Designation of protection areas

(a) Designation (1) Castle Protection Area Subject to valid existing rights, certain Federal land in the County managed by the Forest Service comprising approximately 6,390 acres, as generally depicted as Castle Protection Area on the map entitled Sheet 8: Gunnison Valley and Ohio Pass and dated August 27, 2024, is designated as the Castle Protection Area. (2) Deer Creek Protection Area Subject to valid existing rights, certain Federal land in the County managed by the Forest Service comprising approximately 3,136 acres, as generally depicted as Deer Creek Protection Area on the map entitled Sheet 3: Kebler and Schofield Pass and dated August 27, 2024, is designated as the Deer Creek Protection Area. (3) Granite Basin Protection Area Subject to valid existing rights, certain Federal land in the County managed by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management comprising approximately 9,666 acres, as generally depicted as Granite Basin Protection Area on the map entitled Sheet 4: Brush Creek, Cement Creek, and Spring Creek and dated August 27, 2024, is designated as the Granite Basin Protection Area. (4) South Poverty Gulch Protection Area Subject to valid existing rights, certain Federal land in the County managed by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management comprising approximately 1,350 acres, as generally depicted as South Poverty Gulch Protection Area on the map entitled Sheet 3: Kebler and Schofield Pass and dated August 27, 2024, is designated as the South Poverty Gulch Protection Area. (b) Purposes The purposes of the Protection Areas are— (1) to protect the natural and undeveloped character of the Protection Areas; and (2) to conserve and protect for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations the natural, scenic, scientific, cultural, watershed, recreation, and wildlife resources of the Protection Areas. (c) Management (1) In general The Secretary shall manage the Protection Areas in a manner that— (A) furthers the purposes of the Protection Areas described in subsection (b); and (B) is in accordance with— (i) this Act; and (ii) other applicable laws. (2) Uses (A) In general The Secretary shall only allow uses of the Protection Areas that the Secretary determines would further the purposes described in subsection (b). (B) Vehicle use (i) In general Except as provided in clause (ii), as needed for administrative purposes, or to respond to an emergency, the use of off-highway vehicles in the Protection Areas is prohibited. (ii) Over-snow vehicles The Secretary may permit the use of over-snow vehicles in the Deer Creek Protection Area designated by subsection (a)(2) on roads, trails, and areas designated for the use on the date of enactment of this Act. (C) Bicycles The Secretary may permit the use of bicycles in the Protection Areas only— (i) on roads and trails designated for the use on the date of enactment of this Act; (ii) as needed for administrative purposes; (iii) to respond to an emergency; or (iv) if designated by the Secretary for the use on the potential trails described in paragraph (3). (3) Limitation Nothing in this section affects the potential development, in accordance with applicable law, of— (A) the proposed trail, commonly known as the Deer Creek to Brush Creek Connector Trail, within the Deer Creek Protection Area designated by subsection (a)(2); (B) the proposed trail, commonly known as the Eccher Exit Trail, within the Granite Basin Protection Area designated by subsection (a)(3); or (C) the proposed trail, commonly known as the Lower Loop Trail Extension, in the South Poverty Gulch Protection Area designated by subsection (a)(4).