Wintergreen Emergency Egress Act
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The bill would require the Interior Department to grant a right-of-way through the Blue Ridge Parkway for a second emergency exit road out of the Wintergreen community in Nelson County, Virginia, once specified reviews are completed.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would amend the 1936 law governing rights-of-way across parkway lands to require, rather than merely permit, the Secretary of the Interior to issue a right-of-way for the specific emergency egress route depicted on a named National Park Service map near Milepost 9.6 of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Secretary would have to grant it once the Secretary reports to the House Natural Resources Committee and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that an evaluation of non-federal-land alternatives (including converting existing trails to roads), a fire ecology analysis, and required environmental and historic preservation reviews have all been completed. The bill does not itself authorize construction funding, does not waive the underlying environmental or historic preservation review requirements, and applies only to this single, specifically mapped right-of-way.
Key provisions
- 1Would convert the Secretary of the Interior's existing discretionary authority to issue this right-of-way into a mandatory duty once conditions are met
- 2Would require completion of an evaluation of alternative egress routes not crossing federal land, including converting existing trails to roads
- 3Would require a fire ecology behavior analysis for the right-of-way area in the event of a fire emergency
- 4Would require completion of reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act provisions before issuance
Who would be affected
Residents and property owners in the Wintergreen resort community in Nelson County, Virginia, who currently rely on a single main access road; the National Park Service, which manages the Blue Ridge Parkway; and local emergency responders who would gain a designated secondary evacuation route.
Why it matters
A community with only one main road out would gain a legally guaranteed second emergency exit once required safety and environmental reviews are done, potentially improving evacuation options during wildfires, floods, or other emergencies that could block the primary route.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Act of June 30, 1936 (16 U.S.C. 460a-3) (Sec. 2)
Changes the Secretary's discretionary authority to issue this specific right-of-way into a mandatory requirement once specified reports are made
Agencies directed to act
How implementation would work
The Interior Department would need to complete three prerequisites before the mandatory right-of-way issuance is triggered: an alternatives evaluation examining non-federal-land egress options and trail-to-road conversions, a fire ecology behavior analysis for the right-of-way area, and reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act provisions in Title 54. Once the Secretary reports completion of all three to the relevant House and Senate committees, issuance of the right-of-way for the specific mapped route becomes mandatory rather than discretionary.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Official CRS summary
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This bill directs the Department of the Interior to issue a right-of-way through the Blue Ridge Parkway for an additional emergency exit from Wintergreen in Nelson County, Virginia, once certain requirements have been met. Specifically, Interior must grant the right-of-way if it reports to specified congressional committees that the following have been completed: (1) an evaluation of alternatives to the right-of-way for exiting Wintergreen that do not cross federal land, including an evaluation of whether existing trails can be converted to roads; (2) an analysis of expected fire ecology behavior in the event of a fire emergency with respect to the right-of-way; and (3) any required reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the National Historic Preservation Act.
Legislative subjects
Emergency planning and evacuation; Parks, recreation areas, trails; Public Lands and Natural Resources; Virginia
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-511