Support Wilderness Act
Support of HR 1153 Wilderness Act
"Study Area" Classification
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.
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