§539l Designation of James Peak Protection Area, Colorado

Summary

Designates about 16,000 acres in the Arapaho/Roosevelt National Forest as the James Peak Protection Area, shown on a map called “Proposed James Peak Protection Area” (dated September 2001). The area is to be managed to protect wildlife, clean water, open space, and quiet places, while still allowing recreation (including snowmobile use when there is enough snow and other motorized and nonmotorized activities) in suitable locations under rules. The Secretary must file the official map and boundary description with the House Resources Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee as soon as possible after August 21, 2002, and keep the map available for the public at Forest Service offices. Federal lands in the Protection Area are to be managed under the 1997 forest plan, with these limits: grazing continues; federal lands are closed to new public-land claims, new mining claims, and new mineral or geothermal leases except for valid existing rights; no general timber cutting except for fire, insect, disease control, or public safety; motorized travel is allowed only on roads and trails listed after an inventory that must be finished within two years after August 21, 2002; only certain new or temporary roads or trails are allowed (replacements, temporary fire-management roads, some access roads, a specific loop trail, and the Continental Divide Trail corridor). The law also allows necessary pipeline maintenance under permit 4138.01, keeps U.S. title to lands acquired after August 21, 2002, and leaves water rights governed by Colorado law and existing water agreements.