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Sipsey Wild and Scenic River and Alabama Addition Act of 1988

Public Law 100-547 · H.R. 5395 · 100th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 28, 1988 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Rep. Ronnie Flippo (D-AL-5)

Cosponsors (1): Rep. William Nichols

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Sipsey Wild and Scenic River and Alabama Wilderness Addition Act of 1988 - Title I: Wild and Scenic Rivers Designation - Amends the Wild and Scenic River Act to designate specified segments of the Sipsey Fork River, Alabama, as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to study the feasibility of constructing a dam to establish a lake for recreational use within the Bankhead National Forest. Directs the Secretary to monitor waters flowing into Lewis Smith Lake and take appropriate actions to control any conditions causing injurious water quality.

Title II: Wilderness Designation - Designates the following lands in Alabama as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) the Sipsey Wilderness in the William B. Bankhead National Forest; and (2) the Cheaha Wilderness in the Talladega National Forest.

Authorizes the Secretary to take measures to control fire, insects, and diseases within the Sipsey Wilderness.

Requires the Secretary, at his discretion, to convert existing roads within the Sipsey Wilderness Additions into hiking or horse trails.

Provides that the RARE II (second roadless area review and evaluation) final evironmental statement (dated January 1979) with respect to National Forest System lands in Alabama shall not be subject to judicial review. Releases National Forest System lands in Alabama which were reviewed in the RARE II program from further review by the Department of Agriculture, pending the revision of initial national forest management plans. Releases lands in Alabama reviewed in the RARE II program and not designated as wilderness from management as wilderness areas. Prohibits the Department of Agriculture from conducting any further statewide roadless area review and evaluation of National Forest System lands in Alabama without express congressional authorization. States that the provisions above shall also apply to National Forest System roadless lands in Alabama which are less than 5,000 acres in size.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.

  1. Oct 28, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-547.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 21, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 11, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  5. Oct 6, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  6. Oct 5, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Agriculture Committee
  7. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
  8. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
  9. Sep 29, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Agriculture Committee
  10. Sep 28, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Forests, Family Farms, and Energy Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  11. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Forests, Family Farms, and Energy Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  12. Sep 27, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture Committee
  13. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Forests, Family Farms, and Energy Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  14. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
  15. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.