Dugger Mountain Wilderness Act of 1999 (Introduced in the House)

HR 2632 IH

106th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2632

To designate certain Federal lands in the Talladega National Forest in the State of Alabama as the Dugger Mountain Wilderness.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 29, 1999

Mr. RILEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To designate certain Federal lands in the Talladega National Forest in the State of Alabama as the Dugger Mountain Wilderness.

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 `Dugger Mountain Wilderness Act of 1999'.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF DUGGER MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS, ALABAMA.

(a) DESIGNATION- In furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), certain Federal lands in the Talladega National Forest in the State of Alabama, which comprise approximately 9,200 acres, as generally depicted on a map entitled `Proposed Dugger Mountain Wilderness' and dated July 2, 1999, are hereby designated as wilderness and, therefore, as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, and shall be known as the Dugger Mountain Wilderness.

(b) MAP AND DESCRIPTION- As soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to Congress a map and a boundary description of the area designated as wilderness by this section. The map and description 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 and description. A copy of the map and description shall be on file and available for public inspection in the Office of the Chief of the Forest Service and in the office of the Supervisor of National Forest System lands in Alabama.

(c) MANAGEMENT- Subject to valid existing rights, lands designated as wilderness by this section shall be managed by the Secretary of Agriculture in accordance with the provisions of the Wilderness Act governing areas designated by that Act as wilderness, except that, with respect to the wilderness area designated by this section, any reference in the Wilderness Act to the effective date of the Wilderness Act shall be deemed to be a reference to the date of the enactment of this Act.

(d) TREATMENT OF DUGGER MOUNTAIN FIRE TOWER- The Forest Service shall have two years, beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, in which to use ground-based mechanical and motorized equipment to disassemble and remove from the wilderness area designated by this section the Dugger Mountain fire tower, which has been scheduled for removal by the Forest Service, and any supporting structures. The road to the fire tower shall be open to motorized vehicles during this period only for the purpose of removing the tower and supporting structures, after which time the road shall be permanently closed to motorized use. The Forest Service shall follow the provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.) in the determination and execution of the removal of the tower and supporting structures.