text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection 
  Act of 2012''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      Congress finds that--
              (1) the ecological health and integrity of the Hermosa 
          Creek Watershed and the economic health of the surrounding 
          communities that rely on the Watershed are connected;
              (2) the Watershed--
                      (A) is the only area in the State that is not a 
                  unit of National Wilderness Preservation System to 
                  achieve a designation of outstanding waters by the 
                  State;
                      (B) provides a crucial source of clean drinking 
                  water for the residents of the Animas River Valley and 
                  the city of Durango, Colorado; and
                      (C) provides high quality agricultural water 
                  supplies from Hermosa Creek and the Animas River;
              (3) the Watershed helps ensure the economic prosperity of 
          local communities in the area that depend on the Watershed for 
          water supplies, recreation, hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, 
          camping, skiing and related winter activities, off-road vehicle 
          travel for the conduct of scientific activities, scientific 
          research, mineral extraction, and sustainable natural resource 
          development;
              (4) the world-class Hermosa Creek trail network contains 
          outstanding single track mountain bike riding, backcountry 
          hiking, equestrian riding, and motorcycle riding;
              (5) the Watershed provides visitors the opportunity to 
          enjoy the tremendous scenic, natural, cultural, and 
          recreational resources of the area;
              (6) ecologically sustainable grazing has been conducted in 
          a manner that has preserved the high quality of the Watershed;
              (7) the native Colorado River cutthroat trout fishery 
          located in the Watershed--
                      (A) is one of the most important fisheries in the 
                  State;
                      (B) is crucial for the long-term survival of the 
                  cutthroat trout; and
                      (C) provides an opportunity for anglers to have a 
                  catch and release fishery for the cutthroat trout;
              (8) the work of the State Division of Wildlife to enhance 
          the fishery referred to in paragraph (7) has been a tremendous 
          success and a great example of cooperative conservation efforts 
          to recover an imperiled species of fish;
              (9) the Watershed--
                      (A) provides some of the best backcountry elk 
                  habitat in the State; and
                      (B) supports outstanding hunting opportunities;
              (10) the large areas of undisturbed forest in the Watershed 
          (including some of the best stands of old growth ponderosa pine 
          in the State) provide excellent wildlife habitat and excellent 
          opportunities for solitude and backcountry recreation; and
              (11) designation of the Hermosa Creek Wilderness Area, 
          Watershed Protection Area, and Special Management Area would 
          protect those areas in perpetuity for the benefit of the people 
          of the United States.
  
  SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
  
      In this Act:
              (1) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map entitled ``Hermosa 
          Creek Proposed Watershed Protection Area, 2012'' and dated 
          March 28, 2012.
              (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
          of Agriculture.
              (3) Special management area.--The term ``Special Management 
          Area'' means the Hermosa Creek Special Management Area 
          designated by section 5(a).
              (4) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Colorado.
              (5) Watershed protection area.--The term ``Watershed 
          Protection Area'' means the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection 
          Area designated by section 4(a).
  
  SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF HERMOSA CREEK WATERSHED PROTECTION AREA.
  
      (a) Designation.--Certain Federal land in the San Juan National 
  Forest comprising approximately 107,886 acres, as generally depicted on 
  the Map, is designated as the ``Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection 
  Area''.
      (b) Purposes.--The purposes of the Watershed Protection Area are--
              (1) to maintain the cultural, economic, and ecological 
          health of the Hermosa Creek Watershed and the surrounding 
          communities that rely on the Watershed;
              (2) to protect the purity of water that comes from the 
          Hermosa Creek Watershed and supplies residents of the Animas 
          River Valley and the city of Durango, Colorado, with clean 
          drinking water;
              (3) to protect the purity of, and water supply from, the 
          Hermosa Creek Watershed for agricultural purposes, including 
          irrigation and stockwater uses;
              (4) to enhance the economic prosperity of local communities 
          in the area who depend on the area for water, recreation, and 
          sustainable natural resource uses;
              (5) to protect and provide visitors the opportunity to 
          enjoy the recreational, geological, cultural, natural, 
          scientific, recreational, wildlife, riparian, historical, 
          educational, and scenic resources of the Watershed;
              (6) to provide world class opportunities for skiing, 
          biking, hiking, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, 
          snowmobiling, motorcycle riding, snowshoeing, and camping;
              (7) to provide for economic and natural resource 
          development (including sustainable grazing, vegetation 
          management, beneficial uses of water, and mineral extraction) 
          in a manner consistent with protecting the overall integrity of 
          the Watershed;
              (8) to protect the native Colorado River cutthroat trout 
          fishery located in the Watershed;
              (9) to designate the Hermosa Creek Wilderness Area and the 
          Special Management Area; and
              (10) to conserve, protect, and manage for a healthy Hermosa 
          Creek Watershed for the long-term ecological integrity of the 
          Watershed and the long-term economic health of surrounding 
          communities by allowing sustainable economic development and 
          traditional natural resource development in a matter consistent 
          with the purposes described in paragraphs (1) through (9).
  
  SEC. 5. DESIGNATION OF HERMOSA CREEK SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA.
  
      (a) Designation.--Subject to valid existing rights, certain Federal 
  land in the San Juan National Forest comprising approximately 68,289 
  acres, as generally depicted on the Map, is designated as the ``Hermosa 
  Creek Special Management Area''.
      (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Special Management Area is to 
  conserve and protect for the benefit of present and future generations 
  the watershed, geological, cultural, natural, scientific, recreational, 
  wildlife, riparian, historical, educational, and scenic resources and 
  values of the Special Management Area.
      (c) Administration.--
              (1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer the Special 
          Management Area--
                      (A) in a manner that--
                              (i) conserves, protects, and enhances the 
                          resources and values of the Special Management 
                          Area described in subsection (b); and
                              (ii) protects a viable population of 
                          Colorado River Cutthroat Trout; and
                      (B) in accordance with--
                              (i) the National Forest Management Act of 
                          1976 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.);
                              (ii) this Act; and
                              (iii) any other applicable laws.
              (2) Uses.--
                      (A) In general.--The Secretary shall allow only 
                  such uses of the Special Management Area that the 
                  Secretary determines would further the purposes 
                  described in subsection (b).
                      (B) Motorized vehicles.--
                              (i) In general.--Except as provided in 
                          clause (ii) and as needed for administrative 
                          purposes or to respond to an emergency, the use 
                          of motorized vehicles in the Special Management 
                          Area shall be permitted only on roads and 
                          trails designated for use by such vehicles by 
                          the Secretary.
                              (ii) Over-snow vehicles.--The Secretary may 
                          authorize the use of snowmobiles and other 
                          over-snow vehicles within the Special 
                          Management Area--
                                      (I) during periods of adequate snow 
                                  cover during the winter season; and
                                      (II) subject to such terms and 
                                  conditions as the Secretary may 
                                  require.
                      (C) Grazing.--The Secretary shall permit grazing 
                  within the Special Management Area, where established 
                  before the date of enactment of this Act--
                              (i) subject to all applicable laws 
                          (including regulations) and Executive orders; 
                          and
                              (ii) consistent with the purpose described 
                          in subsection (b).
                      (D) Prohibited activities.--Within the area of the 
                  Special Management Area identified on the Map as ``East 
                  Hermosa Area'' the following activities shall be 
                  prohibited:
                              (i) New road construction or the renovation 
                          of existing nonsystem roads, except as 
                          necessary to protect public health and safety.
                              (ii) Projects undertaken for the purpose of 
                          harvesting commercial timber (other than 
                          activities relating to the harvest of 
                          merchantable products that are byproducts of 
                          activities conducted for ecological restoration 
                          or to further the purposes described in this 
                          Act).
      (d) Map and Legal Description.--
              (1) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of 
          enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare a map and a 
          legal description of the Special Management Area.
              (2) Force of law.--The map and legal description prepared 
          under paragraph (1) shall have the same force and effect as if 
          included in this Act, except that the Secretary may correct 
          clerical and typographical errors in the map and legal 
          description.
              (3) Public availability.--The map and legal description 
          prepared under paragraph (1) shall be on file and available for 
          public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Forest 
          Service.
      (e) Incorporation of Acquired Land and Interests in Land.--Any land 
  or interest in land that is acquired by the United States within the 
  boundary of the Special Management Area shall--
              (1) become part of the Special Management Area;
              (2) be withdrawn in accordance with subsection (h); and
              (3) be managed in accordance with--
                      (A) this Act; and
                      (B) any other applicable laws.
      (f) Fish and Wildlife.--Nothing in this Act affects the 
  jurisdiction or responsibility of the State with respect to fish and 
  wildlife in the State.
      (g) State and Federal Water Management.--Nothing in this section 
  affects the potential development of a water storage reservoir at the 
  site in the Special Management Area that is identified in--
              (1) pages 17 through 20 of the Statewide Water Supply 
          Initiative studies prepared by the Colorado Water Conservation 
          Board and issued by the State in November 2004; and
              (2) page 27 of the Colorado Dam Site Inventory prepared by 
          the Colorado Water Conservation Board and dated August 1996.
      (h) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid rights in existence on the date 
  of enactment of this Act, the Federal land within the Special 
  Management Area is withdrawn from--
              (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, and disposal under 
          the public land laws;
              (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
              (3) operation of the mineral leasing, mineral materials, 
          and geothermal leasing laws.
      (i) Adjacent Management.--
              (1) In general.--Congress does not intend for the 
          designation of the Special Management Area by subsection (a) or 
          the wilderness designated by section 2(a)(22) of the Colorado 
          Wilderness Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; Public Law 103-77; 
          107 Stat. 756, 114 Stat. 1955, 116 Stat. 1055) (as added by 
          section 6(a)) to create a protective perimeter or buffer zone 
          around the Special Management Area or wilderness.
              (2) Nonwilderness activities.--The fact that nonwilderness 
          activities or uses can be seen or heard from areas within the 
          wilderness designated by section 2(a)(22) of the Colorado 
          Wilderness Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; Public Law 103-77; 
          107 Stat. 756, 114 Stat. 1955, 116 Stat. 1055) (as added by 
          section 6(a)) shall not preclude the conduct of the activities 
          or uses outside the boundary of the wilderness.
      (j) Winter Skiing and Related Winter Activities.--Nothing in this 
  Act alters or limits--
              (1) a permit held by a ski area;
              (2) the implementation of the activities governed by a ski 
          area permit; or
              (3) the authority of the Secretary to modify or expand an 
          existing ski area permit.
      (k) Vegetation Management.--Nothing in this section prevents the 
  Secretary from conducting vegetation management projects within the 
  Special Management Area--
              (1) subject to--
                      (A) such reasonable regulations, policies, and 
                  practices as the Secretary determines appropriate; and
                      (B) all applicable laws (including regulations); 
                  and
              (2) in a manner consistent with--
                      (A) the purposes described in subsection (b); and
                      (B) this section.
      (l) Wildfire, Insect, and Disease Management.--Consistent with this 
  section, the Secretary may take any measures that the Secretary 
  determines to be necessary to control fire, insects, and diseases in 
  the Special Management Area, including, as the Secretary determines to 
  be appropriate, the coordination of the measures with the State or a 
  local agency.
      (m) Management Plan.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
  enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a management plan 
  for the long-term protection and management of the Special Management 
  Area that takes into account public input.
  
  SEC. 6. ADDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS PRESERVATION SYSTEM.
  
      (a) Designation of Wilderness.--Section 2(a) of the Colorado 
  Wilderness Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; Public Law 103-77; 107 
  Stat. 756, 114 Stat. 1955, 116 Stat. 1055) is amended by adding at the 
  end the following:
              ``(22) Certain land within the San Juan National Forest 
          which comprise approximately 37,236 acres, as generally 
          depicted on the map entitled `Hermosa Creek Proposed Watershed 
          Protection Area, 2012' and dated March 28, 2012, and which 
          shall be known as the `Hermosa Creek Wilderness'.''.
      (b) Effective Date.--Any reference in the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
  1131 et seq.) to the effective date of that Act shall be considered to 
  be a reference to the date of enactment of this Act for purposes of 
  administering the wilderness area designated by section 2(a)(22) of the 
  Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; Public Law 103-
  77; 107 Stat. 756, 114 Stat. 1955, 116 Stat. 1055) (as added by 
  subsection (a)).
      (c) Fire, Insects, and Diseases.--As provided in section 4(d)(1) of 
  the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)), within the wilderness areas 
  designated by section 2(a)(22) of the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993 
  (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; Public Law 103-77; 107 Stat. 756, 114 Stat. 1955, 
  116 Stat. 1055) (as added by subsection (a)), the Secretary may take 
  any measure that the Secretary determines to be necessary to control 
  fire, insects, and diseases, subject to such terms and conditions as 
  the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
  
  SEC. 7. PERINS PEAK AND ANIMAS CITY MOUNTAIN MINERAL WITHDRAWAL.
  
      (a) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, the land and 
  mineral interests described in subsection (b) are withdrawn from all 
  forms of--
              (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under public land 
          laws;
              (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
              (3) disposition under all laws relating to mineral leasing, 
          geothermal leasing, or mineral materials.
      (b) Description of Land and Mineral Interests.--The land and 
  mineral interests referred to in subsection (a) are--
              (1) the approximately 8,549 acres of Federal land depicted 
          on the map entitled ``Perins Peak and Animas City Mountain 
          mineral withdrawal'' and dated May 3, 2012; and
              (2) all Federal mineral interests contained within the 
          boundaries of the map described in paragraph (1).
target: Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act of 2012 - Designates specified federal lands in San Juan National Forest as: (1) the Hermosa Creek Watershed and Protection Area, and (2) the Hermosa Creek Special Management Area.
  
  Designates specified land within the Protection Area as the Hermosa Creek Wilderness.
feat_title: A bill to designate certain Federal land in the San Juan National Forest in the State of Colorado as wilderness, and for other purposes.