Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 97.djvu/933

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PUBLIC LAW 98-140—OCT. 31, 1983 97 STAT. 901 Public Law 98- 98th Congress 140 An Act To establish the Lee Metcalf Wilderness and Management Area in the State of Montana, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Lee Metcalf Wilderness and Management Act of 1983". Oct. 31, 1983 [S. 96] Lee Metcalf Wilderness and Manageme nt Act of 1983. DESIGNATION AND MANAGEMENT OF LEE METCALF WILDERNESS AND MANAGEMENT AREA SEC. 2. (a) In furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (78 Stat. 890; 16 U.S.C. 1131), certain lands within the Beaverhead and Gallatin National Forests and certain lands in the Dillon Resource Area, Montana, administered by the Bureau of Land Management which comprise approximately two hundred and fifty-nine thousand acres as generally depicted as the "Lee Metcalf Wilderness" on a map entitled "Lee Metcalf Wilderness—Proposed", and dated Octo- ber 1983 are hereby designated as wilderness and shall be known as the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. (b) Subject to valid existing rights, the Lee Metcalf Wilderness as designated by this Act shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, hereafter referred to as "the Secretary", in accordance with the Wilderness Act governing areas designated by that Act as wilderness: Provided, That any reference in such provisions to the effective date of the Wilderness Act shall be deemed to be a refer- ence to the effective date of this Act: Provided further. That the Bear Trap Canyon portion of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness shall be administered by the Secretary of the Interior. (c) The Congress finds that certain lands within the Gallatin National Forest near Monument Mountain have important recre- ational and wildlife values, including critical grizzly bear and elk habitat. In order to conserve and protect these values, the area lying adjacent to the Monument Mountain and Taylor-Hilgard units of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness as designated by this Act and compris- ing approximately thirty-eight thousand acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled Lee Metcalf Wilderness—Proposed", dated October 1983, shall be managed to protect the wildlife and recre- ational values of these lands and shall be hereby withdrawn from all forms of appropriation under the mining laws and from disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral leasing and geothermal leas- ing, and all amendments thereto. The area shall further be adminis- tered by the Secretary of Agriculture to maintain presently existing wilderness character, with no commercial timber harvest nor addi- tional road construction permitted. The Secretary shall permit con- tinued use of the area by motorized equipment only for activities associated with existing levels of livestock grazing, administrative purposes (including snowmobile trail maintenance) and for snow- mobiling during periods of adequate snow cover but only where such 16 USC 1132 note. 16 USC 1131 note. Administration of lands. 16 USC 1131 note. Motorized equipment activities.