What This Bill Does
This bill adds land to two existing wilderness areas in the George Washington National Forest in Virginia. It adds approximately 1,000 acres to Rough Mountain Wilderness and designates approximately 4,600 acres as a potential wilderness area for Rich Hole Wilderness.
Who It Affects
The Secretary of Agriculture manages these changes. The bill also affects people who use these wilderness areas and activities related to water quality improvement projects in these forests.
Key Provisions
• The bill adds approximately 1,000 acres to the Rough Mountain Wilderness Area in the George Washington National Forest (Sec. 2(a))
• The bill designates approximately 4,600 acres as a potential wilderness area for the Rich Hole Wilderness Area (Sec. 2(b)(1))
• The potential wilderness area becomes official wilderness either when the Secretary announces that water quality activities are complete or 5 years after this law passes, whichever comes first (Sec. 2(b)(2))
• The Secretary can use motorized equipment and machinery in the potential wilderness area only to complete water quality improvement and aquatic passage activities listed in a December 2015 Forest Service document (Sec. 2(b)(4)(A))
• When using motorized equipment, the Secretary must use the minimum necessary tools and practices to cause the least damage to wilderness character and resources (Sec. 2(b)(4)(B))
What Changes
The Rough Mountain Wilderness Area grows by approximately 1,000 acres. Approximately 4,600 acres near Rich Hole become protected as potential wilderness with a timeline for permanent wilderness status within 5 years.
Important Definitions
None defined in the bill text.
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 745
To designate additions to the Rough Mountain Wilderness and the Rich
Hole Wilderness of the George Washington National Forest, and for
other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 9, 2023
Mr. KAINE (for himself and Mr. WARNER) introduced the following bill; which
was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry
A BILL
To designate additions to the Rough Mountain Wilderness
and the Rich Hole Wilderness of the George Washington
National Forest, and for other purposes.
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 ‘‘Virginia Wilderness
4
Additions Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. ADDITIONS TO ROUGH MOUNTAIN AND RICH HOLE
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WILDERNESSES.
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(a) ROUGH MOUNTAIN ADDITION.—Section 1 of
8
Public Law 100–326 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; 102 Stat.
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•S 745 IS
584; 114 Stat. 2057; 123 Stat. 1002) is amended by add-
1
ing at the end the following:
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‘‘(21) ROUGH
MOUNTAIN
ADDITION.—Certain
3
land in the George Washington National Forest
4
comprising approximately 1,000 acres, as generally
5
depicted as the ‘Rough Mountain Addition’ on the
6
map entitled ‘GEORGE WASHINGTON NA-
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TIONAL FOREST – South half – Alternative I –
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Selected Alternative Management Prescriptions –
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Land and Resources Management Plan Final Envi-
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ronmental Impact Statement’ and dated March 4,
11
2014, which is incorporated in the Rough Mountain
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Wilderness Area designated by paragraph (1).’’.
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(b) RICH HOLE ADDITION.—
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(1) POTENTIAL WILDERNESS DESIGNATION.—
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In furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act
16
(16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), certain land in the George
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Washington National Forest comprising approxi-
18
mately 4,600 acres, as generally depicted as the
19
‘‘Rich
Hole
Addition’’
on
the
map
entitled
20
‘‘GEORGE WASHINGTON NATIONAL FOREST
21
– South half – Alternative I – Selected Alternative
22
Management Prescriptions – Land and Resources
23
Management Plan Final Environmental Impact
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Statement’’ and dated March 4, 2014, is designated
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3
•S 745 IS
as a potential wilderness area for incorporation in
1
the Rich Hole Wilderness Area designated by section
2
1(2) of Public Law 100–326 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note;
3
102 Stat. 584).
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(2) WILDERNESS DESIGNATION.—The potential
5
wilderness area designated by paragraph (1) shall be
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designated as wilderness and incorporated in the
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Rich Hole Wilderness Area designated by section
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1(2) of Public Law 100–326 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note;
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102 Stat. 584) on the earlier of—
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(A) the date on which the Secretary of Ag-
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riculture (referred to in this section as the
12
‘‘Secretary’’) publishes in the Federal Register
13
notice that the activities permitted under para-
14
graph (4) have been completed; or
15
(B) the date that is 5 years after the date
16
of enactment of this Act.
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(3) MANAGEMENT.—Except as provided in
18
paragraph (4), the Secretary shall manage the po-
19
tential wilderness area designated by paragraph (1)
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in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C.
21
1131 et seq.).
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(4) WATER
QUALITY
IMPROVEMENT
ACTIVI-
23
TIES.—
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•S 745 IS
(A) IN
GENERAL.—To enhance natural
1
ecosystems within the potential wilderness area
2
designated by paragraph (1) by implementing
3
certain activities to improve water quality and
4
aquatic passage, as set forth in the Forest
5
Service document entitled ‘‘Decision Notice for
6
the Lower Cowpasture Restoration and Man-
7
agement Project’’ and dated December 2015,
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the Secretary may use motorized equipment
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and mechanized transport in the potential wil-
10
derness area until the date on which the poten-
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tial wilderness area is incorporated into the
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Rich Hole Wilderness Area under paragraph
13
(2).
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(B) REQUIREMENT.—In carrying out sub-
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paragraph (A), the Secretary, to the maximum
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extent practicable, shall use the minimum tool
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or administrative practice necessary to carry
18
out that subparagraph with the least amount of
19
adverse impact on wilderness character and re-
20
sources.
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Æ
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