16 USC 539r - Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Management Area and wilderness additions

U.S Code last checked for updates: Feb 22, 2025

§ 539r.

Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Management Area and wilderness additions

(a)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Conservation Management Area

(2)

Decommission

The term “decommission” means—

(A)

to reestablish vegetation on a road; and

(B)

to restore any natural drainage, watershed function, or other ecological processes that are disrupted or adversely impacted by the road by removing or hydrologically disconnecting the road prism.

(3)

District

(4)

Map

(5)

Nonmotorized recreation trail

(6)

Secretary

The term “Secretary” means—

(A)

with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Agriculture; and

(B)

with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of the Interior.

(7)

State

(b)

Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Management Area

(1)

Establishment

(A)

In general

(B)

Area included

(C)

Incorporation of acquired land and interests

Any land or interest in land that is located in the Conservation Management Area and is acquired by the United States from a willing seller shall—

(i)

become part of the Conservation Management Area; and

(ii)

be managed in accordance with—

(I)

in the case of land managed by the Forest Service—

(aa)

the Act of March 1, 1911 (commonly known as the “Weeks Law”) (16 U.S.C. 552 et seq.); and

(bb)

any laws (including regulations) applicable to the National Forest System;

(II)

in the case of land managed, by the Bureau of Land Management, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.);

(III)

this subsection; and

(IV)

any other applicable law (including regulations).

(2)

Purposes

(3)

Management

(A)

In general

The Secretary shall manage the Conservation Management Area—

(i)

in a manner that conserves, protects, and enhances the resources of the Conservation Management Area; and

(ii)

in accordance with—

(I)

the laws (including regulations) and rules applicable to the National Forest System for land managed by the Forest Service;

(II)

the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) for land managed by the Bureau of Land Management;

(III)

this subsection; and

(IV)

any other applicable law (including regulations).

(B)

Uses

(i)

In general

(ii)

Motorized vehicles

(I)

In general

(II)

New or temporary roads

(III)

Exceptions

Nothing in subclause (I) or (II) prevents the Secretary from—

(aa)

rerouting or closing an existing road or trail to protect natural resources from degradation, as determined to be appropriate by the Secretary;

(bb)

constructing a temporary road on which motorized vehicles are permitted as part of a vegetation management project in any portion of the Conservation Management Area located not more than ¼ mile from the Teton Road, South Teton Road, Sun River Road, Beaver Willow Road, or Benchmark Road;

(cc)

authorizing the use of motorized vehicles for administrative purposes (including noxious weed eradication or grazing management); or

(dd)

responding to an emergency.

(IV)

Decommissioning of temporary roads

(iii)

Grazing

The Secretary shall permit grazing within the Conservation Management Area, if established on December 19, 2014—

(I)

subject to—

(aa)

such reasonable regulations, policies, and practices as the Secretary determines appropriate; and

(bb)

all applicable laws; and

(II)

in a manner consistent with—

(aa)

the purposes described in paragraph (2); and

(bb)

the guidelines set forth in the report of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives accompanying H.R. 5487 of the 96th Congress (H. Rept. 96–617).

(iv)

Vegetation management

Nothing in this section prevents the Secretary from conducting vegetation management projects within the Conservation Management Area—

(I)

subject to—

(aa)

such reasonable regulations, policies, and practices as the Secretary determines appropriate; and

(bb)

all applicable laws (including regulations); and

(II)

in a manner consistent with the purposes described in paragraph (2).

(4)

Adjacent management

(A)

In general

(B)

Effect

(c)

Designation of wilderness additions

(1)

In general

In accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following Federal land in the State is designated as wilderness and as additions to existing components of the National Wilderness Preservation System:

(A)

Bob Marshall Wilderness

(B)

Scapegoat Wilderness

(2)

Management of wilderness additions

(3)

Livestock

The grazing of livestock and the maintenance of existing facilities relating to grazing in the wilderness additions designated by this subsection, if established before December 19, 2014, shall be permitted to continue 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 the report of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives accompanying H.R. 5487 of the 96th Congress (H. Rept. 96–617).

(4)

Wildfire, insect, and disease management

(5)

Adjacent management

(A)

In general

(B)

Nonwilderness activities

(d)

Maps and legal descriptions

(1)

In general

(2)

Force of law

(3)

Public availability

(e)

Noxious weed management

(1)

In general

(2)

Contents

The management strategy shall—

(A)

include recommendations to protect wildlife, forage, and other natural resources in the district from noxious weeds;

(B)

identify opportunities to coordinate noxious weed prevention, control, and eradication efforts in the district with State and local agencies, Indian tribes, nonprofit organizations, and others;

(C)

identify existing resources for preventing, controlling, and eradicating noxious weeds in the district;

(D)

identify additional resources that are appropriate to effectively prevent, control, or eradicate noxious weeds in the district; and

(E)

identify opportunities to coordinate with county weed districts in Glacier, Pondera, Teton, and Lewis and Clark Counties in the State to apply for grants and enter into agreements for noxious weed control and eradication projects under the Noxious Weed Control and Eradication Act of 2004 (7 U.S.C. 7781 et seq.).

(3)

Consultation

In developing the management strategy required under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult with—

(A)

the Secretary of the Interior;

(B)

appropriate State, tribal, and local governmental entities; and

(C)

members of the public.

(f)

Nonmotorized recreation opportunities

(g)

Management of fish and wildlife; hunting and fishing

(h)

Overflights

(1)

Jurisdiction of the Federal Aviation Administration

(2)

Benchmark airstrip

(i)

Release of wilderness study areas

(1)

Finding

(2)

Release

The Zook Creek and Buffalo Creek wilderness study areas—

(A)

are no longer subject to—

(i)

section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)); or

(ii)

Secretarial Order 3310 issued on December 22, 2010; and

(B)

shall be managed 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).

(j)

Assessment update

(1)

In general

Not later than 5 years after December 19, 2014, the Secretary shall review and update the assessment for oil and gas potential for the following wilderness study areas in the State:

(A)

Bridge Coulee.

(B)

Musselshell Breaks.

(2)

Report

(Pub. L. 113–291, div. B, title XXX, § 3065, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3833.)

cite as: 16 USC 539r