North Fork Watershed Protection Act of 2013
Key claim: The bill would close federally owned land in Montana’s North Fork Lands Withdrawal Area to new mining claims and mineral or geothermal leasing, while still allowing Interior to finish environmental reviews on leases issued before enactment.
Abstract
(S255 · 113th Congress) North Fork Watershed Protection Act of 2013 - Withdraws federally owned land or interest in land within the North Fork Lands Withdrawal Area in Montana from: (1) all forms of location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (2) disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing. Provides that nothing in this Act prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from taking any action necessary to complete any requirement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) or the Endangered Species Act of 1973 concerning surface-disturbing activity that occurs on any lease issued before this Act’s enactment. Latest action (2013-09-10): Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 173.
Why this matters
Watershed-scale mineral withdrawals are one of the main federal tools for keeping mining and geothermal development out of sensitive headwaters, and how they treat already-issued leases determines whether the protection is prospective only or forecloses pending projects. The North Fork bill illustrates the common compromise of banning new claims while grandfathering existing leases subject to NEPA review, a template repeated in other watershed withdrawal proposals.