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United States · Law · HR

H.R. 4828 (106th)

Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000

enactedUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

12 July 2000

Last action

—

Status

Became Public Law No: 106-399.

Sponsors

—

Subjects

Discovery layer

Source updated

7 April 2025

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Summary

Steens Mountain Wilderness Act of 2000 - Title I: Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area - Subtitle A: Designation and Purposes - Requires the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Land Management, to designate the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area consisting of Federal land in Harney County, Oregon. Sets forth Area objectives, including to: (1) enhance cooperative management practices between public and private land managers; (2) maintain the viability of grazing and recreation operations in the Area; and (3) conserve, protect, and manage the long-term ecological health and functioning watersheds of Steens Mountain. Subtitle B: Management of Federal Lands - Sets forth provisions regarding management of Federal Area lands and requires a plan for the long-range protection and management of such lands. Includes within the plan a transportation plan for Federal lands in the Area. (Sec. 112) Prohibits off-road travel in Federal lands in the Area, except under certain circumstances. Bars construction of roads or trails for motorized vehicles unless the Secretary determines it necessary for public safety or environmental protection. (Sec. 113) Permits uses of Federal lands in the Area only to further the purposes for which the Area is established. Makes such lands unavailable for commercial timber harvest. Permits the removal of trees only if the Secretary determines such removal is needed for ecological restoration and maintenance or public safety. Authorizes the sale of forest products from such removals. Bars the management of juniper species with mechanized tools unless nonmechanized treatments and the recommendations of the science committee and advisory council established by this Act are considered. Permits fishing, hunting, and trapping on such lands, with authorized limitations. Requires the cancellation of specified grazing permits in the Lowther and Roaring Springs allotments. Bars the construction of new facilities on Federal lands in the Area unless necessary for enhancing botanical, fish, wildlife, or watershed conditions or for public information, health, or safety. (Sec. 114) Authorizes the Secretary to acquire non-Federal lands and interests in lands in the Area or the wilderness areas established by this Act. Bars the disposal of Federal lands in the Area unless: (1) the disposal is specifically authorized by Congress in a law enacted after the enactment of this Act; or (2) the Secretary certifies to Congress that the disposal is part of a land exchange that furthers the purposes of the Area. Subtitle C: Cooperative Management - Authorizes the Secretary to work with non-Federal landowners in the Area who agree to participate in the cooperative management of Federal and non-Federal lands in the Area. Permits the Secretary to enter into agreements with the Burns Paiute Tribe to protect cultural sites in the Area. (Sec. 122) Authorizes the Secretary to enter into a nondevelopment easement with willing landowners for the acquisition of development rights and a conservation easement to prevent or restrict development on non-Federal lands within the Area. Subtitle D: Advisory Council - Requires the Secretary to establish the Steens Mountain Advisory Council to advise the Secretary in managing the wilderness areas and the Area and in promoting cooperative management. (Sec. 133) Directs the Secretary to appoint, as needed or at the advisory council's request, a team of scientists to provide advice on questions relating to Area management. Title II: Steens Mountain Wilderness Areas - Requires the Secretary to designate certain Area lands as national wilderness areas. (Sec. 202) Retires certain grazing permits in the wilderness areas. Permits, with respect to lands in the areas: (1) renewal of a special recreational use permit if consistent with the Wilderness Act and this Act; (2) aircraft overflights if necessary for livestock and wildlife management; and (3) the establishment of up to six new water developments in the Alvord Peak Wilderness. Places the same restrictions on the management of juniper species with mechanized tools in such areas as apply to Federal lands in the Area. (Sec. 203) Reserves a quantity of water sufficient to fulfill the purposes for which the wilderness areas are designated. (Sec. 204) Continues the management of wilderness study areas within the Area excluded from the wilderness areas as wilderness study areas. Places the same restrictions on management of juniper species in the wilderness study areas as apply in the wilderness areas. Title III: Wild and Scenic Rivers and Trout Reserve - Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to expand the number of segments of the Donner und Blitzen River in Oregon to be administered as a wild river. Designates specified segments of Little Wildhorse and Wildhorse Creeks located in the Area as a wild river. (Sec. 302) Directs the Secretary to designate the Donner und Blitzen Redband Trout Reserve. Excludes private lands adjacent to the river from the Reserve. Requires the Secretary to remove the dam located below the mouth of Fish Creek and above Page Springs if removal of the dam is scientifically justified and funds are available for such purpose. Title IV: Mineral Withdrawal Area - Requires all Federal lands included within the mineral withdrawal boundaries in the Area to be withdrawn from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws and operation of the mineral leasing, geothermal, and minerals materials laws. Authorizes the development of saleable mineral resources for road maintenance use only in such boundaries where development was previously authorized. (Sec. 402) Provides for the exchange of lands and mineral interests managed by the Oregon Division of State Lands and located within the mineral withdrawal area for Federal lands or mineral interests outside such area. Title V: Protection of Fir Grove - Directs the Secretary, upon completion of the Hammond land exchange authorized in title VI, to establish a fir grove management area and reserve in the area of Big Fir, Little Fir, and Fence Creeks in the Area. Closes such area to grazing. Title VI: Land Exchanges - Authorizes the Secretary, for purposes of protecting and consolidating Federal lands within the wilderness areas, to carry out land exchanges with specified corporations and individuals to include acquired private lands in a wilderness area. Provides for a land exchange with Hammond Ranch, Incorporated, for purposes of establishing the fir grove management area and reserve under title V. Title VII: Funding Authorities - Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes appropriations from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for acquisition of non-Federal lands and interests in the Area and wilderness areas and for entering into nondevelopment and conservation easements. Title VIII: Conditional Implementation of Act - Bars the amendments to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act made by this Act from taking effect and prohibits the Secretary from designating the Area, the wilderness areas, the mineral withdrawal area, the trout reserve, or the fir grove management area and reserve or from undertaking any other activity required by this Act (except under title VI) until certifying to Congress that: (1) the land exchanges under Sections 601-604 have been completed; and (2) suitable forage has been obtained elsewhere for the grazing permittees in the Lowther and Roaring Springs allotments whose permits are to be canceled.

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