Designation of special management areas

(a) Designation (1) American Flag Special Management Area Subject to valid existing rights, certain Federal land in the County managed by the Forest Service comprising approximately 36,171 acres, as generally depicted as American Flag SMA on the map entitled Sheet 4: Brush Creek, Cement Creek, and Spring Creek and dated August 27, 2024, is designated as the American Flag Special Management Area. (2) Beckwiths Special Management Area Subject to valid existing rights, certain Federal land in the County managed by the Forest Service comprising approximately 24,031 acres, as generally depicted as Beckwiths SMA on the map entitled Sheet 3: Kebler and Schofield Pass and dated August 27, 2024, is designated as the Beckwiths Special Management Area. (3) Clear Fork Special Management Area Subject to valid existing rights, certain Federal land in the County managed by the Forest Service comprising approximately 37,998 acres, as generally depicted as Clear Fork SMA on the map entitled Sheet 2: McClure Pass and dated August 27, 2024, is designated as the Clear Fork Special Management Area. (4) McIntosh Mountain Special Management Area Subject to valid existing rights, certain Federal land in the County managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service comprising approximately 22,497 acres, as generally depicted as McIntosh Mountain SMA on the map entitled Sheet 8: Gunnison Valley and Ohio Pass and dated August 27, 2024, is designated as the McIntosh Mountain Special Management Area. (5) North Poverty Gulch Special Management Area Subject to valid existing rights, certain Federal land in the County managed by the Forest Service comprising approximately 5,476 acres, as generally depicted as North Poverty Gulch SMA on the map entitled Sheet 3: Kebler and Schofield Pass and dated August 27, 2024, is designated as the North Poverty Gulch Special Management Area. (6) Pilot Knob Special Management Area Subject to valid existing rights, certain Federal land in the County managed by the Forest Service comprising approximately 16,973 acres, as generally depicted as Pilot Knob SMA on the map entitled Sheet 2: McClure Pass and dated August 27, 2024, is designated as the Pilot Knob Special Management Area. (7) Signal Peak Special Management Area Subject to valid existing rights, certain Federal land in the County managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service comprising approximately 28,345 acres, as generally depicted as Signal Peak SMA on the map entitled Sheet 9: Cabin Creek and dated August 27, 2024, is designated as the Signal Peak Special Management Area. (8) Union Park Special Management Area Subject to valid existing rights, certain Federal land in the County managed by the Forest Service comprising approximately 22,483 acres, as generally depicted as Union Park SMA on the map entitled Sheet 5: Union Park and dated August 27, 2024, is designated as the Union Park Special Management Area. (9) Whetstone Headwaters Special Management 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 20,676 acres, as generally depicted as Whetstone Headwaters SMA on the map entitled Sheet 3: Kebler and Schofield Pass and dated August 27, 2024, is designated as the Whetstone Headwaters Special Management Area. (b) Purpose The purpose of the Special Management Areas is to conserve, protect, and enhance for the benefit of present and future generations the natural, scenic, scientific, cultural, watershed, recreation, and wildlife resources of the Special Management Areas. (c) Management (1) In general The Secretary shall manage the Special Management Areas in a manner that— (A) conserves, protects, and enhances the resources of the Special Management Areas; 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 Special Management Areas that the Secretary determines would further the purpose described in subsection (b). (B) Vehicle and bicycle use (i) In general The use of off-highway vehicles and bicycles in the Special Management Areas shall be permitted only on roads, trails, and areas designated for use by those vehicles on the date of enactment of this Act, except— (I) as needed for administrative purposes; (II) to respond to an emergency; or (III) as authorized under clauses (ii) and (iii). (ii) Winter travel management For any portion of a Special Management Area for which the Secretary has not adopted a winter travel management plan as of the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary— (I) shall, not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, adopt a winter travel management plan with respect to the applicable portion of the Special Management Area; and (II) may, during any period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on the date of adoption of a winter travel management plan for the applicable portion under subclause (I), permit the use of over-snow vehicles in the applicable portion of the Special Management Area in accordance with the applicable land management plan or other applicable management direction. (iii) Potential trails The Secretary may permit— (I) the use of bicycles on the potential trails described in paragraph (3) if the trails are designated by the Secretary for the use; and (II) the use of off-highway vehicles on the potential trails described in subparagraphs (A), (C), and (F) of paragraph (3) if the trails are designated by the Secretary for the use. (3) Limitation Nothing in this section affects the potential development, in accordance with applicable law, of— (A) a proposed trail of less than 50 inches in width, commonly known as the Big Grassy Trail, within the American Flag Special Management Area designated by subsection (a)(1); (B) the proposed trails, commonly known as the Crested Butte to Paonia Trail and the Crested Butte to Carbondale Trail, within the Beckwiths Special Management Area designated by subsection (a)(2); (C) the proposed trails, commonly known as the Antelope Ridge Trail and Connector, the East West Antelope Trail, the West Antelope Trail, and the Mill Creek Connector, within the McIntosh Mountain Special Management Area designated by subsection (a)(4); (D) the proposed trail, commonly known as the Gunnison to Crested Butte Trail, and the trails generally depicted in figure 7 of the document entitled Candidate Conservation Agreement: For the Gunnison sage-grouse, Centrocercus minimus—Gunnison Basin Population and dated 2012 within the Signal Peak Special Management Area designated by subsection (a)(7); (E) the proposed trails, commonly known as the Gunnison to Crested Butte Trail and the Baxter Gulch to Splain’s Gulch Trail, in the Whetstone Headwaters Special Management Area designated by subsection (a)(9); or (F) the proposed trail, commonly known as the Splain’s Gulch to Carbon Creek Trail, in the Whetstone Headwaters Special Management Area designated by subsection (a)(9).