Montana Wilderness Act of 1986

Summary

Montana Wilderness Act of 1986 - Designates specified lands in the following national forests in Montana as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Beaverhead National Forest; (2) Bitterroot National Forest; (3) Deerlodge National Forest; (4) Lolo National Forest; (5) Custer National Forest; (6) Helena National Forest; (7) Flathead National Forest; (8) Kootenai National Forest; (9) Lewis and Clark National Forest; and (10) Gallatin National Forest. Incorporates the Great Bear Wilderness Area and the Scapegoat Wilderness Area into the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Provides that the RARE II (second roadless area review and evaluation) final environmental statement (dated January 1979) with respect to national forest system lands in Montana shall not be subject to judicial review. Releases national forest system lands in Montana which were reviewed in the RARE II program from further review by the Department of Agriculture, pending the revision of initial national forest management plans. Releases lands in Montana reviewed in the RARE II program and not designated as wilderness from management as wilderness areas. Prohibits the Department of Agriculture from conducting any further statewide roadless area review and evaluation of national forest system lands in Montana without express congressional authorization. States that the provisions above shall also apply to national forest system lands in Montana which are less than 5,000 acres in size. Establishes the Ben Strong National Recreation and Wildlife Area in the Lewis and Clark National Forest. Requires that the Big West Hole, Beaverhead National Forest, continue to be managed as a further planning area during the next five years as the Secretary of of Agriculture completes and reports to the Congress on a special watershed study. Requires that the Elkhorns National Recreation and Wildlife Area, Helena and Deerlodge National Forests, be managed to conserve recreation and wildlife values. Permits the continuation of grazing where already permitted. Directs the Secretary to exchange specified lands with the Burlington Northern Railroad Company. Expresses the sense of the Congress that this exchange should be completed within 90 days of enactment. Releases the Bitter Creek Wilderness Study Area from further review for wilderness suitability. Expands the boundary of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Custer National Forest, to include additional lands. Withdraws specified lands surrounding Swan Crest, Flathead National Forest, from all forms of entry or appropriation under the mining laws. Directs the Secretary to study a potential Horse Trail in the Swan Range, Flathead National Forest, and a potential Alpine Running and Bicycle Trail in the Gallatin National Forest, the latter within two years. Directs the Secretary to acquire lands and interests within the wilderness areas designated by this Act.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

No timeline events have been ingested for this record yet.

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

1 official file

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 15 August 1986

  Open at official source

Sponsors

No sponsors or actors listed by the source.

Related records

No cross-record relationships stored yet.