Administration

(a) Management (1) In general Subject to valid existing rights and paragraph (2), the wilderness areas shall be administered by the Secretary in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), except that— (A) any reference in that Act to the effective date shall be considered to be a reference to the date of enactment of this Act; and (B) any reference in that Act to the Secretary of Agriculture shall be considered to be a reference to the Secretary. (2) Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness The Secretary shall administer the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness designated by section 301(a)(1) in accordance with the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.) (b) Livestock (1) In general Within wilderness areas administered by the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, the grazing of livestock, if established before the date of enactment of this Act, shall be allowed to continue, subject to such reasonable regulations, policies, and practices as the Secretary considers to be necessary in accordance with— (A) section 4(d)(4) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(4)); and (B) 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). (2) Inventory Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct an inventory of existing facilities and improvements associated with grazing activities in the wilderness areas managed by the Secretary. (c) Incorporation of acquired land and interests Any land or interest in land within, or adjacent to, the boundary of a wilderness area that is acquired by the United States after the date of enactment of this Act shall be added to, and administered as part of, the wilderness area. (d) Military overflights Nothing in this title restricts or precludes— (1) low-level overflights of military aircraft over the wilderness areas, including military overflights that can be seen or heard within the wilderness areas; (2) flight testing and evaluation; or (3) the designation or creation of new units of special use airspace, or the establishment of military flight training routes, over the wilderness areas. (e) Wildfire, insect, and disease In accordance with section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)), the Secretary may take such measures in the wilderness areas as are necessary for the control of fire, insects, and diseases (including, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, in coordination with the activities of a State or local agency). (f) Climatological data collection In accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) and subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, the Secretary may authorize the installation and maintenance of hydrologic, meteorologic, or climatological data collection devices in the wilderness areas if the Secretary determines that the facilities and access to the facilities are essential to flood warning, flood control, or water reservoir operation activities. (g) Native american cultural and religious uses Nothing in this title— (1) alters or diminishes the treaty rights of any Indian Tribe; or (2) precludes the traditional collection of culturally significant and medicinal plants (including pine nuts) in a wilderness area for personal, noncommercial use consistent with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.). (h) Adjacent management (1) In general Congress does not intend for the designation of the wilderness areas to create protective perimeters or buffer zones around the wilderness areas. (2) Non-wilderness activities The fact that non-wilderness activities or uses can be seen or heard from areas within a wilderness area shall not preclude the conduct of those activities or uses outside the boundary of the wilderness area. (i) Water rights (1) Purpose The purpose of this subsection is to protect the wilderness values of the land designated as wilderness areas by means other than a federally reserved water right. (2) Statutory construction Nothing in this title— (A) constitutes an express or implied reservation by the United States of any water or water rights with respect to the wilderness areas; (B) affects any water rights in the State (including any water rights held by the United States) in existence on the date of enactment of this Act; (C) establishes a precedent with regard to any future wilderness designations; (D) affects the interpretation of, or any designation made under, any other Act; or (E) limits, alters, modifies, or amends any interstate compact or equitable apportionment decree that apportions water among and between the State and other States. (3) Nevada water law The Secretary shall follow the procedural and substantive requirements of State law in order to obtain and hold any water rights not in existence on the date of enactment of this Act with respect to the wilderness areas. (4) New projects (A) Definition of water resource facility (i) In general In this paragraph, the term water resource facility means an irrigation or pumping facility, reservoir, water conservation work, aqueduct, canal, ditch, pipeline, well, hydropower project, transmission or other ancillary facility, and other water diversion, storage, or carriage structure. (ii) Exclusion In this paragraph, the term water resource facility does not include a wildlife water development project, including a guzzler. (B) Restriction on new water resource facilities Except as otherwise provided in this section, on and after the date of enactment of this Act, neither the President nor any other officer, employee, or agent of the United States shall fund, assist, authorize, or issue a license or permit for the development of any new water resource facility within a wilderness area. (j) Wildlife Management (1) In general In accordance with section 4(d)(7) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(7)), nothing in this title affects or diminishes the jurisdiction of the State with respect to fish and wildlife management in the wilderness areas, including— (A) the regulation of hunting, fishing, and trapping in the wilderness areas on Federal land administered by the Bureau of Land Management; or (B) the regulation of hunting and fishing in the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness designated by section 301(a)(1). (2) Management activities In furtherance of the purposes and principles of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the Secretary may conduct management activities in the wilderness areas that are necessary to maintain or restore fish and wildlife populations and the habitats to support the populations, including noxious weed treatment if the activities are carried out— (A) consistent with applicable management plans; and (B) in accordance with— (i) the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.); and (ii) in the case of wilderness areas on Federal land administered by the Bureau of Land Management, the guidelines set forth 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), including 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 with the minimal impact necessary to reasonably accomplish those purposes. (3) Existing activities In accordance with section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)) and in accordance with the guidelines set forth in Appendix B 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), aircraft, including helicopters, may continue to be used to survey, capture, transplant, monitor, and provide water for wildlife populations in the wilderness areas. (k) Wildlife water development projects The Secretary may authorize structures and facilities, including existing structures and facilities and new structures and facilities, for wildlife water development projects, including guzzlers, in the wilderness areas if the Secretary determines— (1) the structures and facilities would, as determined by the Secretary, enhance wilderness values by promoting healthy, viable, and more naturally distributed wildlife populations; and (2) the visual impacts of the structures and facilities on the wilderness areas can reasonably be minimized. (l) Hunting, fishing, or trapping Nothing in this title affects the jurisdiction of the State with respect to the management of fish and wildlife on public land in the State, including hunting, fishing, or trapping. (m) Cooperative agreement The State, including a designee of the State, may conduct wildlife management activities in the wilderness areas on land managed by the Nevada State Office of the Bureau of Land Management— (1) in accordance with the terms and conditions specified in the cooperative agreement between the Secretary and the State entitled Wildlife Management in Nevada BLM Wilderness Areas and signed September 2024, including any amendments to the cooperative agreement agreed to by the Secretary and the State; and (2) subject to all applicable laws (including regulations).