Florida Wilderness Act of 1983
Public Law 98-430 · H.R. 9 · 98th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Sep 28, 1984 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Don Fuqua (D-FL-2)
Cosponsors (19): Rep. William Chappell, Rep. Earl Hutto,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- 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.
Florida Wilderness Act of 1983 - Designates the following lands in Florida as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) the Bradwell Bay Wilderness Addition in the Apalachicola National Forest; (2) the Mud Swamp/New River Wilderness in the Apalachicola National Forest; (3) the Big Gum Swamp Wilderness in the Osceola National Forest; (4) the Alexander Springs Wilderness in the Ocala National Forest; (5) the Juniper Prairie Wilderness in the Ocala National Forest; (6) the Little Lake George Wilderness in the Ocala National Forest; and (7) the Billies Bay Wilderness in the Ocala National Forest.
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to review the following Florida lands to determine their suitability for preservation as wilderness: (1) the Clear Lake Wilderness Study Area in the Apalachiola National Forest; and (2) the Natural Area Wilderness Study Area in the Osceola National Forest. Directs the Secretary to report to the President and the President to make a recommendation to Congress within three years of the enactment of this Act.
Prohibits the Department of the Interior from issuing phosphate leases in the Osceola National Forest until the President recommends to Congress that such leases be permitted in a specified area of the forest, based upon a national need for phosphate. Requires the President to submit the basis for such recommendation, a statement of conditions governing the activity, and the required environmental impact statements. Makes a Presidential recommendation effective only upon enactment of a joint resolution of Congress approving it.
Provides that the RARE II (second roadless area review and evaluation) final environmental statement (dated January 1979) with respect to national forest system lands in Florida shall not be subject to judicial review. Releases national forest system lands in Florida which were reviewed in the RARE II program (and roadless Florida lands of less than 5,000 acres) from further review by the Department of Agriculture, pending the revision of initial land management plans, but requires review of the wilderness option when the plans are revised. Provides that areas in Florida reviewed in the final environmental statement and not designated wilderness or wilderness study shall be managed for multiple use. Provides that if revised land management plans in Florida are implemented areas not recommended for wilderness designation need not be managed as wilderness, and areas recommended for wilderness designation shall be managed to protect their wilderness designation. Prohibits the Department of Agriculture from conducting any further statewide roadless area review and evaluation of national forest system lands in Florida without express congressional authorization.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Agriculture Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Forests, Family Farms, and Energy Subcommittee
Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: National Parks and Public Lands 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. 24 actions.
- Sep 28, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-430.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 20, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 12, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Aug 9, 1984FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Aug 6, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Aug 1, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 15, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 6, 1983FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Jun 1, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Agriculture Committee
- May 24, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Agriculture Committee
- May 19, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Forests, Family Farms, and Energy Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Forests, Family Farms, and Energy Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- May 18, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Forests, Family Farms, and Energy Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- May 11, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- May 4, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 25, 1983CommitteeCommittee · 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
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Feb 2, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Jan 3, 1983CommitteeCommittee · 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.