§ 460vv-4. Wilderness review

(a) Findings

The Congress finds that—

(1) the Department of Agriculture has completed the second roadless area review and evaluation program (RARE II); and

(2) the Congress has made its own review and examination of National Forest System roadless areas in Oklahoma and of the environmental impacts associated with alternative allocations of such areas.

(b) Congressional determination and direction

On the basis of such review, the Congress hereby determines and directs that—

(1) without passing on the questions of the legal and factual sufficiency of the RARE II Final Environmental Impact Statement (dated January 1979) with respect to National Forest System lands in States other than Oklahoma, such statement shall not be subject to judicial review with respect to National Forest System lands in the State of Oklahoma;

(2) with respect to the National Forest System lands in the State of Oklahoma which were reviewed by the Department of Agriculture in the second roadless area review and evaluation (RARE II) and those lands referred to in subsection (d) of this section, that review and evaluation or reference shall be deemed for the purposes of the initial land management plans required for such lands by the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 [16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.], as amended by the National Forest Management Act of 1976, to be an adequate consideration of the suitability of such lands for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System and the Department of Agriculture shall not be required to review the wilderness option prior to the revision of the plans, but shall review the wilderness option when the plans are revised, which revisions will ordinarily occur on a ten-year cycle, or at least every fifteen years, unless, prior to such time the Secretary of Agriculture finds that conditions in a unit have significantly changed;

(3) areas in the State of Oklahoma reviewed in such final environmental statement or referenced in subsection (d) of this section and not designated wilderness upon enactment of this subchapter shall be managed for multiple use in accordance with land management plans pursuant to section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 [16 U.S.C. 1604], as amended by the National Forest Management Act of 1976, except that such areas need not be managed for the purpose of protecting their suitability for wilderness designation prior to or during revision of the initial land management plans;

(4) in the event that revised land management plans in the State of Oklahoma are implemented pursuant to section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 [16 U.S.C. 1604], as amended by the National Forest Management Act of 1976, and other applicable law, areas not recommended for wilderness designation need not be managed for the purpose of protecting their suitability for wilderness designation prior to or during revision of such plans, and areas recommended for wilderness designation shall be managed for the purpose of protecting their suitability for wilderness designation as may be required by the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 [16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.], as amended by the National Forest Management Act of 1976, and other applicable law; and

(5) unless expressly authorized by Congress, the Department of Agriculture shall not conduct any further statewide roadless area review and evaluation of the National Forest System lands in the State of Oklahoma for the purpose of determining their suitability for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System.

As used in this section, and as provided in section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 [16 U.S.C. 1604], as amended by the National Forest Management Act of 1976, the term “revision” shall not include an “amendment” to a plan.

(d) Application of provisions

The provisions of this section shall also apply to:

(1) those National Forest System roadless lands in the State of Oklahoma in the Ouachita National Forest which were evaluated in the Rich Mountain and Beech Creek unit plans; and

(2) National Forest System roadless lands in the State of Oklahoma which are less than five thousand acres in size.

U.S. Code

§ 460vv-4. Wilderness review