Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 799 - Kings River Wild and Scenic Designation

(House)
(Rep. Lehman (D) California and 138 others)

The administration opposes enactment of H.R. 799. While the administration supports designation of the Kings River as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, as provided by section 1 of H.R. 799, section 2, which was added by the House Interior Committee, is objectionable.

Section 2 of H.R. 799 would (1) establish the Kings River Special Management Area on lands now part of the Sequoia and Sierra National Forests; (2) prohibit commercial timber production, mining, and mineral leasing in the area; (3) modify the existing geographical boundary between the two National Forests so that the entire area would be in the Sierra National Forest; (4) require construction of a $3.4 million, 17-mile trail in the area, and (5) grant a 13-mile segment of the main stem of the Kings River -the same protection from development that would apply if it were designated as part of the National Wild and Scenic River System.

The administration opposes section 2 because (1) designation of the Special Management Area would preempt the statutorily required land management planning process, unnecessarily restrict land management options, and impose excessive management costs; (2) unlike the current boundary between the two National Forests, the new boundary would not follow geographical features, hampering efficient land management; (3) the new 17-mile trail required in the area, over extremely steep and rocky terrain, is unnecessary and would cost an amount equal to about one-half of the entire National Forest System trail construction budget for 1988; and (4) the "special protection" granted the 13-mile segment of the river's main stem is tantamount to wild and scenic designation, and is premature pending completion of an ongoing study of a possible future dam.