Bill > S1680

This bill expands two wilderness areas in the George Washington National Forest in Virginia by adding new land parcels. Specifically, the bill adds approximately 1,000 acres to the Rough Mountain Wilderness Area, which will be incorporated directly into the existing wilderness designation. For the Rich Hole Wilderness Area, the bill creates a 4,600-acre "potential wilderness area" that will be officially designated as wilderness either when certain water quality improvement activities are completed or within 5 years of the bill's enactment. During the interim period, the Secretary of Agriculture is permitted to use motorized equipment and mechanized transport to conduct ecosystem restoration work, such as improving water quality and aquatic passage, with the requirement to use the minimum necessary tools and practices that will have the least impact on the wilderness character. The bill references specific maps from a 2014 Forest Service environmental impact statement to define the boundaries of these additions and relies on existing wilderness management guidelines, including the Wilderness Act, to govern the newly added lands.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1680/all-info