have been spotted within the boundaries of the Sheep Mountain wilderness area. They need the protection wilderness designation affords. The wilderness boundaries proposed in S. 74 closely correspond to the boundaries of the actual range of the bighorn sheep. The sponsors of S. 74 indicated concern that the Sheep Mountain wilderness study area of 31,680 acres selected by the Forest Service pursuant to their Roadless area review and evaluation (RARE), does not cover the entire bighorn sheep range and is inadequate for protection of the bighorn herds. The boundaries of the proposed study area also include a variety of small animals and birds, golden eagles, a few bear, coyote, fox, clear flowing streams with native trout, impressive stands of various coniferous trees, and lush riparian zones along stream bottoms, all of which add to the overall wilderness character of the region. SIZE OF THE AREA The proposed area would compromise approximately 52,000 acres in the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests. FOREST SERVICE ADMINISTRATION OF THE AREA The area proposed for wilderness study by S. 74, as amended, includes a 31,680-acre Sheep Mountain Wilderness Study Area selected by the Forest Service pursuant to their recently completed Roadless Area Review, and 20,320 acres of contiguous land. SKI DEVELOPMENT A representative of the Far West Ski Association testified in opposition to S. 74 on the grounds that wilderness designation of Sheep Mountain would affect potential ski development in the area of Mt. Baldy (Mt. San Antonio). Mt. Baldy is not within the wilderness. Similarly, the boundaries of the wilderness area were drawn to exclude the Stockton Flat area where one new ski lift is planned and for which the Forest Service has issued a permit. The Committee is not aware of any other concrete development plans. INHOLDINGS There are approximately 500 acres of inholdings located in the 52,000 acre proposed wilderness study area. MINERAL RESOURCES While information on minerals within the Sheep Mountain wilderness study area will not be available until after completion of the two year study period, the Committee noted that there are some patented placer mining claims along the East Fork of the San Gabriel River. The Committee was also made aware of a lode mining property, the Big Horn Mine, of about 200 acres located within the proposed wilder'ness study boundary. Of course under the Wilderness Act of 1964 patented land within any wilderness area continues to be subject to mining. S.R. 357 Prospecting and the operation of unpatented mining claims are allowed under regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture until December 31, 1983. III. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY S. 74 was introduced by Senator Cranston, for himself and Senator Tunney, on January 15, 1975. The Subcommittee on the Environment and Land Resources held a hearing on the measure on May 20, 1975. On July 31, 1975, the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, by unanimous voice vote, ordered S. 74, as amended, reported to the Senate. IV. COMMITTEE AMENDMENT As discussed in Section I, the Committee amended S. 74 to require a two year wilderness study rather than designate the entire 52,000 acres as "instant" wilderness. V. COST In accordance with subsection (a) of section 255 of the Legislative Reorganization Act, the following is a statement of estimated costs which would be incurred in the, implementation of S. 74, as amended: As much of the study has already been conducted in the form of Forest Service intensive planning for the area, the study is not expected to be very costly. Section 4 of the measure authorizes the appropriation of such funds as are necessary to complete the study. VI. COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION The Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, in open markup session on July 31, 1975 with a quorum present, unanimously recommended that S. 74, as amended, be enacted. VII. EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS The reports of the Federal agencies to the Committee concerning S. 74, as amended, are set forth in full, as follows: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Hon. HENRY M. JACKSON, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, Washington, D.C., May 30, 1975. Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: As you requested, here is the report of the Department of Agriculture on S. 74, a bill "To designate certain lands in the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests as the 'Sheep Mountain Wilderness'." The Department of Agriculture recommends that S. 74 not be enacted. S. 74 would designate as wilderness certain lands comprising about 52,000 acres in the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests, California, which are generally depicted on a map entitled "Sheep S.R. 357 Mountain Wilderness-Proposed", dated February 1974. The area would be known as the "Sheep Mountain Wilderness", and it would be administered in accordance with the provisions of the Wilderness Act (78 Stat. 890; 16 U.S.C. 1131-1136). The Sheep Mountain Area was reviewed during the recent Forest Service study of all national forest roadless areas containing 5,000 acres or more. Nationwide, 1,449 national forest roadless areas containing about 56 million acres were systematically evaluated. Of this number, 136 roadless areas totaling about 3 million acres are located in California. Each of the areas was rated as to its potential wilderness quality using criteria such as scenic quality, isolation, size, and variety of potential wilderness experience. The procedure also evaluated other resource values that would be foregone by wilderness designation. Major efforts were made to involve the public in the decisionmaking process at local, State, and national levels. From the inventory of 1,449 areas, 274 areas were selected as wilderness study areas. In California, the 31,680-acre Sheep Mountain Area is one of the 22 areas totaling about 991,000 acres that was selected as a wilderness study area. The area that would be designated as wilderness by S. 74 includes the Sheep Mountain Wilderness Study Area and an additional 20,320 acres of contiguous land. The Forest Service land-use planning process provides the basis and context for the study of national forest areas. Public involvement is an important part of that process. Of the 52,000 acres proposed in S. 74 for wilderness designation, about 47,500 acres are within the San Gabriel Planning Unit of the Angeles National Forest, and about 4,500 acres along the northeast boundary are within the Cajon Planning Unit of the San Bernardino National Forest. Inventory data has been collected within the San Gabriel Planning Unit, and we expect to file a Draft Environmental Statement analyzing management alternatives early in 1976. Inventory data collection within the Cajon Planning Unit will begin in 1977 with a Draft Environmental Statement on management alternatives to be filed late in 1978. On both units, final management plans and final environmental statements will not be developed until the public and agency review of the draft statements have been completed. In addition to the study of the planning units, the Sheep Mountain Wilderness Study Area will be studied in greater detail to determine. its suitability or nonsuitability for possible inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. Contiguous lands will also be considered. Information on minerals within the Sheep Moutain Wilderness Study should be available from the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Mines by the end of 1976. Preliminary recommendations concerning wilderness designation will be presented to the public for additional evaluation and comment. Upon completion of the detailed study and review of the public response, we will recommend wilderness designation for any areas we believe should be added to the National System. During the entire study process, the Sheep Mountain Wilderness Study Area will be managed so as to protect it from activities that would change the land characteristics in such a way as to disqualify the area from wilderness designation. S.R. 357 We strongly recommend that the Sheep Mountain Wilderness Study Area not be designated as wilderness without the completion of detailed studies of all resource values, including wilderness values. Based on the results of the studies now underway or to be undertaken, a more deliberate, orderly decision can be made as to the desirability of adding any specific area to the National Wilderness Preservation System. The Office of Management and Budget advises that there is no objection to the presentation of this report from the standpoint of the Administration's program. Sincerely, RICHARD A. ASHWORTH, EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, Hon. HENRY M. JACKSON, Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, U.S. Senate, 3106 New Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This is in response to your requests for the views of the Office of Management and Budget on the following legislation: 1. S. 74, a bill "To designate certain lands in the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests as the 'Sheep Mountain Wilderness" (requested April 22, 1975); 2. S. 392, a bill "To designate certain lands in the Flathead and Lewis and Clark National Forests in Montana as wilderness" (requested April 22, 1975); 3. S. 393, a bill "To provide for the study of certain lands to determine their suitability for designation as wilderness in accordance with the Wilderness Act of 1964, and for other purposes" (requested April 16, 1975); and, 4. S. 1391, a bill "To study certain lands in the Mendocino National Forest, California, for possible inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System" (requested April 22, 1975). The Office of Management and Budget concurs in the views of the Department of Agriculture in its reports on these bills, and accordingly strongly recommends against their enactment. Sincerely, JAMES M. FREY, Assistant Director for Legislative Reference. VIII. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW In compliance with subsection (4) of rule XXIX of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that no changes in existing law would be made by S. 74, as amended. S.R. 357 |