Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 108 Part 5.djvu/982

 108 STAT. 4472 PUBLIC LAW 103-433—OCT. 31, 1994 parks, and public land values in the California desert, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the Congress that— (1) appropriate public lands in the California desert shall be included within the National Park System and the National Wilderness Preservation System, in order to— (A) preserve unrivaled scenic, geologic, and wildlife values associated with these unique natural landscapes; (B) perpetuate in their natural state significant and diverse ecosystems of the California desert; (C) protect and preserve historical and cultural values of the California desert associated with ancient Indian cultures, patterns of western exploration and settlement, and sites exemplifying the mining, ranching and railroading history of the Old West; (D) provide opportunities for compatible outdoor public recreation, protect and interpret ecological and geological features and historic, paleontological, and archeological sites, maintain wilderness resource values, and promote public understanding and appreciation of the California desert; and (E) retain and enhance opportunities for scientific research in undisturbed ecosystems. Short title. Ante, p. 4471. TITLE I —DESIGNATION OF WILDER- NESS AREAS TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGE- MENT SEC. 101. FINDINGS. The Congress finds and declares that— (1) wilderness is a distinguishing characteristic of the public lands in the California desert, one which affords an unrivaled opportunity for experiencing vast areas of the Old West essentially unaltered by man's activities, and which merits preservation for the benefit of present and future generations; (2) the wilderness values of desert lands are increasingly threatened by and especially vulnerable to impairment, alteration, and destruction by activities and intrusions associated with incompatible use and development; and (3) preservation of desert wilderness necessarily requires the highest forms of protective designation and management. 16 USC 1132 SEC. 102. DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS. In furtherance of the purpose of the Wilderness Act (78 Stat. 890, 16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), and sections 601 and 603 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (90 Stat. 2743, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the following lands in the State of Cahfornia, as generally depicted on maps referenced herein, are hereby designated as wilderness, and therefore, as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Certain lands in the California Desert Conservation Area, of the Bureau of Land Management, which comprise approximately seventy-four thousand eight hundred and ninety acres, as generally depicted on a map entitled "Argus Range Wilderness—Proposed 1", dated May 1991, and two maps enti-

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