Bill > S888

This bill establishes two new recreation areas in Oregon and expands an existing wilderness area while implementing specific land management protections. The Rogue Canyon Recreation Area and Molalla Recreation Area, totaling approximately 128,034 acres of Bureau of Land Management land, will be designated to conserve their recreational, ecological, scenic, cultural, and wildlife values. The bill requires the Secretary of the Interior and Agriculture to develop a wildfire risk assessment and mitigation plan for these areas within specific timeframes, including strategies for vegetation management, evacuation routes, and public emergency planning. The Wild Rogue Wilderness will be expanded by approximately 59,512 acres, with new wilderness additions subject to existing wilderness management protocols. Additionally, the bill withdraws certain federal lands in Curry and Josephine Counties from mining, mineral leasing, and other forms of land entry, effectively protecting these areas from development while preserving existing recreational uses like hunting, fishing, and forest management. The bill aims to balance conservation efforts with potential wildfire management needs and maintains existing tribal rights and authorized land uses.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/888/all-info