WSP03726 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

000810 determine their suitubility for possible inclusion by Congres5 in the National vlilderness preservution Sy:;tem ("',;ilderness SysteJ'l"). Your questions are directed to the authority given to the Secretary by section G03 en<::~ling hi::l to r:l:!nuge the BL'l ler.ds in order to preserve their wildernes:; characteristics during this rt=viell. Subsection (c) of that section, which conveys this authority, states in appropriate part: (T]he Secretary shall continue to m3nage such lands according to his authority. under this Act and other aOjlicable law in a manner 50 as not to impair th~ suit~ility of such areas for pre5ervation as wilderness, subject, how- ever, to the continuation of existing mining and grazing uses and mineral leasir.g in th~ manner and decree in I",hich the same ~las being conducted on the date of a;):)I:o'1ul of this Act. Provided, That in managing'the public lands the Secretary shall by regulation or otherwise take any action required to prevent.unnecessary or undue degradation of the lar.as and their resources or to afford enviro~"ental protection. (emphasis added) 43 U.S.C. 5 l782(c), 90 stat. 2743 at 2785. n. LEGISUlTIVE IlISTORY ~is sentence was inserted into the Act by the Subcorrmittee on Public Lands of the House Co~ittee on Interior and Insular Affairs during the 93rd Congress, 2d Session. At the tiIiOe the SuocO'imi ttee was reviel-ling B.R. 5441, a bill introjuced at the request of the Ad~inistration and a draft bill prepared by the Suoco~~ittee. Neither H.R. 5~4l nor the .seventh version of the draft Subco:r:nittee bill contained the "manner and degree" language. y Section 312 of the seventh draft bill, captioned "Bureau of Land ~lanage;;:ent \'.'ilderness Study" sLrnply stated that, ,.[d]uring the period of review of such areas, the Se,-retary shall con- tinue to ad~inister such lands acco:ding to his existing authority." 2/ Section 312 of the eighth version of the draft bill (S2pte.11ber 1974) con- tained the wilderness manag2~ent language basically as it ap?eared in the subsequent lal-l. The acijition3.l la:1gu3.ge was inserted at the instigation of congressrnal1 Dellenback, who ex-plained: . . . the gentleman fro~ Alaska had raised the question ~hat could be done on lanjs set aside for wilderness pur?Oscs. I would pro- pose. . . this additio:1al phrase: During the period of review of such areas, the Secretary shall continue to aci:l1inister such lands in a manner so as to preserve the wild- 2 .0