Bill Summary
This legislation is known as the "Oregon Recreation Enhancement Act" and it designates certain land in Oregon as wilderness and national recreation areas. It also withdraws certain land from public use for the purpose of protecting and conserving the unique ecological, recreational, and wildlife values of the areas. The Act also requires a wildfire risk assessment and mitigation plan to be conducted for the designated areas. It expands the Wild Rogue Wilderness area and withdraws federal land in Curry and Josephine counties, Oregon from public use. The Act also allows for existing uses on the land to continue, except for the withdrawn areas.
Possible Impacts
1. The designation of certain land as wilderness and national recreation areas could limit access to the land for activities such as hunting, fishing, and off-roading, affecting people who enjoy those activities in the designated areas.
2. The withdrawal of federal land from all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws could restrict the ability of individuals or companies to acquire or develop the land, potentially affecting people who rely on those industries for employment or economic opportunities.
3. The wildfire risk assessment and mitigation plan required by the legislation could result in restrictions on certain activities in the designated recreation areas, such as camping or bonfires, in order to reduce the risk of wildfires. This could affect people who enjoy these activities and rely on the recreation areas for leisure or tourism.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 888 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 888
To designate certain land administered by the Bureau of Land Management
and the Forest Service in the State of Oregon as wilderness and
national recreation areas, to withdraw certain land located in Curry
County and Josephine County, Oregon, from all forms of entry,
appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws, location, entry,
and patent under the mining laws, and operation under the mineral
leasing and geothermal leasing laws, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 6, 2025
Mr. Wyden (for himself and Mr. Merkley) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To designate certain land administered by the Bureau of Land Management
and the Forest Service in the State of Oregon as wilderness and
national recreation areas, to withdraw certain land located in Curry
County and Josephine County, Oregon, from all forms of entry,
appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws, location, entry,
and patent under the mining laws, and operation under the mineral
leasing and geothermal leasing laws, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Oregon Recreation Enhancement Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means--
(A) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to
public land administered by the Secretary of the
Interior; or
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to
National Forest System land.
(2) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Oregon.
SEC. 3. ROGUE CANYON AND MOLALLA RECREATION AREAS, OREGON.
(a) Designation of Rogue Canyon and Molalla Recreation Areas.--For
the purposes of protecting, conserving, and enhancing the unique and
nationally important recreational, ecological, scenic, cultural,
watershed, and fish and wildlife values of the areas, the following
areas in the State are designated as recreation areas for management by
the Secretary in accordance with subsection (c):
(1) Rogue canyon recreation area.--The approximately 98,150
acres of Bureau of Land Management land within the boundary
generally depicted as the ``Rogue Canyon Recreation Area'' on
the map entitled ``Rogue Canyon Recreation Area Wild Rogue
Wilderness Additions'' and dated November 19, 2019, which is
designated as the ``Rogue Canyon Recreation Area''.
(2) Molalla recreation area.--The approximately 29,884
acres of Bureau of Land Management land within the boundary
generally depicted on the map entitled ``Molalla Recreation
Area'' and dated September 26, 2018, which is designated as the
``Molalla Recreation Area''.
(b) Maps and Legal Descriptions.--
(1) 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 recreation area designated by
subsection (a).
(2) Effect.--The maps and legal descriptions prepared under
paragraph (1) shall have the same force and effect as if
included in this Act, except that the Secretary may correct any
minor errors in the maps and legal descriptions.
(3) Public availability.--The maps and legal descriptions
prepared under paragraph (1) shall be available for public
inspection in the appropriate offices of the Bureau of Land
Management.
(c) Administration.--
(1) Applicable law.--The Secretary shall administer each
recreation area designated by subsection (a)--
(A) in a manner that conserves, protects, and
enhances the purposes for which the recreation area is
established; and
(B) in accordance with--
(i) this section;
(ii) the Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and
(iii) other applicable laws.
(2) Uses.--The Secretary shall only allow those uses of a
recreation area designated by subsection (a) that are
consistent with the purposes for which the recreation area is
established.
(3) Wildfire risk assessment.--Not later than 280 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in
consultation with the Oregon Governor's Council on Wildfire
Response, shall conduct a wildfire risk assessment that
covers--
(A) the recreation areas designated by subsection
(a);
(B) the Wild Rogue Wilderness; and
(C) any Federal land adjacent to an area described
in subparagraph (A) or (B).
(4) Wildfire mitigation plan.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the
date on which the wildfire risk assessment is conducted
under paragraph (3), the Secretary shall develop a
wildfire mitigation plan, based on the wildfire risk
assessment, that identifies, evaluates, and prioritizes
treatments and other management activities that can be
implemented on the Federal land covered by the wildfire
risk assessment (other than Federal land designated as
a unit of the National Wilderness Preservation System)
to mitigate wildfire risk to communities located near
the applicable Federal land.
(B) Plan components.--The wildfire mitigation plan
developed under subparagraph (A) shall include--
(i) vegetation management projects
(including mechanical treatments to reduce
hazardous fuels and improve forest health and
resiliency);
(ii) evacuation routes for communities
located near the applicable Federal land, which
shall be developed in consultation with State
and local fire agencies; and
(iii) strategies for public dissemination
of emergency evacuation plans and routes.
(C) Applicable law.--The wildfire mitigation plan
under subparagraph (A) shall be developed in accordance
with--
(i) this section; and
(ii) any other applicable law.
(5) Road construction.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
(B) or as the Secretary determines necessary for public
safety, no new permanent or temporary roads shall be
constructed (other than the repair and maintenance of
existing roads) within a recreation area designated by
subsection (a).
(B) Temporary roads.--Consistent with the purposes
of this Act, the Secretary may construct temporary
roads within a recreation area designated by subsection
(a) to implement the wildfire mitigation plan developed
under paragraph (4), unless the temporary road would be
within an area designated as a unit of the National
Wilderness Preservation System.
(C) Effect.--Nothing in this paragraph affects the
administration by the Secretary of the Molalla Forest
Road in accordance with applicable resource management
plans.
(6) Effect on wildfire management.--Nothing in this section
alters the authority of the Secretary (in cooperation with
other Federal, State, and local agencies, as appropriate) to
conduct wildland fire operations within a recreation area
designated by subsection (a), consistent with the purposes of
this Act.
(7) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, all
Federal surface and subsurface land within a recreation area
designated by subsection (a) is withdrawn from all forms of--
(A) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the
public land laws;
(B) location, entry, and patent under the mining
laws; and
(C) disposition under all laws pertaining to
mineral leasing, geothermal leasing, or mineral
materials.
(8) No effect on wilderness areas.--Any wilderness area
located within a recreation area designated by subsection (a)
shall be administered in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16
U.S.C. 1131 et seq.).
(d) Adjacent Management.--Nothing in this section creates any
protective perimeter or buffer zone around a recreation area designated
by subsection (a).
SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF WILD ROGUE WILDERNESS AREA.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Rogue
Canyon Recreation Area Wild Rogue Wilderness Additions'' and
dated November 19, 2019.
(2) Wilderness additions.--The term ``Wilderness
additions'' means the land added to the Wild Rogue Wilderness
under subsection (b)(1).
(b) Expansion of Wild Rogue Wilderness Area.--
(1) Expansion.--The approximately 59,512 acres of Federal
land in the State generally depicted on the map as ``Proposed
Wilderness'' shall be added to and administered as part of the
Wild Rogue Wilderness in accordance with the Endangered
American Wilderness Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; Public
Law 95-237), except that--
(A) the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary
of Agriculture shall administer the Federal land under
their respective jurisdiction; and
(B) any reference in that Act to the Secretary of
Agriculture shall be considered to be a reference to
the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the
Interior, as applicable.
(2) Map; legal description.--
(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 the wilderness
area designated by paragraph (1).
(B) Force of law.--The map and legal description
filed under subparagraph (A) shall have the same force
and effect as if included in this section, except that
the Secretary may correct typographical errors in the
map and legal description.
(C) Public availability.--The map and legal
description filed under subparagraph (A) shall be on
file and available for public inspection in the
appropriate offices of the Bureau of Land Management
and Forest Service.
(3) Fire, insects, and disease.--The Secretary may take
such measures within the Wilderness additions as the Secretary
determines to be necessary for the control of fire, insects,
and disease, in accordance with section 4(d)(1) of the
Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)).
(4) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, the
Wilderness additions are withdrawn from all forms of--
(A) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the
public land laws;
(B) location, entry, and patent under the mining
laws; and
(C) disposition under all laws pertaining to
mineral leasing, geothermal leasing, or mineral
materials.
(5) Tribal rights.--Nothing in this subsection alters,
modifies, enlarges, diminishes, or abrogates the treaty rights
of any Indian Tribe.
SEC. 5. WITHDRAWAL OF FEDERAL LAND, CURRY COUNTY AND JOSEPHINE COUNTY,
OREGON.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Eligible federal land.--The term ``eligible Federal
land'' means--
(A) any federally owned land or interest in land
depicted on the Maps as within the Hunter Creek and
Pistol River Headwaters Withdrawal Proposal or the
Rough and Ready and Baldface Creeks Mineral Withdrawal
Proposal; or
(B) any land or interest in land located within
such withdrawal proposals that is acquired by the
Federal Government after the date of enactment of this
Act.
(2) Maps.--The term ``Maps'' means--
(A) the Bureau of Land Management map entitled
``Hunter Creek and Pistol River Headwaters Withdrawal
Proposal'' and dated January 12, 2015; and
(B) the Bureau of Land Management map entitled
``Rough and Ready and Baldface Creeks Mineral
Withdrawal Proposal'' and dated January 12, 2015.
(b) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, the eligible
Federal land is withdrawn from all forms of--
(1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land
laws;
(2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
(3) operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal
leasing laws.
(c) Availability of Maps.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Maps shall be made available to the public
at each appropriate office of the Bureau of Land Management.
(d) Existing Uses Not Affected.--Except with respect to the
withdrawal under subsection (b), nothing in this section restricts
recreational uses, hunting, fishing, forest management activities, or
other authorized uses allowed on the date of enactment of this Act on
the eligible Federal land in accordance with applicable law.
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