Land designations

(a) Definition of wilderness area In this section, the term wilderness area means a wilderness area designated by subsection (b)(1). (b) 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 1,102,393 acres, as generally depicted on the referenced maps, is designated as wilderness and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (A) Fifteenmile Creek Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 61,647 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Trout Creek–Oregon Canyon Group and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Fifteenmile Creek Wilderness. (B) Oregon Canyon Mountains Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 53,559 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Trout Creek–Oregon Canyon Group and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Oregon Canyon Mountains Wilderness. (C) Twelvemile Creek Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 38,099 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Trout Creek–Oregon Canyon Group and dated December 12, 2023, 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 on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Upper Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, 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 on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Upper Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Lookout Butte Wilderness. (F) Mary Gautreaux Owyhee River Canyon Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 211,679 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Upper Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Mary Gautreaux Owyhee River Canyon Wilderness. (G) Black butte wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 12,058 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Upper Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Black Butte Wilderness. (H) Twin Butte Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 18,150 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Upper Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Twin Butte Wilderness. (I) Oregon Butte Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 31,934 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Upper Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Oregon Butte Wilderness. (J) Mahogany Butte Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 8,953 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Upper Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Mahogany Butte Wilderness. (K) Deer Flat Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 12,250 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Upper Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Deer Flat Wilderness. (L) Sacramento Hill Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 9,574 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Upper Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Sacramento Hill Wilderness. (M) Deadman Butte Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 7,152 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Upper Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Deadman Butte Wilderness. (N) Big Grassey Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 44,238 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Upper Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Big Grassey Wilderness. (O) North Fork Owyhee Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 5,276 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Upper Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the North Fork Owyhee Wilderness. (P) Mary Gautreaux Lower Owyhee Canyon Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 77,121 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Lower Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Mary Gautreaux Lower Owyhee Canyon Wilderness. (Q) Jordan Craters Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 29,255 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Lower Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Jordan Craters Wilderness. (R) Owyhee Breaks Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 31,637 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Lower Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Owyhee Breaks Wilderness. (S) Dry Creek Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 33,209 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Lower Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Dry Creek Wilderness. (T) Dry Creek Buttes Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 88,289 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Lower Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Dry Creek Buttes Wilderness. (U) Upper Leslie Gulch Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 2,997 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Lower Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Upper Leslie Gulch Wilderness. (V) Slocum Creek Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 7,534 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Lower Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Slocum Creek Wilderness. (W) Honeycombs Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 41,122 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Lower Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Honeycombs Wilderness. (X) Wild Horse Basin Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 18,402 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Lower Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Wild Horse Basin Wilderness. (Y) Quartz Mountain Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 32,943 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Lower Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Quartz Mountain Wilderness. (Z) The Tongue Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 5,909 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Lower Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as The Tongue Wilderness. (AA) Three Fingers Rock North Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 12,462 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Lower Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Three Fingers Rock North Wilderness. (BB) Burnt Mountain Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 8,115 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Lower Owyhee and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Burnt Mountain Wilderness. (CC) Camp Creek Wilderness Certain Federal land, comprising approximately 72,597 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Proposed Wilderness Camp Creek Group and dated December 12, 2023, which shall be known as the Camp Creek 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. (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. (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 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 (House Report 101–405). (C) Roads adjacent to wilderness areas Nothing in this Act requires the closure of any adjacent road outside the boundary of a wilderness area. (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 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). (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), 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. (c) Management of land not designated as wilderness (1) Release of wilderness study areas (A) Finding Congress finds that, for purposes of section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)), the Clarks Butte Wilderness Study Area, Saddle Butte Wilderness Study Area, and Bowden Hills Wilderness Study Area have been adequately studied for wilderness designation. (B) Release Except as provided in paragraph (2), the land described in subparagraph (A)— (i) is no longer subject to section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)); and (ii) shall be managed in accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), including any applicable land use plan adopted under section 202 of that Act (43 U.S.C. 1712). (2) Management of certain land with wilderness characteristics Any portion of the Federal land that was previously determined by the Secretary to be land with wilderness characteristics that is not designated as wilderness by subsection (b)(1) and is not designated on the Map as land with wilderness characteristics shall be managed by the Secretary in accordance with the applicable land use plans adopted under section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712).