Owyhee Wilderness Areas Boundary Modifications Act

Owyhee Wilderness Areas Boundary Modifications Act

(Sec. 2) This bill adjusts the boundaries of the North Fork Owyhee Wilderness, the Owyhee River Wilderness, and the Pole Creek Wilderness in Idaho to exclude certain land.

(Sec. 3) The holder of a grazing permit within the Pole Creek Wilderness and the Owyhee River Wilderness shall be allowed continued limited motorized use in those wilderness areas to support livestock operations if:

• the use occurred before the designation of the wilderness areas; and
• the Department of the Interior, as part of the minimum requirements analysis required by this bill, has authorized the permittee to conduct limited motorized use within the wilderness areas.

Interior shall conduct a minimum requirements analysis for motorized use within those wilderness areas as part of the renewal process for the affected grazing permit.

As part of such analysis, Interior shall analyze the impacts of limited motorized use for livestock operations on vegetation, wildlife, and cultural resources within those wilderness areas.

Until the minimum requirements analysis is completed, Interior shall permit limited motorized use for livestock operations in those wilderness areas at not more than the level authorized.