To designate additions to the Rough Mountain Wilderness and the Rich Hole Wilderness of the George Washington National Forest, and for other purposes.
Summary
What This Bill Does
Adds about 1,000 acres in the George Washington National Forest to the Rough Mountain Wilderness and designates about 4,600 acres as the Rich Hole potential wilderness, with automatic Rich Hole wilderness incorporation after restoration activities are completed or after five years.
Who Benefits and How
George Washington National Forest backcountry users benefit because about 1,000 Rough Mountain acres become wilderness immediately and about 4,600 Rich Hole acres move toward wilderness protection. Wilderness conservation groups benefit from permanent Wilderness Act management for the Rough Mountain addition and eventual Rich Hole incorporation. Aquatic habitat and water-quality advocates benefit because the Secretary of Agriculture may complete Lower Cowpasture restoration work before Rich Hole becomes full wilderness. Nearby communities benefit from preserved scenic, recreation, and watershed resources in Bath and Alleghany County forest landscapes.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Forest Service land managers must administer the new and potential wilderness areas, publish any Federal Register notice when restoration activities are complete, and use the minimum tool or administrative practice for motorized equipment or mechanized transport. Motorized recreation users and future development interests bear access limits once the lands are wilderness. Project crews working in the Rich Hole potential wilderness must finish water-quality and aquatic-passage restoration under constraints designed to protect wilderness character.
Key Provisions
- Adds roughly 1,000 George Washington National Forest acres to the Rough Mountain Wilderness.
- Creates roughly 4,600 acres of Rich Hole potential wilderness in the George Washington National Forest.
- Requires the Rich Hole potential wilderness to become full wilderness after restoration completion notice or after five years.
- Authorizes limited motorized equipment and mechanized transport for Lower Cowpasture water-quality and aquatic-passage restoration before conversion.
- Requires Forest Service managers to use the minimum tool or practice with the least adverse impact on wilderness character.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Adds about 1,000 acres in the George Washington National Forest to the Rough Mountain Wilderness and designates about 4,600 acres as the Rich Hole potential wilderness, with automatic Rich Hole wilderness incorporation after restoration activities are completed or after five years.
Key Policy Areas
Public Lands, Wilderness, Virginia
Primary Purpose
Adds about 1,000 acres in the George Washington National Forest to the Rough Mountain Wilderness and designates about 4,600 acres as the Rich Hole potential wilderness, with automatic Rich Hole wilderness incorporation after restoration activities are completed or after five years.
Policy Domains
House resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- George Washington National Forest backcountry users
- Wilderness conservation groups
- Aquatic habitat advocates
- Nearby communities
Identified Costs
- Forest Service land managers
- Motorized recreation users
- Future development interests
- Project crews
Sponsors
Tim Kaine
D-VA | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
ReportedReported by Mr. Boozman, without amendment
Mr. Kaine (for himself and Mr. Warner) introduced the following …
Mr. Kaine (for himself and Mr. Warner) introduced the following …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
George Washington National Forest visitors, Motorized recreation users
Positive-direction: George Washington National Forest visitors
Negative-direction: Motorized recreation users
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "secretary"
- → Secretary of Agriculture acting through the Forest Service
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology