Bill > S4458

This bill, the Caja del Rio Protection Act, establishes two new protected areas in New Mexico: the Caja del Rio Special Management Area, encompassing approximately 67,163 acres of Federal land in the Santa Fe National Forest, and the Caja del Rio National Conservation Area, comprising about 17,837 acres of Bureau of Land Management land, with both areas managed to conserve their cultural, spiritual, scenic, ecological, and traditional values. The bill mandates the development of comprehensive management plans for both areas within three years, requiring coordination with various agencies, local governments, and consultation with interested Indian Tribes, incorporating Indigenous knowledge where requested, and includes provisions for land exchanges to consolidate federal ownership within the Conservation Area. It also establishes rules for road construction and motorized vehicle use, generally restricting them to designated routes, and withdraws federal land within these areas from mining and mineral leasing, while protecting existing grazing rights and allowing for ecological restoration, wildfire management, and plant and mineral gathering for traditional cultural uses by enrolled members of affiliated Indian Tribes. Furthermore, the bill emphasizes the protection of Tribal rights, including access for cultural and religious purposes and the non-disclosure of sensitive Indigenous knowledge and sacred site information, and clarifies that it does not affect existing water rights or treaty rights.