§539r Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Management Area and Wilderness Additions

Summary

Creates the Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Management Area in Montana and adds land to two nearby wilderness areas. The Conservation Management Area includes about 195,073 acres of Forest Service land and about 13,087 acres of Bureau of Land Management land, shown on a map titled “Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act” dated October 27, 2011. Any land the United States later buys from a willing seller inside the area becomes part of it and will be managed under the usual Forest Service or BLM laws. Definitions used: “Conservation Management Area” — the area created here; “decommission” — restore a road to natural condition; “district” — the Rocky Mountain Ranger District of the Lewis and Clark National Forest; “map” — the October 27, 2011 map; “nonmotorized recreation trail” — for hiking, biking, or horses; “Secretary” — Secretary of Agriculture for Forest Service land and Secretary of the Interior for BLM land; “State” — Montana. The area must be managed to protect its recreation, scenery, history, wildlife, roadless, and ecological values. Only uses that help those goals are allowed. Motor vehicles are allowed only on roads, trails, or areas that were designated for motor use as of December 19, 2014. No new or temporary roads are allowed except in limited cases: rerouting or closing roads to protect resources; building a temporary road for a vegetation project within 1/4 mile of Teton Road, South Teton Road, Sun River Road, Beaver Willow Road, or Benchmark Road (any such temporary road must be decommissioned within 3 years after the project ends); motorized administrative work; and emergencies. Grazing that existed on December 19, 2014 may continue under reasonable rules and applicable laws. Vegetation projects, wildfire/insect/disease actions, and other usual management activities are allowed as needed and as the law permits. The law adds about 50,401 acres to the Bob Marshall Wilderness and about 16,711 acres to the Scapegoat Wilderness; those lands are managed under the Wilderness Act with an effective date of December 19, 2014, and existing grazing facilities set up before that date may continue. The Secretary must prepare maps and legal descriptions as soon as practical after December 19, 2014; those maps have the same legal force as the law and must be available to the public. The Agriculture Secretary must make a noxious-weed plan within 1 year after December 19, 2014. A study to improve nonmotorized trails on nonwilderness land in the district must be done within 2 years after that date. Montana keeps its authority over fish and wildlife. The Federal Aviation Administration still controls airspace and use of the Benchmark airstrip is not affected. Two wilderness study areas, Zook Creek and Buffalo Creek, are released from further wilderness study and will be managed under existing land-use plans. Finally, the Secretary must review oil and gas potential for the Bridge Coulee and Musselshell Breaks study areas within 5 years after December 19, 2014 and send a report to Congress within 30 days after that review is finished.