PLEASE COMMENT: Wilderness Study Release Act

[Ed A. Stevens]

Now is your chance to influence a piece of legislation that is
beneficial to recreation interests. Please contact the House
Committee on Resources and urge them to move this legislation to the House floor. Contact information for Representative Pombo, Chairman of the House Committee on Resources is at the bottom of this notice.

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America's Wilderness Protection Act - H.R. 1153

The Wilderness Act of 1964 and the Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 created the "Wilderness Study Area." Lands that became
Wilderness Study Areas were to be studied to determine whether they
qualified for Wilderness designation.

Since that time over 665 Wilderness Study Area Designations, covering
nearly 23 million acres in 18 states are now over 15 years old. In
that time, the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management have not
attempted to bring to the Congress a recommendation as to whether or
not any of these should named as permanent Wilderness Areas.

Unfortunately, these laws failed to provide for the release of
Wilderness Study Areas. Thus Wilderness Study Areas, absent
Congressional action, would be studied in perpetuity - even after the
actual studies were finished. The perpetual study of an area for
wilderness suitability guarantees all the study areas continue to be
treated as if they were wilderness. The end result, millions of acres
of public land made untouchable for multiple use.

America's Wilderness Protection Act sets a timetable for Wilderness
Study completion as follows:

(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.

History of Congressional Wilderness Study Area Reform

106th Congress (1999 - 2000)

<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d106:h.r.01500:>H.R. 1500 &
<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d106:HR01258:>H.R.1258 :
America's Wilderness Protection Act
Sponsor: Rep Hansen, James V. [UT-1] + 17 cosponsors

107th Congress (2001 - 2002)

<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:h.r.04620:>H.R.4620 :
America's Wilderness Protection Act
Sponsor: Rep Otter, C. L. (Butch) [ID-1] + 36 cosponsors
<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:h.r.04589:>H.R.4589 :
Wilderness Study Area Release Act
Sponsor: Rep Doolittle, John T. [CA-4] + 7 cosponsors

108th Congress (2002 - 2003)

<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.01153:>H.R.1153 :
America's Wilderness Protection Act
Sponsor: Rep. Otter, C. L. (Butch) [ID-1] + 17 cosponsors

Now that the 108th session of Congress is upon us and the environment
in Washington has shifted towards more sensible land use, please take
a moment to help move the America's Wilderness Protection Act - H.R.
1153 towards reality.

Action Items:

1. Thank Representative C. L "Butch" Otter

Representative C. L "Butch" Otter
U.S. House of Representatives
1711 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-6611
202-225-3029 (fax)
<http://www.house.gov/otter/email.htm>Website - form based email

2. Ask the House Committee on Resources to move H.R. 1153 to the floor

Committee on Resources
U.S. House of Representatives
1324 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D. C. 20515-6201
202-225-2761
<http://resourcescommittee.house.gov>http://resourcescommittee.house.gov
<http://www.house.gov/pombo/>Rep. Richard Pombo, Chairman

3. Contact your Representatives and ask them to support America's
Wilderness Protection Act - H.R. 1153.



Other Information

<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/.../~r1082W9FeG::>Statement
of Congressman C.L. "Butch" Otter - March 07, 2003

<http://www.crowley-offroad.com/publi...enefit_all.htm>Public
Lands Should Benefit All - Congressman John Doolittle

<http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/...n06/salove.htm>Subcommittee
on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands - Testimony by
Congressman Butch Otter

<http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/...un06/otter.htm>Statement
of Congressman C.L. ãButchä Otter - June 6, 2002

<http://www.theorator.com/bills107/hr4620.html>America's Wilderness
Protection Act - 107th Congress

<http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/...dernessact.htm>"America's
Wilderness Protection Act" Approved By Subcommittee - Press Release

<http://www.livestockweekly.com/paper...wilderness.asp>Bill
Could Restrict Wilderness Lockaways - HR 1258

<http://www.wilderness.net/nwps/legis/nwps_act.cfm>The Wilderness Act of 1964

<http://www.wilderness.net/nwps/legis/FLPMA.pdf>Federal Land Policy
And Management Act of 1976 - Acrobat format


--
John Stewart
Director, Environmental Affairs,
United Four Wheel Drive Associations, http://www.ufwda.org
Recreation Access and Conservation Editor, http://www.4x4wire.com

A fundamental law of public land access is:

Increased habitat designation for threatened and endangered species
is directly proportional to loss of access to public lands.

[Ed A. Stevens]

The Wilderness Act and Endangered Species Act began with good
intentions. Both have been abused. The proposed America's Wilderness
Protection Act will correct abuses of the original Wilderness Act.

----- Original Message -----
From: <mailto:aznmc@gilanet.com>Howard Hutchinson
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2003 9:48 AM
Subject: Re: question ref proposed wilderness areas


Currently there is no limit on how long an area can remain in "study
area" classification.

My presentation on the Wilderness Act included the statement that the
Coalition and Ag organizations from New Mexico have requested the
Congressional Delegations from Arizona and New Mexico introduce
legislation to have those areas designated as Wilderness Study Areas
immediately investigated for designation as Wilderness or removal
from the Study Area designation.

There is a bill that has been introduced that we are requesting
receive support by our delegations. It is pasted below.

Please send this out to everyone and request that they contact their
Congressional Delegations in support of this legislation.

Howard

America's Wilderness Protection Act (Introduced in House)

HR 1153 IH

108th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1153

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

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES


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

------------------------------------------------------------------------

A BILL

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 .


--
Howard Hutchinson
Executive Director
Coalition of Arizona/New Mexico Counties
P.O. Box 125
Glenwood, New Mexico 88039
Phone 505-539-2709
Fax 505-539-2708