“To provide for conservation on Federal lands in Southern California, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section designates the Act as the San Gabriel Mountains, Foothills, and Rivers Protection Act of 2025 and sets forth the table of contents.
This section designates as wilderness, and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, certain federal land within the Angeles National Forest in California: (1) approximately 8,207 acres as the Condor Peak Wilderness, as generally depicted on the map entitled “Condor Peak Wilderness—Proposed” and dated June 6, 2019; (2) approximately 2,032 acres as additions to the San Gabriel Wilderness designated by Public Law 90-318, as generally depicted on the map entitled “San Gabriel Wilderness Additions” and dated June 6, 2019; (3) approximately 11,938 acres as additions to the Sheep Mountain Wilderness designated by section 101(a)(29) of the California Wilderness Act of 1984, as generally depicted on the map entitled “Sheep Mountain Wilderness Additions” and dated November 14, 2023; and (4) approximately 6,694 acres as the Yerba Buena Wilderness, as generally depicted on the map entitled “Yerba Buena Wilderness—Proposed” and dated June 6, 2019.
This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to administer land designated as wilderness by section 101 (i.e., as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System) in accordance with this title and the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), treating the date of enactment of this Act as the effective date of the Wilderness Act and subject to valid existing rights. It further (1) authorizes fire, insect, and disease control activities; requires revision of applicable fire management plans as soon as practicable after enactment, establishment of fire emergency approval procedures within one year of enactment, and agreements with state or local firefighting agencies; (2) preserves California's jurisdiction over fish and wildlife and authorizes related management activities consistent with applicable plans and policies; (3) clarifies that no buffer zones are created around wilderness areas; (4) permits military low-level overflights, special airspace designations, and flight training routes; (5) allows horseback riding and entry of saddle or pack stock; (6) withdraws wilderness areas from all forms of entry, appropriation, disposal under public land laws, mining laws, and operation of mineral materials and geothermal leasing laws; (7) incorporates acquired lands into the applicable wilderness area, subject to withdrawal and management requirements; (8) authorizes installation and maintenance of hydrologic, meteorologic, or climatological data collection devices if essential to specified water activities; and (9) permits recreational rock climbing, including use and maintenance of fixed anchors.
This section designates approximately 20.2 miles of Little Rock Creek and tributaries in California as components of the national wild and scenic rivers system, to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture. Specifically, it designates: (1) the 10.3-mile segment of Little Rock Creek from its source on Mt. Williamson in sec. 6, T. 3 N., R. 9 W., to 100 yards upstream of the confluence with the South Fork Little Rock Creek, as a wild river; (2) the 6.6-mile segment from 100 yards upstream of that confluence to the confluence with Santiago Canyon, as a recreational river; (3) the 1-mile segment of Cooper Canyon Creek from 0.25 miles downstream of Highway 2 to 100 yards downstream of Cooper Canyon Campground, as a scenic river; (4) the 1.3-mile segment of Cooper Canyon Creek from 100 yards downstream of Cooper Canyon Campground to the confluence with Little Rock Creek, as a wild river; and (5) the 1-mile segment of Buckhorn Creek from 100 yards downstream of Buckhorn Campground to the confluence with Cooper Canyon Creek, as a wild river. (As background, wild river designation generally prohibits motorized access and new structures to preserve primitive character; scenic allows primitive roads and some development; and recreational permits motorboats and roads.)
This section designates three segments of the San Gabriel River in California for potential addition to the national wild and scenic rivers system by adding them to the list in Section 5(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act: (1) the 12.7-mile East Fork from the confluence of the Prairie Fork and Vincent Gulch to 100 yards upstream of the confluence with Williams Canyon; (2) the 4.3-mile North Fork from the confluence with Cloudburst Canyon to 0.25 miles upstream of the confluence with the West Fork San Gabriel River; and (3) the 8.3-mile West Fork from 0.25 miles downstream of its source near Red Box Gap to the confluence with Bobcat Canyon. (As background, the national wild and scenic rivers system protects free-flowing rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, or recreational values.) It further directs the Secretary of Agriculture to complete studies of these segments not later than three years after funds are made available, submit a report to Congress describing the results, and identify opportunities for partnership administration with state, regional, local, and community stakeholders.
This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to prepare, as soon as practicable after enactment, a map and legal description of each wilderness area. The maps and legal descriptions have the force and effect of law (except that the Secretary may correct clerical or typographical errors) and must be filed and made available for public inspection in appropriate Forest Service offices.
This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to incorporate the designations and studies required by this Act into updated land and resource management plans for the Angeles National Forest as soon as practicable after enactment.
This section requires the Secretary of Agriculture to ensure Indian tribes' access to wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, and wild scenic river study streams designated by this Act for traditional cultural and religious purposes, consistent with the Wilderness Act. It further authorizes the Secretary, upon an Indian tribe's request, to temporarily close specific portions of such areas to the general public to protect tribal privacy during those activities, provided any closure affects the smallest practicable area for the minimum necessary time and complies with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, Wilderness Act, and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to issue special use authorizations for the continued operation, maintenance, and reconstruction of existing water transport or diversion facilities located on National Forest System land in the Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness, if (1) the facilities existed as of the land's designation date as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, (2) they have provided substantially continuous water delivery for beneficial use on the owners' non-Federal land since that date, (3) the owners hold valid State-law water rights predating designation, and (4) relocation outside the wilderness is impracticable while preserving the beneficial use. Authorizations are subject to terms and conditions protecting wilderness resources and values.