[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 698 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 698

   To protect Lechuguilla Cave and other resources and values in and 
              adjacent to Carlsbad Caverns National Park.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 27, 1993

  Mr. Vento introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To protect Lechuguilla Cave and other resources and values in and 
              adjacent to Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND FINDINGS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Lechuguilla Cave 
Protection Act of 1993''.
    (b) Finding.--Congress finds and declares that Lechuguilla Cave and 
the other resources of Carlsbad Caverns National Park and adjacent 
public lands have internationally-significant scientific, 
environmental, and other values that should be retained in public 
ownership and protected against adverse effects of mineral exploration 
and development and other activities presenting threats to those 
values.

SEC. 2. LAND WITHDRAWAL.

    (a) In General.--Subject to valid existing rights, the lands 
referred to in subsection (b), and all other lands within the 
boundaries of the area specified on the map referred to in such 
subsection which may become subject to the operation of the public land 
laws, are hereby withdrawn from all forms of appropriation under the 
public land laws (including the mining laws) and from the operation of 
the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws.
    (b) Land Description.--The lands referred to in subsection (a) are 
the public lands comprising approximately 5100 acres in Eddy County, 
New Mexico, as generally depicted on the map entitled ``Dark Canyon 
Cave Protection Area'', dated January 1993, and filed in accordance 
with subsection (c).
    (c) Publication and Filing.--As soon as possible after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall publish 
in the Federal Register a notice containing the legal description of 
the lands withdrawn by subsection (a), and shall file such legal 
description and a detailed map of the lands referred to in such 
subsection with the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate.
    (d) Technical Corrections.--The map and legal description referred 
to in subsection (b), shall have the same force and effect as if they 
were included in this Act except that the Secretary of the Interior may 
correct clerical and typographical errors in such map and legal 
description.
    (e) Public Inspection.--Copies of the map and legal description 
referred to in subsection (b), shall be available for public inspection 
in the offices of the Director and appropriate State Director of the 
Bureau of Land Management.
    (f) Management.--The lands withdrawn by this section shall be 
managed by the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of 
Land Management, pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 and following) and other applicable provisions 
of law, including this Act.

SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT OF EXISTING LEASES.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of the 
Interior shall not permit the holder of any mineral lease affecting 
lands withdrawn by section 2 or any adjacent public lands in New Mexico 
that are managed pursuant to section 603 of the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782) to carry out any drilling or 
other activities on such lands that could have any adverse effects on 
Lechuguilla Cave or any other cave resources located within Carlsbad 
Caverns National Park or within the lands withdrawn by section 2.

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