PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.

Spring Basin Wilderness Act of 2008

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1001.

Official summary

Version 01 · Reported to Senate with amendment(s) · Sep 16, 2008

Spring Basin Wilderness Act of 2008 - Designates certain Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in Oregon as wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, to be known as the Spring Basin Wilderness. Requires any land or interest within the boundary of the Wilderness acquired by the United States to become part of such Wilderness.

Permits established livestock grazing in the Wilderness to continue.

(Sec. 4) Releases specified portions of the Spring Basin wilderness study area that are not designated as the Spring Basin Wilderness by this Act from further study for designation for preservation as wilderness.

Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.

Read full official summaryShow less

(Sec. 5) Provides for the following land exchanges in Oregon: (1) the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation land exchange; (2) the McGreer land exchange; (3) the Keys land exchange; and (4) the Bowerman land exchange.

Withdraws the non-federal land acquired by the Secretary of the Interior from the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation from all forms of: (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent, under the mining laws; and (3) disposition under any law relating to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials.

Sets forth requirements for the valuation, appraisal, and equalization of the federal and non-federal lands to be exchanged under this section.

Requires any cash equalization payments received by the Secretary to be deposited in the Federal Land Disposal Account established by the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act and used in accordance with such Act.

Provides for the federal government and the owner of the non-federal land in a land exchange described above to equally share all costs related to the exchange, including the costs of appraisals, surveys, and any necessary environmental clearances.

Subjects the exchange of federal and non-federal lands under this section to any easements, rights-of-way, and other valid existing rights.

Expresses the intent of Congress that such land exchanges be completed within two years after the enactment of this Act.

(Sec. 6) Specifies this Act's effect with respect to the protection of the treaty rights of any Indian tribe, including the off-reservation reserved rights secured by the Treaty with the Tribes and Bands of Middle Oregon of June 25, 1855.

Read the summary on Congress.gov
PlainBill analysis is coming later. This page presents official source data. We have not yet published a PlainBill explanation for this bill.

Who introduced it

Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] · D–OR

Committees

  • Energy and Natural Resources Committee
1 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

  1. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1001.

  2. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

  3. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

  4. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

  5. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 110-572.

  6. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5213-5214)

  7. Introduced in Senate

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

Explore the bill from different angles

Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze S.3089 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

View full prompt & sources
Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine S.3089 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

View full prompt & sources
Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine S.3089 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources
Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine S.3089 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources