PRIA Logo™
119-hr-3369119th Congress

Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

Sponsored By: Representative Randall, Emily [D-WA-6]

Introduced

Summary

Protects and expands wilderness and Wild and Scenic River protections across the Olympic National Forest and Park. The bill would designate about 126,554 acres of Federal land as wilderness, add roughly 5,346 acres as potential wilderness, and classify many river segments—including about 29 miles of the Elwha River—into wild, scenic, or recreational categories under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

Show full summary
  • Families and visitors gain long-term protection for trails, backcountry and river corridors, with thousands of acres and dozens of river miles set aside for conservation and recreation. These protections also authorize river restoration and habitat recovery activities.
  • Tribal Nations keep reserved treaty rights for hunting, fishing, gathering, and cultural uses intact as the bill explicitly preserves those rights. The law also protects existing private and state land management rights.
  • Federal and state managers would share administration. The Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior would update forest and river management plans within 3 years, extendable to 5 years if needed, and can enter cooperative management agreements with Washington.

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

New wilderness in Olympic National Forest

If enacted, about 126,554 acres in Olympic National Forest would become wilderness. The Forest Service would manage these areas under the Wilderness Act, subject to valid existing rights. About 5,346 acres would be “Potential Wilderness” and would convert after nonconforming uses end and a notice is published. The Secretary would file official maps and legal descriptions and could fix minor errors. There would be no buffer zones; uses outside the boundary could continue even if seen or heard inside. The Secretary could take steps to control fire, insects, and disease in these wilderness areas.

Wild and scenic status for Olympic rivers

If enacted, many river segments in and around Olympic National Park and Forest would get wild, scenic, or recreational status. Examples include about 29.0 miles of the Elwha as wild; about 20.7 miles of the Hoh as wild and 6.0 miles as scenic; and Big Quilcene with about 4.4 miles wild and 5.3 miles scenic. A roughly 5‑mile Big Quilcene segment would face special dam and hydropower licensing rules. Some stretches would be managed by Interior inside the park, and others by Agriculture in the forest. Several segments would be run as recreational under cooperative agreements with Washington State.

Private, state, and tribal rights kept

If enacted, the bill would not change existing private contracts or property rights. It would not direct how Washington’s Department of Natural Resources manages its land. It would not alter any tribal treaty rights for hunting, fishing, gathering, or cultural uses.

No new mining in protected rivers

If enacted, new mining claims and mineral or geothermal leasing would be barred inside the bill’s designated river segments. This would apply to federal lands within those river boundaries and would be subject to valid existing rights. The rule would begin upon enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Randall, Emily [D-WA-6]

WA • D

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation