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HR 2638 103th Congress House

Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act of 1993

Official title: To designate certain public lands in the States of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, national park and pre… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To designate certain public lands in the States of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, national park and preserve study areas, wild land recovery areas, and biological connecting corridors, and for other purposes.

Introduced: March 17, 1994 See on congress.gov
Public Lands and Natural Resources AnimalsArts, Culture, ReligionBiological diversity conservationBridges
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Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCommerceCongressCongressional reporting requirementsConservation of natural resourcesCultural propertyDamsData banksDepartment of AgricultureEcosystem managementEndangered speciesEnergyEnergy policyEnvironmental ProtectionEnvironmental monitoring
This bill died when the 103rd Congress ended
It never became law before the 103rd Congress (1993–1994) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 12 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 4, 1994
Joint Hearings Held by the Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Natural Resources and by the Subcommittee on Environment and Natural Resources.
May 4, 1994
Joint Hearings Held by the Subcommittee on Environment and Natural Resources and by the Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Natural Resources.
Apr 12, 1994
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Aug 13, 1993
Executive Comment Requested from Interior, USDA.
Aug 6, 1993
Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
Jul 19, 1993
Executive Comment Requested from Interior.
Jul 19, 1993
Referred to the Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Natural Resources.
Jul 19, 1993
Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Natural Resources.
Jul 14, 1993
Referred to the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries.
Jul 14, 1993
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Jul 14, 1993
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Jul 14, 1993
Introduced in House
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 Latest action May 4, 1994

Joint Hearings Held by the Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Natural Resources and by the Subcommittee on Environment and Natural Resources.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act of 1993 - Designates the following lands in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System (System): (1) Greater Glacier/Continental Divide Ecosystem; (2) Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem; (3) Greater Salmon/Selway Ecosystem; (4) Greater Cabinet/Yaak/Selkirk Ecosystem; (5) Islands in the Sky Wilderness; (6) Rattlesnake Wilderness; and (7) Rattlesnake Wilderness Area. Adds specified lands to the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area.

Designates: (1) specified wild land areas as Biological Connecting Corridors (Corridors) to protect the life flow of the Northern Rockies Bioregion; and (2) the inventoried roadless areas identified as part of the Corridors as components of the System. Exempts specified roads and highways from the provisions of this Act.

Requires that certain roadless lands within the national forests in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming shall be analyzed on an individual, case-by-case basis for inclusion in the System.

Directs the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to study the feasibility of: (1) creating a Hells Canyon/Chief Joseph National Park and Preserve; (2) creating a Flathead National Park and Preserve; and (3) designating such areas as units of the National Park System (NPS).

Requires the national park and preserve study areas to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture.

Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate: (1) segments of specified rivers and creeks in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (NWSRS); and (2) segments of specified rivers and creeks in Montana and Wyoming for study as potential addition to the NWSRS. Prohibits new road construction or reconstruction, bridges, dams, timber harvesting, mining, oil and gas leasing, or other developments from being allowed within the one-half mile corridor along either side of rivers and streams under study.

Establishes the National Wildland Restoration and Recovery System. Authorizes appropriations to establish the National Wildland Recovery Corps (a special unit of the U.S. Forest Service) to carry out land recovery responsibilities.

Designates certain lands within the Lewis and Clark National Forest known as Badger-Two Medicine Area as the Blackfeet Wilderness Area.

Declares that the Congress recognizes that the Blackfeet Nation retains treaty rights in this area provided for in the 1896 treaty with the Federal Government. Requires a review and other considerations with respect to such area.

Withdraws the Badger-Two Medicine Wilderness Area from all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the mining laws and disposition under the geothermal and mineral leasing laws.

Requires the Secretaries to assure nonexclusive access by native people to Wilderness areas, National Park and Preserve Study areas, Wildland Recovery areas, and Biological Corridors designated by this Act by Native Americans for tranditional cultural and religious purposes.

Requires the Forest Service to enter into cooperative management agreements with the appropriate Indian tribes to assure protection of religious, burial, and gathering sites, and to work cooperatively on the management of all uses in the protected areas that affect Indian lands and people.

Requires the Secretaries to give particular emphasis to the preservation and protection of cultural resources located within the areas.

Reserves, with respect to each wilderness area designated by this Act, a sufficient quantity of water to fulfill the area's designated purpose.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 6
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2638: Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act of 1993. 103rd Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/103-HR-2638/
MLA
"H.R. 2638: Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act of 1993." 103rd Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/103-HR-2638/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2638, 103rd Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/103-HR-2638/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2638: Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act of 1993](https://openamerica.io/bill/103-HR-2638/)
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