U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 460iii-5. Other laws and administrative provisions

(a) Other laws

(1) Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to supersede, limit, or otherwise affect administration and enforcement of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) or to limit the applicability of the National Trails System Act [16 U.S.C. 1241 et seq.] to any lands within the conservation area.

(2) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this subchapter, nothing in this subchapter shall be construed as limiting the applicability to lands in the conservation area of laws applicable to public lands generally, including but not limited to the National Historic Preservation Act [16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.], the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 [16 U.S.C. 470aa et seq.], or the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act [25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.].

(3) Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed as by itself altering the status of any lands that on August 4, 1993, were not managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

(4) Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed as prohibiting the Secretary from engaging qualified persons to use public lands within the conservation area for the propagation of plants (including seeds) to be used for vegetative enhancement of the conservation area in accordance with the plan and in furtherance of the purposes for which the conservation area is established.

(b) Release

The Congress finds and directs that the public lands within the Snake River Birds of Prey Natural Area established as a natural area in October 1971 by Public Land Order 5133 have been adequately studied and found unsuitable for wilderness designation pursuant to section 1782 of title 43. Such lands are hereby released from further management pursuant to section 1782 (c) of title 43 and shall be managed in accordance with other applicable provisions of law, including this subchapter.

Public Land Orders 5133 dated October 12, 1971, and 5777 dated November 21, 1980, issued by the Secretary are hereby revoked subject to subsections (d)(3) and (d)(4) of this section.

(d) Water

(1) The Congress finds that the United States is currently a party in an adjudication of rights to waters of the Snake River, including water rights claimed by the United States on the basis of the reservation of lands for purposes of conservation of fish and wildlife and that consequently there is no need for this subchapter to effect a reservation by the United States of rights with respect to such waters in order to fulfill the purposes for which the conservation area is established.

(2) Nothing in this subchapter or any action taken pursuant thereto shall constitute either an expressed or implied reservation of water or water rights for any purpose.

(3) Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed as effecting a relinquishment or reduction of any of the water rights held or claimed by the United States within the State of Idaho or elsewhere on or before August 4, 1993.

(4) The Secretary and all other officers of the United States shall take all steps necessary to protect all water rights claimed by the United States in the Snake River adjudication now pending in the district court of the State of Idaho in which the United States is joined under section 666 of title 43.

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