A bill to designate certain lands in the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia, as wilderness; and to designate management of certain lands for uses other than wilderness.
Public Law 97-466 · H.R. 5161 · 97th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jan 13, 1983 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Cleveland Benedict (R-WV-2)
Cosponsors (2): Rep. John Seiberling, Rep. Don Young
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
(House agreed to Senate amendments with amendments)
Designates the following lands in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) the Cranberry Wilderness; (2) the Laurel Fork North Wilderness; and (3) the Laurel Fork South Wilderness.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire: (1) all nonfederally owned coal deposits and other mineral interests within the Cranberry Wilderness; and (2) contiguous interests and deposits outside the wilderness which are owned by the same nonfederal parties or are economically accessible only through the exercise of rights held within the wilderness. Requires the Secretary, in consultation with the owner, to determine the present fair market value of the coal deposits and mineral interests and rights to be acquired within one year of the enactment of this Act. Requires the Secretary to extend to the owner and any successors and assigns of coal deposits and mineral interests and rights in the wilderness, upon their voluntary surrender, a monetary credit to be used against bonus payments or rental or royalty payments made to the Government on any mineral, oil, or gas lease or other Federal property held by the owner, any successors, or any assigns. Permits the transfer or sale of such credit at any time by the owner. Authorizes the Secretary to purchase such minerals rights and interests instead of extending the monetary credit.
Gives the Secretary and the owner the right to petition the U.S. Claims Court if they cannot agree on the fair market value of the mineral rights and interests involved.
Authorizes appropriations to establish the value of the nonfederally owned mineral rights and interests within the wilderness. Authorizes appropriations to carry out the other provisions of this Act. Limits payments to the extent or amounts provided in advance in appropriations Acts.
Permits exploration activities in the Cranberry Wilderness to determine the value of the nonfederally owned mineral resources therein.
Provides that the second roadless area review and evaluation (RARE II) final environmental statement (dated January 1979) shall not be subject to judicial review with respect to national forest system lands in West Virginia. Releases national forest system lands in West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia without express congressional authorization.
Authorizes appropriations to be paid to Pocahontas County and Webster County in West Virginia in lieu of property and other taxes foregone by the counties as a result of the acquisition of the nonfederally owned coal deposits and other mineral interests and rights within the Cranberry Wilderness.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
- Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee
Energy and Natural Resources Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Public Lands, Reserved Water and Resource Conservation Subcommittee
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. 21 actions.
- Jan 13, 1983Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-466.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jan 3, 1983PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Dec 21, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment to Senate amendment. By Voice Vote.
- Dec 20, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Concurred, in Senate Amendments , with Amendments by Voice Vote.
- Dec 19, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- Dec 13, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Dec 7, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Aug 11, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Public Lands, Reserved Water and Resource Conservation Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 15, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 14, 1982FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- May 26, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Agriculture Committee
- May 17, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- May 12, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- May 10, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Jan 28, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Jan 5, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Dec 10, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- 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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.