H.R. 3593 — Introduced in House

I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3593 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 28, 2017Mr. Johnson of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To amend the Wilderness Act to authorize U.S. Customs and Border Protection to conduct certain activities to secure the international land borders of the United States, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Securing Our Borders and Wilderness Act. 2. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Access to Wilderness Areas Section 4(d) of the Wilderness Act is amended by adding at the end the following: (8) U.S. Customs and Border Protection Access (A) Permissible activities Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection may conduct the following activities within a wilderness area for the purpose of securing the international land borders of the United States: (i) Access structures, installations, and roads. (ii) Use motor vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles, motorboats, and motorized equipment. (iii) Notwithstanding any other law or regulation relating specifically to use of aircraft in a wilderness area or in the airspace above a wilderness area, use aircraft, including approach, landing, and takeoff. (iv) In response to emergency situations, deploy temporary infrastructure, including forward operating bases. (v) Subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, construct and maintain roads and fences. (B) Protection of wilderness character Any activity conducted by the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection under subparagraph (A) shall be carried out in a manner that, to the greatest extent possible, protects the wilderness character of the area. .