Bill Details
HR.1612 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-10-27 - Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 219.
Introduced Date
2025-02-26
Policy Area
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Committees
View committees (2)
Sponsors
7
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill expands protected wilderness land in the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas by adding about 2,212 acres to an existing wilderness area. It also gives the protected area a new name, “Flatside-Bethune Wilderness.” The bill says that normal wildfire, insect, and disease control authority for the Agriculture Secretary is not changed, so the government can still take allowed steps to protect the forest when needed.
- About 2,212 acres would be added to the current wilderness area in the Ouachita National Forest.
- The added land is identified by a 2024 map showing the proposed wilderness expansion.
- The protected area would be officially known as the Flatside-Bethune Wilderness.
- The bill does not take away the Agriculture Secretary’s existing power to deal with fire, insects, and disease under current law.
Official Summaries
Flatside Wilderness Additions Act
This bill adds specified lands to the Flatside Wilderness in the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas. The bill also redesignates the wilderness as the Flatside-Bethune Wilderness.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1612 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 219
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1612
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 14, 2025
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry
October 27, 2025
Reported by Mr. Boozman, without amendment
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To designate the Flatside-Bethune Wilderness in the Ouachita National
Forest, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Flatside Wilderness Additions Act''.
SEC. 2. ADDITIONS TO FLATSIDE WILDERNESS.
Section 3(d) of Arkansas Wilderness Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-508;
98 Stat. 2349) is amended by inserting ``and certain land in the
Ouachita National Forest, which comprise approximately 2,212 acres,
generally depicted as'' Land Proposed for Wilderness Designation ``on
the map titled'' Flatside Wilderness, Proposed Addition Designation ``,
dated November 12, 2024'' after ``1984''.
SEC. 3. FIRE, INSECTS, AND DISEASES.
Nothing in this Act or the amendment made by section 2 shall be
construed to limit the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture under
section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)), in
accordance with existing laws (including regulations).
SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS ADDITION.
The wilderness designated by section 3(d) of Arkansas Wilderness
Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-508; 98 Stat. 2349), shall be known as the
``Flatside-Bethune Wilderness''. Any reference in a law, map,
regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to
such portion of the Flatside Wilderness shall be deemed to be a
reference to the Flatside-Bethune Wilderness.
Calendar No. 219
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1612
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To designate the Flatside-Bethune Wilderness in the Ouachita National
Forest, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
October 27, 2025
Reported without amendment