Wilderness designations and other land designations and related management to designations

(a) Definitions In this section: (1) Map The term Map means each of the following: (A) Wilderness Area Maps Exhibits 1 through 23. (B) Existing Road Maps—Roads Exhibits 24 through 28. (C) Special Management Area Exhibits 29 through 30. (2) Special management area The term Special Management Areas means a special management area designated by subsection (b)(1). (3) Wilderness area The term wilderness area means a wilderness area designated by subsection (c)(1). (b) Designation of special management areas (1) Designation Subject to valid existing rights, the following Special Management Areas in the County are designated: (A) Keeney creek special management area The Bureau land comprising approximately 23,431 acres, as generally depicted by the label Proposed KEENEY CREEK SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA on the map entitled Special Management Areas and dated January 15, 2025. (B) Clark ranch special management area The following units of Bureau land comprising approximately 17,443 acres, as generally depicted by the label Proposed Clark Ranch Special Management Area on the map entitled Special Management Areas and January 15, 2025. (2) Administration The Special Management Areas shall be administered by the Bureau. (3) Purposes The purpose of each Special Management Area are— (A) invasive species control must be allowed; (B) fire suppression must be allowed; (C) livestock production must be allowed and protected; and (D) Tribal access for cultural purposes must be allowed and protected. (4) Management (A) In general The Secretary shall manage the Special Management Areas— (i) in furtherance of the purposes described in paragraph (3); and (ii) in accordance with— (I) the laws (including regulations) generally applicable to the Bureau; (II) this subsection; and (III) any other applicable law (including regulations). (B) Roads; motorized vehicles (i) Roads The construction of new permanent roads in the Special Management Areas shall not be allowed. (ii) Motorized vehicles The use of motorized and mechanized vehicles and equipment in the Special Management Areas on existing roads and trails shall be allowed for administrative or official purposes, emergency response, fire management, national defense in times of national defense emergencies, rangeland health and restoration, weed and pest control, habitat management, livestock production, range improvement, and fence and water infrastructure repair and replacement. (C) Grazing Grazing of livestock in the Special Management Areas shall be administered in accordance with the Act of June 28, 1934 (commonly known as the Taylor Grazing Act; 43 U.S.C. 315 et seq.), and other laws generally applicable to grazing on the Federal land. (D) Rights-of-way Subject to valid existing rights, the Special Management Areas are closed to new rights-of-way. (5) Withdrawal Subject to valid existing rights, the Special Management Areas are withdrawn from— (A) all forms of appropriation or disposal under the public land laws, except as to the exchange of any Private lands within or immediately adjacent to the Special Management Areas; (B) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (C) disposition under laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing. (6) Maps and legal descriptions (A) In general As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare a map and legal description of each special management area based upon Special Management Area Exhibits 29 through 30. (B) Effect Each map and legal description prepared under subparagraph (A) shall have the same force and effect as if included in this Act, except that the Secretary may correct clerical and typographical errors in the map or legal description and except that the Secretary shall adjust the boundary of any special management area to the closest, adjacent grazing allotment boundary to ensure that any grazing allotment will not be partially within any special management. This means that any special management area shall be diminished to existing grazing allotment boundaries. (C) Public availability The maps and legal descriptions prepared under subparagraph (A) shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Bureau. (c) Designation of wilderness areas (1) In general In accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following Federal land in the County comprising approximately 924,440 acres, as generally depicted on the Map, is designated as wilderness and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (A) Fifteenmile Creek Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 50,357 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 02 on the Map, which shall be known as the Fifteenmile Creek Wilderness. (B) Oregon Canyon Mountains Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 42,035 acres, as generally depicted exhibit 03 on the Map, which shall be known as the Oregon Canyon Mountains Wilderness. (C) Twelvemile Creek Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 28,123 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 04 on the Map, which shall be known as the Twelvemile Creek Wilderness. (D) Upper West Little Owyhee Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 93,199 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 05 on the Map, which shall be known as the Upper West Little Owyhee Wilderness. (E) Lookout Butte Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 66,242 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 13 on the Map, which shall be known as the Lookout Butte Wilderness. (F) Mary Gautreaux Owyhee River Canyon Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 195,197 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 06 on the Map, which shall be known as the Mary Gautreaux Owyhee River Canyon Wilderness. (G) Jordan Craters Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 29,255 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 08 on the Map, which shall be known as the Jordan Craters Wilderness. (H) Owyhee Breaks Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 31,637 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 09 on the Map, which shall be known as the Owyhee Breaks Wilderness. (I) Dry Creek Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 33,209 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 14 on the Map, which shall be known as the Dry Creek Wilderness. (J) Dry Creek Buttes Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 88,289 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 15 on the Map, which shall be known as the Dry Creek Buttes Wilderness. (K) Upper Leslie Gulch Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 2,997 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 10 on the Map, which shall be known as the Upper Leslie Gulch Wilderness. (L) Slocum Creek Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 7,534 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 11 on the Map, which shall be known as the Slocum Creek Wilderness. (M) Honeycombs Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 41,122 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 12 on the Map, which shall be known as the Honeycombs Wilderness. (N) Lower Owyhee Canyon Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 70,980 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 07 on the Map, which shall be known as the Lower Owyhee Canyon Wilderness. (O) Wild Horse Basin Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 18,402 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 16 on the Map, which shall be known as the Wild Horse Basin Wilderness. (P) Black butte wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 12,058 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 17 on the Map, which shall be known as the Black Butte Wilderness. (Q) Twin butte wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 18,150 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 18 on the Map, which shall be known as the Twin Butte Wilderness. (R) Oregon butte wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 31,934 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 19 on the Map, which shall be known as the Oregon Butte Wilderness. (S) Mahogany butte wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 8,953 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 20 on the Map, which shall be known as the Mahogany Butte Wilderness. (T) Deer flat wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 12,250 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 21 on the Map, which shall be known as the Deer Flat Wilderness. (U) Sacramento hill wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 9,574 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 22 on the Map, which shall be known as the Sacramento Hill Wilderness. (V) Quartz mountain wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 32,943 acres, as generally depicted as exhibit 23 on the Map, which shall be known as the Quartz Mountain Wilderness. (2) Maps and legal descriptions (A) In general As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare a map and legal description of each wilderness area based on Wilderness Area Maps Exhibits 1 through 23. (B) Effect Each map and legal description prepared under subparagraph (A) shall have the same force and effect as if included in this Act, except that the Secretary may correct clerical and typographical errors in the map or legal description and except that the Secretary shall adjust the boundary of any wilderness area to the closest, adjacent grazing allotment boundary to ensure that any grazing allotment will not be partially within any wilderness. This means that any wilderness area shall be diminished to existing grazing allotment boundaries. (C) Public availability The maps and legal descriptions prepared under subparagraph (A) shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Bureau. (3) Management (A) In general Subject to valid existing rights, the wilderness areas shall be administered by the Secretary in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), except that— (i) any reference in that Act to the effective date of that Act shall be considered to be a reference to the date of enactment of this Act; and (ii) any reference in that Act to the Secretary of Agriculture shall be considered to be a reference to the Secretary. (B) Grazing The Secretary shall allow the continuation of the grazing of livestock, in the wilderness areas, if established before the date of enactment of this Act, in accordance with— (i) section 4(d)(4) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(4)); and (ii) the guidelines and policies set forth in appendix A of the report of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives accompanying H.R. 2570 of the 101st Congress (H. Rept. 101–405 dated February 21, 1990). The number of livestock permitted as used in guideline and policy number 1 shall mean the Permitted use animal unit months prescribed in the existing Grazing Permits upon enactment of this Act, in addition to any Nonrenewal Grazing Permits issued by the Bureau within a 10-year period before enactment of this Act. Said appendix A shall control over of clause (i). (C) Roads adjacent to and within wilderness areas (i) Nothing in this Act requires any restriction, inclusive of closure or seasonal closure, of any road outside but adjacent to the boundary of any wilderness designated in subsection (c)(1). (ii) The Secretary shall allow the continuation of motorized use of road access upon the cherry stem roads shown in Existing Road Maps—Roads Exhibits 24 through 28. These cherry stem roads lie upon Federal land and not within any wilderness designated in subsection (c)(1). (iii) The Secretary shall— (I) allow the continuation of motorized use of road access upon the pipeline roads shown in Existing Road Maps—Roads Exhibits 24 through 28, except if otherwise determined necessary by the Secretary for— (aa) the administration of the area by the Bureau, the County, or the State; (bb) grazing uses by an authorized grazing permittee or lessee; (cc) access to Private lands; or (dd) access to lands by an Indian Tribe for cultural reasons; and (II) to the extent that such pipelines roads lie within the wilderness designated in subsection (c)(1), shall manage such pipeline roads as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. (iv) The Secretary may allow the continuation of motorized use of reasonable access on other roads not identified on the Existing Road Maps—Roads Exhibits 24 through 28 pursuant to the minimum requirement analysis under section 4(c) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(c)). For purposes of this clause, the term reasonable access includes any road existing on the date of enactment of this Act. (v) Any road within or across any wilderness designated in subsection (c)(1) shall be not less than 15-feet on each side of the centerline of the road. (vi) This Act shall not preclude use on any wilderness designated in subsection (c)(1) of mechanical equipment including chainsaws, backhoe excavators, caterpillar tractors, or the like for the purpose of wildfire suppression, invasive species control, activities necessary for management of livestock present on the land under grazing permits (including but not limited to distribution of salt, maintenance on the roads, replacement or repair of water facilities and fencing, doctoring cattle, dispersing of livestock, or gathering, or removal of livestock). (vii) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to restrict access to, repair of, replacement of, or use of, water delivery pipelines pursuant to any valid agreement existing as of the date of enactment of this Act. (D) Fish and wildlife management activities (i) In general In furtherance of the purposes and principles of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the Secretary may conduct any management activities that are necessary to maintain or restore fish and wildlife populations and habitats in the wilderness areas, if the management activities are— (I) consistent with applicable wilderness management plans; and (II) conducted in accordance with the General Policy inclusive of the Guidelines therein established in appendix B of the report of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives accompanying H.R. 2570 of the 101st Congress (House Report 101–405 dated February 21, 1990). (ii) Inclusions Management activities under clause (i) may include the occasional and temporary use of motorized vehicles, if the use, as determined by the Secretary, would promote healthy, viable, and more naturally distributed wildlife populations that would enhance wilderness values while causing the minimum impact necessary to accomplish those tasks. (E) Existing activities Consistent with section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)) and in accordance with appropriate policies, such as the policies established in appendix B of the report of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives accompanying H.R. 2570 of the 101st Congress (House Report 101–405 dated February 21, 1990), the State may use aircraft (including helicopters) in the wilderness areas to survey capture, transplant, monitor, and provide water for wildlife populations, including bighorn sheep and feral stock, feral horses, and feral burros. (d) Management of Federal land not designated as wilderness and special management area (1) Finding Congress finds that, for purposes of section 201(a) and section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1711(a); 1782(c)), the Federal land designated in this Act as wilderness and all other Federal land in the County has been adequately inventoried and studied to allow for wilderness purposes. (2) Redesignation Except as provided in paragraph (3), all Federal land managed by the Bureau in the County not included in the land designated herein as wilderness and all other Federal land described in paragraph (1)— (A) is released and is no longer subject to section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)) for wilderness study area purposes; and (B) shall be managed for values unrelated to wilderness purposes and shall be managed for the principal or major uses (as defined in section 103(l) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702(l))), in accordance with any applicable land use plan adopted under section 202 of that Act (43 U.S.C. 1712). (3) No effect on certain Wilderness Study Areas spanning Harney County and Malheur County Nothing in this Act shall be construed to change the following Wilderness Study Areas which predominantly lay in Harney County, Oregon, but have some parts that are in Malheur County, Oregon: (A) The Palomino Hills Wilderness Study Area. (B) The Sheepshead Mountain Wilderness Study Area. (C) The Wildcat Canyon Wilderness Study Area. (D) The Alvord Desert Wilderness Study Area. (E) The Willow Creek Wilderness Study Area. (F) Disaster Peak Wilderness Study Area. (e) The amended notice On the date that is 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, to conform as necessary to give effect to this Act, the Secretary shall initiate a process to amend the notice entitled Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Southeastern Oregon Resource Management Plan, Vale District, Oregon published by the Bureau in the Federal Register on February 2, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 14090), and amended on February 26, 2024. This amendment shall include the associated Wilderness Plan for the wilderness designated in subsection (c)(1) and shall include a Travel Management Plan. The Secretary shall complete the land use plan amended process within 24 months after initiation of the process to amend in accordance with section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712). (f) Limitation on certain restrictions by the Bureau relating to Federal lands under the Southeastern Oregon Resource Management Plan not designated as wilderness in this Act (1) Road Maps Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish a map depicting all existing roads on lands marked as Unit Protected for Wilderness Characteristics and Unit Managed for Other Resources in the notice entitled Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Southeastern Oregon Resource Management Plan, Vale District, Oregon published by the Bureau in the Federal Register on February 2, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 14090), and amended on February 26, 2024. (2) Access The Secretary shall not restrict the use of motorized vehicles on the roads described in paragraph (1) or on lands designated as Unit Protected for Wilderness Characteristics or Unit Managed for Other Resources in the notice described in paragraph (1) for— (A) members of the Burns-Paiute Tribe; (B) livestock grazing permittees; (C) the Bureau as necessary for range management including mechanical suppression of fire or invasive weeds; (D) private land owners and their agents, contractors, employees, and invitees as related to access to their private land; and (E) the County and the State and their agents, contractors, and employees as related to access to State lands and to access to any roads managed by the County. (3) Grazing The Secretary shall not reduce or restrict grazing of permittees or lessees on the Federal land designated as Unit Protected for Wilderness Characteristics or Unit Managed for Other Resources in the notice described in paragraph (1). (4) Continuation of limitations The limitations in this subsection shall be carried forward in the amended land use plan as prescribed to be developed in accordance with subsection (e).