To designate additions to the Rough Mountain Wilderness and the Rich Hole Wilderness of the George Washington National Forest, and for other purposes.
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 …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill adds approximately 5,600 acres of land to two existing wilderness areas in Virginia's George Washington National Forest. It immediately adds 1,000 acres to the Rough Mountain Wilderness and creates a 4,600-acre "potential wilderness area" that will become part of the Rich Hole Wilderness after the Forest Service completes water quality restoration work, or within five years, whichever comes first.
Who Benefits and How
Conservation organizations and wilderness advocates benefit by securing permanent protection for additional public lands. Outdoor recreation businesses focused on non-motorized activities (hiking, camping, hunting, fishing) gain from expanded wilderness areas that attract visitors. Environmental restoration contractors receive short-term opportunities to perform water quality and aquatic passage improvements in the Rich Hole addition before full wilderness designation takes effect.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The U.S. Forest Service faces increased administrative workload managing these expanded wilderness areas under strict Wilderness Act requirements. Commercial logging and mining companies lose potential access to approximately 5,600 acres that could have been available for resource extraction. Off-road vehicle enthusiasts and motorized recreation businesses lose access to these areas, as wilderness designation prohibits motorized equipment except for the temporary restoration period in the Rich Hole addition.
Key Provisions
- Adds 1,000 acres to Rough Mountain Wilderness Area immediately upon enactment
- Designates 4,600 acres as "potential wilderness" for Rich Hole, with full wilderness protection except for temporary restoration activities
- Allows the Secretary of Agriculture to use motorized equipment in the Rich Hole addition until restoration work is completed or five years pass
- Requires the Secretary to use "minimum tool" practices that have the least impact on wilderness character during restoration
- Incorporates the Rich Hole addition into full wilderness status automatically once restoration is complete or after five years
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Expands two wilderness areas in Virginia's George Washington National Forest by adding approximately 5,600 total acres to the Rough Mountain and Rich Hole Wilderness Areas
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Expand federal wilderness protection while allowing temporary restoration work to improve water quality before full wilderness designation"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Conservation organizations
- Wilderness recreation users
- Environmental groups
- Outdoor recreation industry
Likely Burden Bearers
- Forest Service (administrative workload)
- Potential future commercial timber or mineral interests (foreclosed access)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Agriculture
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Approximately 4,600 acres in George Washington National Forest designated for future incorporation into Rich Hole Wilderness Area after completion of restoration activities or within 5 years
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