An Act to designate certain lands as wilderness.
Public Law 94-557 · S. 1026 · 94th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Oct 19, 1976 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Sen. Scoop Jackson (D-WA)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Paul Fannin
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Designates as wilderness specified lands within the following components of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the National Forest System: (1) Simeonof National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska; (2) Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas; (3) Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, Florida; (4) J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida; (5) Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge, Florida; (6) Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Illinois; (7) Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana; (8) Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, Minnesota; (9) Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, Minnesota; (10) Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, Missouri; (11) Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana; (12) Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska; (13) Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina; (14) Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon; (15) San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Washington; (16) Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming; (17) Sierra National Forest, California; (18) Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri; and (19) Cibola National Forest, New Mexico.
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to review the suitability of, and the President to submit recommendations relative to, preserving as wilderness specified lands within the following national forests: (1) Angeles National Forest, California; (2) San Bernadino National Forest, California; (3) Mendocino National Forest, California; (4) Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri; (5) Flathead National Forest, Montana; and (6) Lewis and Clark National Forest, Montana.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.
- Oct 19, 1976Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 94-557.
- Oct 7, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Oct 6, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Sep 30, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments.
- Sep 27, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 15446.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 27, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 22, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 21, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Mar 7, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.