Bill > S1319

This bill establishes two key protections for federal lands in New Mexico's Pecos Watershed: first, it withdraws approximately 11,599 acres of federal land from mineral entry, location, and leasing, which means these lands cannot be used for mining, drilling, or other extractive activities. Second, the bill designates the area as the Thompson Peak Wilderness Area, which provides additional environmental protections and places the land under the management of the U.S. Forest Service, in accordance with the Wilderness Act. The bill specifies that existing rights will be honored, and allows for continued activities like livestock grazing and wildlife management by the state. The wilderness area designation does not create buffer zones around the protected land, and nonwilderness activities occurring outside the boundaries will not be restricted. The Secretary of Agriculture is tasked with filing a precise map and legal description of the area and will have the authority to manage the land, including implementing measures to control fire, insects, and diseases. Any additional land acquired within the wilderness area's boundaries in the future will automatically be incorporated into the protected zone.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1319/all-info