America’s 4 Rock Climbing Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. GUIDANCE ON CLIMBING. 6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after the 7 date of enactment of this Act, each Secretary concerned shall 8 issue guidance for recreational climbing activities on cov- 9 ered Federal land. 10 (b) APPLICABLE LAW.—The guidance issued under 11 subsection (a) shall ensure that recreational climbing ac- 12 tivities comply with the laws (including regulations) appli- 13 cable to the covered Federal land. 14 (c) WILDERNESS AREAS.—The guidance issued under 15 subsection (a) shall recognize that recreational climbing 16 (including the use, placement, and maintenance of fixed an- 17 chors) is an appropriate use within a component of the Na- 18 tional Wilderness Preservation System, if undertaken— 19 (1) in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 20 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) and other applicable laws (in- 21 cluding regulations); and 22 (2) subject to any terms and conditions deter- 23 mined by the Secretary concerned to be appropriate. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:52 Dec 24, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H1380.RH H1380 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 1380 RH (d) AUTHORIZATION.—The guidance issued under sub- 1 section (a) shall describe the requirements, if any, for the 2 placement and maintenance of fixed anchors for rec- 3 reational climbing in a component of the National Wilder- 4 ness Preservation System, including any terms and condi- 5 tions determined by the Secretary concerned to be appro- 6 priate, which may be issued programmatically or on a case- 7 by-case basis. 8 (e) EXISTING ROUTES.—The guidance issued under 9 subsection (a) shall include direction providing for the con- 10 tinued use and maintenance of recreational climbing routes 11 (including fixed anchors along the routes) in existence as 12 of the date of enactment of this Act, in accordance with 13 this Act. 14 (f) PUBLIC COMMENT.—Before finalizing the guidance 15 issued under subsection (a), the Secretary concerned shall 16 provide opportunities for public comment with respect to 17 the guidance. 18 (g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 19 (1) COVERED FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘cov- 20 ered Federal land’’— 21 (A) means the lands described in subpara- 22 graph (A) and (B) of paragraph (2); and 23 (B) includes components of the National 24 Wilderness Preservation System. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:52 Dec 24, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H1380.RH H1380 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 1380 RH (2) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec- 1 retary concerned’’ means— 2 (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with re- 3 spect to National Forest System lands; and 4 (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with re- 5 spect to lands under the jurisdiction of such Sec- 6 retary. 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:52 Dec 24, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H1380.RH H1380 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB Union Calendar No. 774 118TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 1380 [Report No. 118–749, Part I] A BILL To require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to issue guidance on climbing management in designated wilderness areas, and for other purposes. DECEMBER 19, 2024 Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:52 Dec 24, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 E:\BILLS\H1380.RH H1380 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB

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