Montana National Forest Management Act of 1992

Summary

Montana National Forest Management Act of 1991 - Designates certain lands in Montana as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System (System). Directs: (1) the Secretary of Agriculture to file maps and legal descriptions of each wilderness area so designated with specified congressional committees; (2) that such maps and descriptions be on file and available for public inspection in the office of the Chief of the Forest Service; and (3) that each area so designated be administered by the Secretary, subject to valid existing rights. Declares that it is not the intent of the Congress that: (1) such designation will not lead to the creation of protective perimeters or buffer zones around wilderness areas; and (2) the fact that nonwilderness activities or uses can be seen or heard from within a wilderness area shall not preclude such activities or uses up to the boundary of the wilderness area. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) the grazing of livestock; (2) State fish and game authority; (3) hunting; (4) the installation and maintenance of, and access to, hydrological, meteorological, or climatological collection devices and facilities; and (5) water rights. Determines and directs that: (1) decisions to allocate roadless areas to wilderness or nonwilderness categories pursuant to the Land and Resource Management Plans and associated environmental impact statements for the National Forest in the State of Montana (Plans), and the environmental analyses directly related to such allocations, not be subject to judicial review, with exceptions; (2) the Department of Agriculture not be required to review the wilderness option prior to the revision of the Plans, but review such option when such plans are revised (at least every 15 years), unless prior to that time the Secretary finds that conditions in a unit have significantly changed; (3) specified National Forest System (NFS) lands in Montana which were not designated as wilderness, special management, national recreation, or wilderness study areas be managed for multiple use and those areas need not be managed for the purpose of protecting their suitability for wilderness designation prior to or during revision of the initial Plans; (4) if revised Plans are implemented, areas not recommended for wilderness designation need not be managed for such purpose prior to or during revision of such Plans and areas recommended for wilderness designation be managed for such purpose; and (5) unless expressly authorized by the Congress, the Department not conduct any further statewide roadless area review and evaluation of NFS lands in Montana for purposes of determining their suitability for inclusion in the System. Designates certain special management areas for purposes of conserving, protecting, and enhancing scenic, fish and wildlife, biological, educational, and recreational values. Directs the Secretary to: (1) file maps for such areas with specified congressional committees; and (2) administer areas designated so as to achieve the purposes of their designation as national recreation areas, with exceptions. Withdraws all federally-owned lands within the areas so designated from all forms of entry, appropriation, and disposal under the mining and public land laws, and disposition under the geothermal and mineral leasing laws, subject to valid existing rights. Permits the removal of minerals from such lands if the Secretary finds that such disposition would not have adverse effects on the administration of such areas. Authorizes: (1) the Secretary to permit management activities compatible with the purposes of which the areas were designated and measures deemed necessary in the event of fire, or infestation of insects or disease; and (2) the use of motorized equipment and the grazing of livestock, subject to specified limitations. Directs: (1) the Secretary to manage the Mount Helena and Hyalite National Education and Recreation Areas with a focus on education; (2) that all management activities be conducted in a way that provides the public with an opportunity to become better informed about natural resource protection and management; (3) that designated special management areas be administered as components of the national forests wherein they are located; and (4) that specified land and resource management plans for the affected national forests emphasize achieving the purposes for which the areas are designated. Designates the Elkhorns National Recreation and Wildlife Area, to be managed as a national recreation area that emphasizes big game habitat. Designates specified lands in the Custer National Forest and the Gallatin National Forest, and the Lolo National Forest as wilderness study areas. Requires the Thompson-Seton Wilderness study area to be managed to protect its suitability for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System until the Congress determines otherwise. Withdraws federally-owned lands in the Badger-Two Medicine Area from all forms of entry, appropriation, and disposal under the mining and public land laws and from disposition under the geothermal and mineral leasing laws, subject to valid existing rights. Directs the Secretary to manage such Area so as to protect its currently existing wilderness qualities. Specifies that: (1) nothing in this Act precludes the gathering of timber by the Blackfeet Tribe in exercise of valid treaty rights within such Area; and (2) with respect to oil and gas leases on Federal lands within such Area, no disturbance shall be permitted pursuant to such leases until the Congress determines otherwise, and the term of any such lease subject to the limitations imposed by this Act shall be extended for a period of time equal to the term that such limitation remains in effect. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a review of such Area; (2) establish a committee composed of representatives of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council, the Pikuni Traditionalist Association, the National Park Service, and representatives of the user public (including environmental and user industry groups) to regularly advise the Secretary on the development of the report and submit its findings to the Congress; (3) give special consideration to the religious, wilderness, and wildlife uses of the Area, including any treaties with the Blackfeet Nation; and (4) establish a process to provide information to the Tribe and interested public about options for future designation of such Area. Directs the Secretary to: (1) exchange specified lands with Plum Creek Timber, L.P. (the company); and (2) acquire certain lands and interests in land of the company in and adjacent to the Hyalite-Porcupine-Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study Area, the Scapegoat Wilderness Area, and other land in the Gallatin National Forest. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) easements; (2) maps; (3) the timing of the transactions; and (4) incorporation of lands conveyed to the United States into the national forests. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to acquire, by exchange, certain mineral interests owned by the company or an affiliate. Specifies that mineral interests conveyed by the United States pursuant to this Act shall underlie lands the surface of which are owned by the company (but if there are insufficient federally-owned mineral interests of approximately equal value underlying company lands, the Secretary and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) may identify for exchange any other federally-owned mineral interest in land in Montana of which the surface estate is in private ownership). Provides that the execution and performance of an exchange agreement and the taking of other actions pursuant to this Act shall not be deemed a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, nor shall they require the preparation of an environmental assessment under this Act. Directs that the Bitter Creek Wilderness Study Area and approximately 2,500 acres of the Axolotl Lakes Wilderness Study Area no longer be subject to the requirement of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 pertaining to management in a manner that does not impair suitability for preservation as wilderness. Redesignates the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area and Wilderness as the Rattlesnake National Education and Recreation Area and Wilderness. Expresses the congressional policy that the U.S. Forest Service acquire and maintain reasonable public access to NFS lands in Montana. Authorizes appropriations.

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Documents

10 official files

• Reported to Senate (text)

  Reported to Senate · EN

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• Reported in House (text)

  Reported in House · EN

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• Referred in House (text)

  Referred in House · EN

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• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN

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• Engrossed in Senate (text)

  Engrossed in Senate · EN

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• Engrossed Amendment House (text)

  Engrossed Amendment House · EN

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• Passed House amended

  summary · EN · 2 October 1992

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• Passed Senate amended

  summary · EN · 26 March 1992

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• Reported to Senate with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 26 November 1991

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• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 10 September 1991

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