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passed by the Senate in 1991, and was described in Senate Report 102-129.

Roubideau

This area, like the Tabeguache Roadless Area, was targeted by the Forest Service for timber cutting before public outcry forced the Forest Service to re-evaluate its position. A prime feature of the area, which is located 15 miles west of Montrose, Colorado, is Roubideau Creek, which has carved one of Colorado's most unique canyons. Named after a French fur trapper, the creek originates in sub-alpine spruce and aspen forests high on the Uncompahgre Plateau before it flows 20 miles into the Gunnison River. The area is rich in native cutthroat trout, beaver, black bear, deer, bobcat, and cougar, as well as golden eagles and other birds.

Tabeguache

The Forest Service's Tabeguache Roadless Area and an adjacent BLM wilderness study area, both in Montrose County, encompass one of the last pristine canyons of the Uncompahgre Plateau, the higher country that divides the drainage of the Uncompahgre and Gunnison Rivers from that of the Dolores. The areas have exposed geologic strata that represent a time-span of nearly 100 million years and they afford opportunities for relatively low-elevation, year-round recreational uses such as horseback riding, hiking, camping, and fishing. The roadless area was recommended for wilderness designation by the Forest Service during RARE II, and the BLM has also found its wilderness study area to be suitable for wilderness designation, and such designation was recommended by the President in 1992. The BLM portion has extremely high cultural values, including evidence of both the Anasazi and Fremont cultures.

SPANISH PEAKS AREA

Section 10 would require the Secretary of Agriculture to continue to manage the Spanish Peaks Area (as defined by an appropriate map reference) as provided by the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1980 (i.e., as a wilderness study area) for 3 years after the bill's enactment, notwithstanding the provisions of section 4(a) of the bill. It would also require the Secretary, before the end of this three-year period, to report as to the location, acreage, and nature of all private property interests located within the Spanish Peaks area, and the Secretary's views as to whether the owners of these interests would be willing to transfer these to the United States (by sale or exchange) on a fair-market-value basis if that could be done in the near future. The Committee encourages the Secretary to submit this report without unnecessary delay. Subsection 9(c) clarifies that nothing in the bill is to be construed as a grant of new authority for Federal acquisition of property by eminent domain. It does not affect any existing authority for such acquisitions. (Of course, if this area were to be designated as wilderness, the Wilderness Act would preclude this method of Federal acquisition of inholdings). A description of this area follows:

In 1977, the Spanish Peaks, or Wayatoya ("Breasts of the World"), were designated as a National Natural Area because of

outstanding scenic values, and this area has also been inventoried for potential historic recognition because the two volcanic peaks (easternmost extensions of the Rocky Mountains) served as a landmark to some of Colorado's early settlers. In fact, the trail between Bent's Old Fort and Taos, New Mexico, passes within sight of Spanish Peaks. Although some private inholdings currently exist within the area, the Forest Service has been working to acquire them through exchanges.

Section 11 would rename the existing Bureau of Reclamation Granby pumping plant (part of the Colorado-Big Thompson project) as the "Farr Pumping Plant".

OTHER AREAS

The Committee notes that there are a number of roadless areas within Colorado's National Forests and public lands omitted from wilderness or whose management is not addressed by the bill as reported, including but not limited to the Chama Basin (adjacent to the South San Juan Wilderness), Kannah Creek, Kebler Pass, Pole Creek, San Miguel Peak, Troublesome, Ute Creek, and lands in the vicinity of Tobin Creek in the Sangre de Cristo Range, and further notes that these areas have significant values associated with their undeveloped, roadless condition. Even in those cases where such areas are not subject to specific management requirements under applicable existing law, the Committee intends that the Forest Service and the BLM continue to be mindful of those values in the course of planning and when making decisions regarding specific proposed uses of these lands.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

On June 8, 1993, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held a hearing on H.R. 631 and on June 17 adopted amendments and ordered the bill as amended favorably reported to the Full Committee. On June 30, 1993, the Committee on Natural Resources adopted amendments and ordered the bill as amended favorably reported to the House by a voice vote.

OVERSIGHT STATEMENT

The Committee on Natural Resources will have continuing responsibility for oversight of the implementation of H.R. 631 after its enactment. No reports or recommendations were received pursuant to Rule X, clause 2(b)(2) of the Rules of the House.

INFLATIONARY IMPACT; COST; AND BUDGET ACT COMPLIANCE

In the opinion of the Committee, enactment of H.R. 631 will have no inflationary impact on the national economy and will involve only costs that are reasonable in view of the benefits derived. The estimate of the Congressional Budget Office follows:

U.S. CONGRESS,

Hon. GEORGE MILLER,

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE,
Washington, DC, July 9, 1993.

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed H.R. 631, the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on June 30, 1993. CBO estimates that enactment of H.R. 631 would result in additional costs of $2 million to $3 million over the next five years, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. Enactment of H.R. 631 could affect direct spending by reducing offsetting receipts, and therefore the bill would be subject to pay-as-you-go procedures under section 252 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. We do not expect such reductions in receipts to be significant.

H.R. 631 would designate over 611,000 acres of National Forest System land and Bureau of Land Management holdings in Colorado as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Three additional units of federal land totaling about 155,000 acres would be permanently protected under conservation plans that are less restrictive than wilderness designations. Finally, the bill would require the Forest Service to report on the status of private property within the Spanish Peaks further planning area.

Based on information from the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, CBO estimates that costs for creating and executing wilderness area management plans would total about $300,000 annually. Surveying and boundary work would cost from $50,000 to $250,000 per year for up to ten years.

The National Wilderness Preservation System Act stipulates that all timber located in units of the National Wilderness Preservation System is no longer available for timber harvesting. Because most of the land specified in this bill is not currently available for timber harvest, and much of the timber that is available would likely be replaced by timber in other areas, we would not expect there to be a significant reduction in timber receipts over the next five years. Lands designated as wilderness are also no longer available for mineral exploration and development. We expect that no significant loss of mineral receipts would result from this bill because H.R. 631 provides that mineral resources could be removed under valid existing rights. The bill would bar new claims, but any effect of that prohibition would be minor because there have been few new mining claims in the affected areas in recent years.

Enactment of this bill would not impose significant costs on state and local governments.

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Theresa Gullo, who can be reached at 226-2860.

Sincerely,

ROBERT D. REISCHAUER, Director.

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3 of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman):

ACT OF DECEMBER 22, 1980

AN ACT To designate certain National Forest System lands in the States of Colorado, South Dakota, Missouri, South Carolina, and Louisiana for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System, and for other purposes.

TITLE I

[SEC. 105. (a) The Secretary of Agriculture shall review and within three years after the date of enactment of this Act, shall report to the President and the Congress in accordance with subsections 3(c) and 3(d) of the Wilderness Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 892), his recommendations on the suitability or unsuitability for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System of the following lands:

[(1) the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness Study Area, consisting of approximately fifty-six thousand nine hundred acres in the Šan Isabel National Forest, as generally depicted on a map entitled "Buffalo Peaks Wilderness Study Area Proposal", dated June 1980;

[(2) the Fossil Ridge Wilderness Study Area, consisting of approximately fifty-four thousand seven hundred acres in the Gunnison National Forest, as generally depicted on a map entitled "Fossil Ridge Wilderness Study Area Proposal", dated December 1979;

[(3) the Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness Study Area, consisting of approximately twenty-two thousand three hundred acres in the San Isabel National Forest, as generally depicted on a map entitled "Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness Study Area Proposal", dated June 1980;

[(4) the South San Juan Wilderness Expansion Study Area, consisting of approximately thirty-two thousand eight hundred acres in the San Juan National Forest, as generally depicted on a map entitled "Montezuma Peak-V Rock Trail Wilderness Study Area", dated June 1980;

[(5) the Piedra Wilderness Study Area, consisting of approximately forty-one thousand five hundred acres in the San Juan National Forest, as generally depicted on a map entitled "Piedra Wilderness Study Area Proposal", dated June 1980;

[(6) the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness Study Area, consisting of approximately two hundred and twenty-one thousand acres in the Rio Grande and San Isabel National Forests, as generally depicted on a map entitled "Sangre de Cristo Wilderness Study Area Proposal", dated June 1980;

[(7) the Spanish Peaks Wilderness Study Area, consisting of approximately nineteen thousand six hundred acres in the San Isabel National Forest, as generally depicted on a map entitled

"Spanish Peaks Wilderness Study Area Proposal", dated June 1980;

[(8) the Vasquez Peak Wilderness Study Area, consisting of approximately twelve thousand eight hundred acres in the Arapaho National Forest, as generally depicted on a map entitled "Vasquez Peak Wilderness Study Area Proposal", dated September 1980; and

[(9) the West Needle Wilderness Study Area, consisting of approximately fifteen thousand eight hundred acres in the San Juan National Forest, as generally depicted on a map entitled "West Needle Wilderness Study Area Proposal", dated June 1980.

[(b) The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall review jointly the Wheeler Geologic Study Area consisting of approximately fourteen thousand acres in the Gunnison National Forest, as generally depicted on a map entitled "Wheeler Geologic Study Area Proposal", dated November 1980, and within three years following the date of enactment of this Act shall report to the President and to Congress their recommendations for management of the lands in such study area. In making such review and report, such Secretaries shall consider—

[(1) the natural, historical, cultural, scenic, economic, educational, scientific, energy, mineral, and geologic values of the study area;

[(2) the management and protection of fragile geologic resources within the area;

[(3) possible land management options or designations including national park, national monument, or national recreation area designation; addition to the National Wilderness Preservation System; special administrative designations; and management under the general laws and regulations applicable to the National Forest System;

[(4) the effect of possible land management options on consumers, national security, and national, State and local economies, including timber harvest, tourism, grazing, energy, water, mineral, and other commercial activities;

[(5) the need for additional mineral exploration in such area; and

[(6) the suitability and desirability of permanent or temporary road or other mechanized access into the study area, with special attention to access by the elderly and the handicapped.

[(c) Subject to valid existing rights, the study areas designated by subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall, until Congress determines otherwise, be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture so as to maintain their presently existing wilderness character and potential for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System: Provided, That with respect to grazing of livestock and oil, gas, or mineral exploration and development activities, such study areas shall be administered according to the laws generally applicable to the National Forest System.

[SEC. 106. (a) The Secretary of Agriculture shall review and within three years after the date of enactment of this Act, shall report to the President and the Congress in accordance with sub

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