Shenandoah Mountain Act
The Shenandoah Mountain Act would create the Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area (SMNSA) within approximately 92,562 acres of National Forest System land in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia. The primary purpose is to protect scenic quality, water quality, natural characteristics, and wildlife habitat—particularly at high elevations above 3,000 feet and including species like the Cow Knob salamander—while also preserving areas with old-growth characteristics and providing for enhanced, non-motorized recreation. The bill also designates five specific tracts of land as Wilderness Areas (Skidmore Fork, Ramseys Draft addition, Lynn Hollow, Little River, and Beech Lick Knob), which adds stricter protections under the Wilderness Act. All of this would be governed under a combination of the new Scenic Area rules and existing National Forest System laws, with specific limitations on timber harvesting, road building, and energy development, and with a plan to expand and improve nonmotorized trail opportunities. In short, the bill would lock in heightened conservation and recreation protections for Shenandoah Mountain and its high-elevation habitats, while carving out a framework for controlled recreation, water protection, and wilderness preservation, including a formal plan for trails and a comprehensive management plan for the Scenic Area. It would also withdraw the NSNSA lands from many public land laws (with protections for private land access) and designate new Wilderness Areas that limit motorized and certain other uses within their boundaries.
Key Points
- 1Establishment and boundaries: Creates the Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area covering about 92,562 acres of National Forest System land in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests (Virginia), as generally shown on maps filed with Congress.
- 2Wilderness designation: Designates five National Forest System tracts as Wilderness Areas within the NSNSA (Skidmore Fork Wilderness, Ramseys Draft Wilderness addition, Lynn Hollow Wilderness, Little River Wilderness, Beech Lick Knob Wilderness), adding to existing Wilderness within the area and subjecting them to Wilderness Act protections.
- 3Management and legal framework: Administers the NSNSA primarily under this Act and existing National Forest System laws, with Wilderness Areas governed by the Wilderness Act. No buffer zones are created, and conflicts between NSNSA and Wilderness laws favor the Wilderness Act in Wilderness areas.
- 4Recreation and trails: Requires a National Forest System trail plan within two years to develop, maintain, and improve nonmotorized trails (including potential trails near the Tillman Road corridor) and to solicit public input. The plan must emphasize sustainability, resource protection, and diverse recreation opportunities.
- 5Land and road use restrictions: Prohibits new roads within the NSNSA after enactment, preserves existing road access, and discourages motorized travel inside Wilderness Areas (while allowing motorized travel on non-Wilderness roads in the NSNSA). It also clarifies that there is no new protective buffer around the NSNSA or Wilderness Areas.
- 6Water, fire, and vegetation management: Requires maintenance/enhancement of water quality; allows wildfire suppression and prescribed burning consistent with NSNSA purposes; authorizes limited vegetation management and wildlife clearings, with caps on new wildlife clearings (not more than about 100 acres total).
- 7Timber, pests, and firewood: Generally prohibits timber harvesting within the NSNSA, with tightly limited exceptions (to control fire, public safety or trail access, construct/maintain overlooks, or control insect/disease outbreaks). Personal-use firewood from roads may be collected subject to Secretary's conditions.
- 8Withdrawals and private land: All NSNSA lands are withdrawn from entry, location, and patent under several public land laws (including mining, mineral leasing, wind/solar development, and certain utility corridors), subject to valid existing rights and with protections for access to private land within the NSNSA.
- 9Implementation and maps: Requires filing maps and boundary descriptions for both the NSNSA and the Wilderness Areas; the maps control in case of discrepancy; and public availability of the maps.