This bill establishes the Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area (SMSNA) in Virginia, covering approximately 92,562 acres of National Forest System land within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. Its core purposes are to protect the area's scenic quality, water resources, and natural characteristics, including vital wildlife habitat for species like the Cow Knob salamander. The SMSNA also aims to preserve potential old-growth forests and enhance existing recreational opportunities in a sustainable manner.

The SMSNA will be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, generally following National Forest System laws, while Wilderness Areas within it will adhere to the Wilderness Act. The bill clarifies that no protective buffer zones are created around the SMSNA or its Wilderness Areas. Existing authorized recreational uses are to continue or improve, and the Secretary must develop a National Forest System trail plan within two years to promote sustainable nonmotorized recreation.

Key land use provisions include a prohibition on new road construction and timber harvesting, with limited exceptions for public safety, fire control, and insect/disease management. The legislation also withdraws federal land within the SMSNA from new mining, mineral leasing, and certain energy developments. A comprehensive management plan for the SMSNA, consistent with the bill's provisions, must be developed as an amendment to the existing forest land management plan.

The bill further designates five new Wilderness Areas within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, totaling approximately 33,837 acres. These include the Skidmore Fork Wilderness, a Ramseys Draft Wilderness Addition, the Lynn Hollow Wilderness, the Little River Wilderness, and the Beech Lick Knob Wilderness. The Secretary is required to file detailed maps and boundary descriptions for both the National Scenic Area and these newly designated Wilderness Areas.