The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act outlines its short title and table of contents, detailing various sections covering topics such as the designation of wilderness areas, the establishment of biological connecting corridors, wild and scenic river designations, and provisions for wildland restoration and recovery. It also addresses the implementation and monitoring of the Act, along with its effects on Native American tribes and water rights.

Congress finds that many undeveloped public lands in the Northern Rockies Bioregion are valuable for their natural characteristics, providing important resources like clean water, wildlife habitats, and recreational spaces. The bill emphasizes the importance of preserving these areas to maintain biodiversity, support local economies, and allow for wildlife movement, while also addressing the negative impacts of resource extraction and development on ecosystems.

The purposes of the bill are to protect and manage forests, parks, and public lands in several western states by designating them as wilderness or wild river areas. It aims to preserve natural ecosystems, protect wildlife and water quality, promote cooperation between agencies, and encourage scientific and recreational activities, all while ensuring sustainable management of these lands.

The section provides definitions for key terms used in the bill, such as "corridor," which connects habitats to help wildlife move and adapt to changes; "development," which refers to activities that destroy natural wilderness features; and "greater ecosystem," which describes large ecological areas that support various species. It also defines "habitat" as the environment necessary for the survival of species, specifies what is meant by "Indian Tribe" and "public land," and identifies the roles of the "Secretary concerned" for managing different types of land.

The purpose of this section is to officially label specific areas of land in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness areas under the National Wilderness Preservation System, advancing the goals of the Wilderness Act. These lands include regions from the National Forest System, National Park System, and lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

The bill section designates various lands within the ecosystems of the Greater Glacier/Northern Continental Divide as protected wilderness areas. It assigns specific federal lands to existing wilderness regions and creates new components of the National Wilderness Preservation System to ensure the conservation of these unique ecological areas.

The section outlines a plan to protect the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem by designating various areas as wilderness. It specifies which areas, located within multiple national forests and parks, will become parts of existing wilderness areas or new wilderness components, ensuring these lands receive higher levels of environmental protection.

The section details various designations of wilderness areas within the Greater Salmon/Selway ecosystem. It identifies specific federal lands across multiple national forests and field offices, totaling several million acres, that are being added to existing wilderness areas or designated as new components of the National Wilderness Preservation System to protect the unique ecosystem.

In Section 105, the bill defines the "Greater Cabinet-Yaak-Selkirk ecosystem" and designates certain lands within this area as wilderness to protect its unique and endangered environment. It lists various locations within federal lands, specifying their incorporation into the National Wilderness Preservation System with specific names and acreage, ensuring their conservation.

The section of the bill designates specific areas within several national forests as wilderness, aiming to protect the unique and endangered Greater Hells Canyon ecosystem. These designated areas, which include parts of the Hells Canyon, Eagle Cap, and Wenaha-Tucannon Wildernesses, as well as new wilderness areas like Willow Springs, Asotin Creek, and Walla Walla River, will be preserved for their natural conditions and wildlife.

In this section, several areas of federal land across various national forests and public lands are designated as wilderness to protect their unique mountain ranges and ecosystems. These areas, identified on specific maps, will be added to the National Wilderness Preservation System and administered as part of existing or newly established wilderness areas.

This section of the bill designates various areas of federal land across multiple national forests and areas administered by the Bureau of Land Management as wilderness areas to protect unique mountain ranges and biological corridors. These designations are aimed at preserving natural habitats and ecosystems, with each area assigned a specific name and acreage as identified on a designated map.

The section explains how lands designated as wilderness under this title should be managed, stating they must follow the Wilderness Act guidelines, with adjustments for references to dates and authorities. It outlines the responsibilities of the involved Secretaries to coordinate land management, and mandates the creation of maps and legal descriptions for each wilderness area, ensuring these documents are accessible to the public and correctable for any errors.

The section reserves water rights for land designated as wilderness to ensure enough water supports its purpose. The Secretary of Agriculture and other officials are tasked with protecting these rights by participating in legal actions if necessary to quantify the water rights, specifically in cases in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, or Washington.

The bill section allows the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior to accept donations of grazing permits or leases for land within designated wilderness, biological corridors, or recovery areas. When a permit or lease is donated, it is terminated, and the land is permanently taken off grazing, unless other valid permits remain, in which case grazing levels are adjusted to reflect the donation.

Congress has recognized the urgent need to protect biological connecting corridors between major ecosystems in the Northern Rockies. These corridors are crucial for wildlife and plant migration, as they allow species to move and adapt, especially with changing climates, and help preserve biodiversity across beautiful mountain ranges like the Bitterroot and Bridger.

The section describes the designation of approximately 2.9 million acres of federal land in the Northern Rockies as biological connecting corridors, aimed at linking various ecosystems such as the Greater Yellowstone and Greater Glacier. These corridors are subject to specific management requirements, as outlined in another section of the bill.

The section designates certain areas as special corridor management areas and sets specific rules for managing them. These rules include prohibiting even-aged silvicultural methods and timber harvesting, mining, oil and gas exploration, and new road construction within these areas, while also requiring efforts to minimize road density to nearly zero, with strict limitations on how much road can exist.

The section outlines that the rules in this title apply only to land managed by the National Forest System or the Bureau of Land Management. It does not impact private landowners unless they voluntarily choose to cooperate with the government to include their land in a designated biological connecting corridor.

The section authorizes the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to enter into cooperative agreements with landowners, including Indian Tribes, for land adjacent to designated ecological corridors. It also permits land trades or acquisitions if deemed suitable and compliant with existing laws, and requires reporting on the progress of these initiatives.

Certain roads and highways listed, including various United States, Interstate, and State Highways, along with some forest and county roads in Idaho and Montana, are exempt from the regulations of this title. If any road is mistakenly left out, the Secretary can exempt it to fulfill the goals of this title.

The text outlines newly designated segments of wild and scenic rivers in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. It specifies the locations, lengths, and management authorities for various river segments, which will be administered either by the Secretary of Agriculture or, in some cases, by the Secretary of the Interior.

The text defines several terms: "recovery" refers to restoring damaged land to its natural or roadless state; a "recovery area" is defined as a wildland recovery area established by the law; and "Secretary" refers to the Secretary of Agriculture.

In Section 402 of the bill, specific areas totaling about 1,023,000 acres are designated as wildland recovery areas, where efforts will focus on restoration and recovery. Some roads and facilities, especially those essential or used for authorized activities, are exempt from these restrictions, although certain areas, like part of the Magruder Corridor, have specific restoration requirements.

In Section 403, the bill outlines how land in a recovery area should be managed to restore its natural state by reviving native vegetation and reducing invasive species, among other measures. It also requires the Secretary to develop recovery plans within three years and use measurable criteria to assess the success of these efforts, with particular attention to improving water quality.

The Secretaries must work together to submit a report within 3 years of the Act's enactment. This report, prepared by independent scientists, will describe how the Act has been implemented over the past 3 years and outline any additional actions and funding needed to fulfill the Act's goals.

The bill section establishes an interagency team composed of both public and private sector members to monitor and improve the Northern Rockies Bioregion using a geographic information system based on satellite data. The system will track changes in vegetation, human impacts, water and air quality, and activities affecting forests, along with status reports on ecosystem health and wildlife movement across major roads and rails.

The section defines "roadless land" as areas over 1,000 acres within certain states that are not part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. It requires an independent panel to evaluate these areas' roles in biodiversity and makes recommendations for management. It also prohibits certain activities like road construction, timber harvesting (except for collecting firewood), and developments like oil or gas leasing that could harm the natural state of roadless lands.

This section states that the Act does not change or impact any existing treaties or rights that belong to Indian Tribes.

The section states that the Act does not change or prioritize over the Federal government's trust responsibilities to Indian Tribes.

If a U.S. government department or agency receives confidential information about a sacred site or cultural activity from an Indian Tribe, this information does not have to be shared with the public under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Secretary of the Interior is allowed to use the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act as they see fit when implementing this particular law.

In this section, the bill explains that Tribal members can access protected areas, like wilderness and recovery areas, for traditional cultural and religious purposes. The Secretaries responsible must ensure this access respects relevant laws, such as the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, and they can close areas to the public temporarily if a Tribe requests privacy for their activities. Moreover, Tribal governments can suggest ways to improve access and privacy for their cultural practices.

In Section 701, the bill clarifies that it does not give up or weaken any water rights that the United States had already set aside, claimed, or secured in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, or Wyoming before the bill was passed.