[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5943 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5943

  To withdraw certain Federal land in the Pecos Watershed area of the 
State of New Mexico from mineral entry, to designate the Thompson Peak 
  Wilderness Area in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 12, 2023

  Ms. Leger Fernandez (for herself and Ms. Stansbury) introduced the 
                             following bill

                            October 25, 2023

             Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To withdraw certain Federal land in the Pecos Watershed area of the 
State of New Mexico from mineral entry, to designate the Thompson Peak 
  Wilderness Area in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Pecos Watershed Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. WITHDRAWAL OF FEDERAL LAND IN PECOS WATERSHED AREA, NEW MEXICO.

    (a) Definition of Federal Land.--In this section, the term 
``Federal land'' means the Federal land depicted as ``Pecos 
Withdrawal'' on the map entitled ``Proposed Mineral Withdrawal 
Legislative Map'' and dated September 11, 2023.
    (b) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid rights in existence on the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Federal land is withdrawn from all forms 
of--
            (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land 
        laws;
            (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
            (3) disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and 
        geothermal leasing or mineral materials.

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF THOMPSON PEAK WILDERNESS AREA, NEW MEXICO.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
            (2) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of New 
        Mexico.
            (3) Wilderness area.--The term ``wilderness area'' means 
        the Thompson Peak Wilderness Area designated by subsection (b).
    (b) Designation.--In accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
1131 et seq.), the approximately 11,599 acres of land managed by the 
Forest Service in the State, as generally depicted on the map entitled 
``Proposed Mineral Withdrawal Legislative Map'' and dated September 11, 
2023, is designated as a wilderness area and as a component of the 
National Wilderness Preservation System, to be known as the ``Thompson 
Peak Wilderness Area''.
    (c) Map and Legal Description.--
            (1) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall file a map and legal 
        description of the wilderness area with--
                    (A) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
                of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
                of Representatives.
            (2) Effect.--The map and legal description filed under 
        paragraph (1) shall have the same force and effect as if 
        included in this Act, except that the Secretary may correct 
        clerical and typographical errors in the map and legal 
        description.
            (3) Availability.--The map and legal description filed 
        under paragraph (1) shall be on file and available for public 
        inspection in the Office of the Chief of the Forest Service.
    (d) Administration.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to valid existing rights, the 
        wilderness area shall be administered by the Secretary in 
        accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), 
        except that any reference in that Act to the effective date of 
        that Act shall be considered to be a reference to the date of 
        enactment of this Act.
            (2) Adjacent management.--
                    (A) No protective perimeters or buffer zones.--
                Congress does not intend for the designation of the 
                wilderness area to create a protective perimeter or 
                buffer zone around the wilderness area.
                    (B) Nonwilderness activities.--The fact that 
                nonwilderness activities or uses outside of the 
                wilderness area can be seen or heard from an area 
                within the wilderness area shall not preclude the 
                conduct of the nonwilderness activities or uses outside 
                the boundaries of the wilderness area.
            (3) Fish and wildlife management.--In accordance with 
        section 4(d)(7) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(7)), 
        nothing in this section affects the jurisdiction or 
        responsibilities of the State with respect to fish and wildlife 
        management in the wilderness area (including the regulation of 
        hunting, fishing, and trapping).
            (4) Grazing.--The Secretary shall allow the continuation of 
        the grazing of livestock in the wilderness area, if established 
        before the date of enactment of this Act, in accordance with--
                    (A) section 4(d)(4) of the Wilderness Act (16 
                U.S.C. 1133(d)(4)); and
                    (B) the guidelines set forth in Appendix A of the 
                report of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs 
                of the House of Representatives accompanying H.R. 2570 
                of the 101st Congress (H. Rept. 101-405).
            (5) Wildfire, insect, and disease control.--The Secretary 
        may carry out measures in the wilderness area that the 
        Secretary determines to be necessary to control fire, insects, 
        or diseases, in accordance with section 4(d)(1) of the 
        Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)).
    (e) Incorporation of Acquired Land and Interests in Land.--Any land 
or interest in land within the boundaries of the wilderness area that 
is acquired by the United States after the date of enactment of this 
Act shall be added to and administered as part of the wilderness area.
    (f) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, the wilderness 
area is withdrawn from--
            (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land 
        laws;
            (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
            (3) disposition under all laws relating to mineral and 
        geothermal leasing or mineral materials.
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