Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 113 Part 3.djvu/193

 PUBLIC LAW 106-145—DEC. 9, 1999 113 STAT. 1711 Public Law 106-145 106th Congress An Act To designate a portion of the Otay Mountain region of California as wilderness. Dec. 9, 1999 [H.R. 15] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, Otay Mountain Wilderness Act of SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1999. This Act may be cited as the "Otay Mountain Wilderness Act of 1999". SEC. 2. FINDINGS. The Congress finds and declares the following: (1) The public lands within the Otay Mountain region of California are one of the last remaining pristine locations in western San Diego County, California. (2) This rugged mountain adjacent to the United States- Mexico border is internationaly known for its diversity of unique and sensitive plants. (3) This area plays a critical role in San Diego's multispecies conservation plan, a national model made for maintaining biodiversity. (4) Due to its proximity to the international border, this area is the focus of important law enforcement and border interdiction efforts necessary to curtail illegal immigration and protect the area's wilderness values. (5) The illegal immigration traffic, combined with the rugged topography, also presents unique fire management challenges for protecting lives and resources. SEC. 3. DESIGNATION. 16 USC 1132 In furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), certain public lands in the California Desert District of the Bureau of Land Management, California, comprising approximately 18,500 acres as generally depicted on a map entitled "Otay Mountain Wilderness" and dated May 7, 1998, are hereby designated as wilderness and therefore as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, which shall be known as the Otay Mountain Wilderness. SEC. 4. MAP AND LEGAL DESCRIPTION. (a) IN GENERAL.— As soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this Act, a map and a legal description for the Wilderness Area shall be filed by the Secretary with the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives. Such map and legal description shall have the same force and effect as if included 69-194-01-7: QL3Part3

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