[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8031 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8031

 To establish the Chuckwalla National Monument and expand Joshua Tree 
   National Park in the State of California, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 16, 2024

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the Chuckwalla National Monument and expand Joshua Tree 
   National Park in the State of California, 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 ``Chuckwalla National Monument 
Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the land designated as the Chuckwalla National Monument 
        by this Act--
                    (A) is an area of national significance and 
                historical and scientific interest requiring 
                protection;
                    (B)(i) is the ancestral homeland of the Iviatim, 
                Kwatsaan, Maara'yam, Nuwu, Pipa Aha Macav, and other 
                Tribal people, including the present-day Cahuilla, 
                Chemehuevi, Mohave, Quechan, and Serrano Indian Tribes;
                    (ii) continues to be regularly accessed and used by 
                the Indian Tribes referred to in clause (i); and
                    (iii) will continue to be used by the Indian Tribes 
                referred to in clause (i) in the future;
                    (C) contains a complex trail system that--
                            (i) was established by Native Americans for 
                        various uses, including spiritual, travel, 
                        trade, and communication; and
                            (ii) connects to regions outside of the 
                        boundaries of the Monument, including Avi Kwa 
                        Ame;
                    (D) includes sacred sites, historic properties, 
                traditional cultural places and landscapes, sacred 
                items, objects of cultural patrimony, human remains, 
                religious sites, geoglyphs, petroglyphs, and 
                pictographs with significant value to the survival and 
                well-being of Tribal people and the knowledge systems 
                of Tribal people;
                    (E) includes plants, wildlife, water sources, and 
                minerals that are connected together as part of a 
                greater cultural landscape;
                    (F) has nationally significant biodiversity, due to 
                the location in the transitional zone where the Sonoran 
                Desert and Mojave Desert come together;
                    (G) is home to a wide variety of topography and 
                elevation, leading to distinct microclimates and 
                ecosystems;
                    (H) is largely intact, undeveloped, and adjacent to 
                other federally protected areas, such as Joshua Tree 
                National Park, the Indian Pass Wilderness, and the 
                Palen/McCoy Wilderness;
                    (I) is a refuge for over 150 plant species, many of 
                which cannot be found anywhere else, including--
                            (i) Munz's cholla, the largest endemic 
                        cacti in the State, which is located on the 
                        Chuckwalla Bench;
                            (ii) the California fan palm, a plant 
                        managed and used extensively by Tribal people 
                        for thousands of years, which is found in oases 
                        at Corn Springs, the Mecca Hills Wilderness, 
                        and other locations in which tectonic movements 
                        allow groundwater to seep up;
                            (iii) the triple-ribbed milk-vetch, which 
                        is listed as endangered under the Endangered 
                        Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); 
                        and
                            (iv) other sensitive species, including 
                        Emory's crucifixion thorn and Mecca-aster;
                    (J) hosts--
                            (i) some of the most extensive microphyll 
                        woodlands (which are small-leaf trees, such as 
                        ironwood and palo verde) in the State in places 
                        such as Milpitas Wash, a habitat critical to 
                        the survival of Tribal people; and
                            (ii) many wildlife species, including the 
                        burro deer and migrating birds;
                    (K) offers--
                            (i) core habitat and essential migration 
                        pathways for wildlife, including over 50 
                        sensitive animal species, including--
                                    (I) critical habitat for the 
                                Agassiz's desert tortoise, which is 
                                listed as threatened under the 
                                Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
                                U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); and
                                    (II) critical habitat for the 
                                desert bighorn sheep, which is an 
                                iconic species with declining numbers;
                            (ii) habitat in microphyll woodlands for 
                        large numbers of resident and migratory birds, 
                        which is crucial amid the otherwise major 
                        decline in bird numbers recorded in North 
                        America over the 50-year period preceding the 
                        date of enactment of this Act; and
                            (iii) former habitat for the endangered 
                        Sonoran pronghorn in the Chuckwalla Bench, the 
                        site of a multi-year reintroduction effort that 
                        is already underway;
                    (L) offers important glimpses into key periods in 
                regional history, such as--
                            (i) the gold seekers who used an existing 
                        Indigenous route to establish what is now the 
                        Bradshaw Trail in the 1870s; and
                            (ii) the invaluable training of more than 
                        1,000,000 soldiers from across the United 
                        States during the period from 1942-1944 in 
                        which the land was part of the Desert Training 
                        Center, which is also known as the 
                        ``California-Arizona Maneuver Area'', including 
                        Patton's Hill, which was used by General Patton 
                        for observing training maneuvers;
                    (M) provides outstanding outdoor recreation 
                opportunities to local communities and visitors, 
                including hiking, horseback riding, motorized vehicle 
                use and mountain biking on designated routes of travel, 
                wildlife viewing, hunting, climbing, rockhounding, 
                picnicking, and camping;
                    (N) offers inexpensive access to public land for 
                disadvantaged communities, including the farming and 
                farm laboring communities of the eastern Coachella 
                Valley and Blythe regions; and
                    (O) is near or adjacent to solar Development Focus 
                Areas that have some of the best solar energy potential 
                in the world, the development and operation of which is 
                critical to meeting the urgent need of the United 
                States to decrease greenhouse gas emissions; and
            (2) the Indian Tribes referred to in paragraph (1)(B)(i) 
        have a longstanding relationship to the land on which the 
        Monument is located, acting as stewards of the land since time 
        immemorial, with obligations to care for the cultural, 
        spiritual, and natural resources provided to those Indian 
        Tribes by the land, including sacred places, plants, wildlife, 
        water sources, and minerals.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Advisory council.--The term ``Advisory Council'' means 
        the Chuckwalla National Monument Advisory Council established 
        under section 6(a).
            (2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the 
        Chuckwalla National Monument Tribal Commission established 
        under section 5(a).
            (3) Culturally affiliated indian tribe.--The term 
        ``culturally affiliated Indian Tribe'' means an Indian Tribe 
        that is determined by the Secretary to have a cultural 
        connection to the Monument.
            (4) Desert renewable energy conservation area plan.--The 
        term ``Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Area Plan'' means 
        the Record of Decision for the Desert Renewable Energy 
        Conservation Plan Land Use Plan Amendment to the California 
        Desert Conservation Area Plan, Bishop Resource Management Plan, 
        and Bakersfield Resource Management Plan by the Bureau of Land 
        Management, dated September 2016.
            (5) Development focus area.--The term ``Development Focus 
        Area'' means a Development Focus Area designated in the Desert 
        Renewable Energy Conservation Area Plan / Land Use Plan 
        Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan, 
        Bishop Resource Management Plan, and Bakersfield Resource 
        Management Plan prepared by the Bureau of Land Management and 
        dated September 2016.
            (6) Electric utility facility.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``electric utility 
                facility'' means any infrastructure associated with or 
                necessary for the siting, construction, or operation 
                and maintenance of electric transmission or 
                distribution lines.
                    (B) Inclusions.--The term ``electric utility 
                facility'' includes an electric substation, a 
                communication facility, a tower, a pole, a line, a 
                ground wire, a communications circuit, and any other 
                similar or related infrastructure.
            (7) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' means the 
        governing body of any Indian Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, 
        village, community, component band, or component reservation 
        individually identified (including parenthetically) on the most 
        recent list published by the Secretary under section 104(a) of 
        the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 
        U.S.C. 5131(a)).
            (8) Management plan.--The term ``management plan'' means 
        the management plan for the Monument developed under section 
        4(c)(17).
            (9) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map entitled 
        ``Proposed Chuckwalla National Monument and Joshua Tree 
        National Park Expansion'' and dated April 12, 2024.
            (10) Monument.--The term ``Monument'' means the Chuckwalla 
        National Monument established by section 4(a).
            (11) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (12) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of 
        California.

SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF CHUCKWALLA NATIONAL MONUMENT.

    (a) Establishment.--Subject to valid existing rights, there is 
established the Chuckwalla National Monument in the State, consisting 
of approximately 621,000 acres of Federal land administered by the 
Bureau of Land Management, as generally depicted on the Map.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Monument is to conserve, protect, 
and enhance for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future 
generations, through cooperative and collaborative management with 
culturally affiliated Indian Tribes, the ecological, scenic, wildlife, 
recreational, cultural, historical, natural, educational, and 
scientific resources of the Monument.
    (c) Management.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary--
                    (A) shall manage the Monument--
                            (i) in a manner that conserves, protects, 
                        and enhances the resources of the Monument;
                            (ii) in accordance with--
                                    (I) the Federal Land Policy and 
                                Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 
                                et seq.);
                                    (II) this section; and
                                    (III) any other applicable law 
                                (including regulations);
                            (iii) in cooperation and collaboration with 
                        culturally affiliated Indian Tribes; and
                            (iv) as a component of the National 
                        Landscape Conservation System; and
                    (B) shall only allow uses of the Monument that--
                            (i) are described in or otherwise 
                        consistent with this section; or
                            (ii) in the determination of the Secretary, 
                        would further the purpose described in 
                        subsection (b).
            (2) Agreements and partnerships.--To the maximum extent 
        practicable and in accordance with applicable laws, on request 
        of a culturally affiliated Indian Tribe, the Secretary shall 
        enter into agreements, contracts, and other cooperative and 
        collaborative partnerships with the culturally affiliated 
        Indian Tribe with respect to management of the Monument under 
        relevant Federal authority, including--
                    (A) the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
                Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.);
                    (B) the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
                1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.);
                    (C) Executive Order 13175 (25 U.S.C. 5301 note; 
                relating to consultation and coordination with Indian 
                Tribal governments);
                    (D) Secretarial Order 3342, issued by the Secretary 
                on October 21, 2016 (relating to identifying 
                opportunities for cooperative and collaborative 
                partnerships with Federally recognized Indian Tribes in 
                the management of Federal lands and resources); and
                    (E) Joint Secretarial Order 3403, issued by the 
                Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture on November 
                15, 2021 (relating to fulfilling the trust 
                responsibility to Indian Tribes in the stewardship of 
                Federal lands and waters).
            (3) Native american access and use.--
                    (A) Access.--The Secretary shall ensure access to 
                the Monument by members of a culturally affiliated 
                Indian Tribe for traditional cultural purposes and 
                activities.
                    (B) Temporary closure.--In carrying out this 
                paragraph, the Secretary, on the request of a 
                culturally affiliated Indian Tribe, may temporarily 
                close to the general public use of 1 or more specific 
                portions of the Monument to protect the privacy of 
                traditional cultural activities in the temporarily 
                closed portion by members of the culturally affiliated 
                Indian Tribe.
                    (C) Applicable law.--The access and use by members 
                of a culturally affiliated Indian Tribe under this 
                paragraph shall be consistent with the purpose and 
                intent of Public Law 95-341 (commonly known as the 
                ``American Indian Religious Freedom Act'') (42 U.S.C. 
                1996 et seq.).
            (4) Recreation.--The Secretary shall continue to authorize 
        and enhance recreation in the Monument, including camping, 
        hiking, backpacking, sightseeing, nature study, horseback 
        riding, hunting, hang gliding, climbing, mountain biking and 
        motorized recreation on authorized routes, and the 
        noncommercial collecting of rocks, minerals, and semi-precious 
        gemstones, if the recreational use is consistent with--
                    (A) the purpose described in subsection (b);
                    (B) this section;
                    (C) other applicable law (including regulations);
                    (D) applicable management plans; and
                    (E) input from the Commission regarding potential 
                impacts to culturally sensitive sites and resources.
            (5) Motorized vehicles.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), the use of motorized vehicles within the Monument 
                shall be permitted only on routes designated for the 
                use of motorized vehicles by the transportation 
                management plan prepared under paragraph (17)(D).
                    (B) Exceptions.--Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), 
                the use of motorized vehicles within the Monument may 
                be permitted if the use is necessary--
                            (i) for administrative purposes; and
                            (ii) for constructing or servicing, 
                        consistent with paragraphs (1) and (7)--
                                    (I) electric utility facilities 
                                (including electric transmission 
                                facilities and electric distribution 
                                facilities); or
                                    (II) renewable energy projects near 
                                or adjacent to the Monument; or
                            (iii) to respond to an emergency.
                    (C) Interim management.--
                            (i) In general.--Except as provided in 
                        clause (ii), until the date on which the 
                        transportation management plan required under 
                        paragraph (17)(D) is completed, the use of 
                        motorized vehicles in the Monument shall be 
                        permitted only on--
                                    (I) the routes that are legally 
                                designated for such use on the date of 
                                enactment of this Act; and
                                    (II) any routes necessary for a 
                                purpose described in subparagraph (B), 
                                including the purposes described in 
                                clause (ii) of that subparagraph, 
                                subject to the requirements of that 
                                subparagraph.
                            (ii) Limitation.--Nothing in clause (i) 
                        prevents the Secretary from closing roads, 
                        trails, or areas to motorized vehicles--
                                    (I) to protect natural or cultural 
                                resources; or
                                    (II) for public safety.
            (6) Grazing.--The Secretary shall not establish any new 
        allotments for livestock grazing that include any Monument land 
        (whether leased or not leased for grazing on the date of 
        enactment of this Act).
            (7) Existing easements and rights-of-way.--
                    (A) Effect.--Nothing in this Act precludes the 
                renewal, assignment, or enlargement of, or interferes 
                with the operation, maintenance, replacement, 
                modification, upgrade, or access to, existing--
                            (i) flood control facilities, electric 
                        utility facilities (including electric 
                        transmission facilities and electric 
                        distribution facilities), pipeline facilities, 
                        and telecommunications facilities within the 
                        Monument;
                            (ii) roads or highway corridors within the 
                        Monument;
                            (iii) seismic monitoring facilities within 
                        the Monument; or
                            (iv) other water infrastructure, including 
                        wildlife water developments or water district 
                        facilities, within or adjacent to an existing 
                        authorization boundary of the Monument.
                    (B) Expansion of existing facilities; new 
                facilities.--To the extent consistent with the proper 
                care and management of objects of historical and 
                scientific interest at the Monument and subject to the 
                authorities of the Secretary and other applicable law--
                            (i) existing flood control facilities, 
                        electric utility facilities (including electric 
                        transmission facilities and electric 
                        distribution facilities), pipeline facilities, 
                        telecommunications facilities, and seismic 
                        monitoring facilities and other water 
                        infrastructure, including wildlife water 
                        developments or water district facilities, may 
                        be expanded within the Monument; and
                            (ii) new flood control facilities, electric 
                        utility facilities (including electric 
                        transmission facilities and electric 
                        distribution facilities), pipeline facilities, 
                        and telecommunications facilities are permitted 
                        within the Monument.
            (8) Acquisition of valid existing rights.--The Secretary 
        may acquire through exchange, donation, or purchase from a 
        willing seller valid mining claims or other valid existing 
        rights within the Monument that the Secretary determines, after 
        consultation with the Commission or a culturally affiliated 
        Indian Tribe, threatens cultural resources within the Monument.
            (9) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, all 
        Federal land located in the Monument is withdrawn from--
                    (A) all forms of entry, appropriation, and disposal 
                under the public land laws;
                    (B) location, entry, and patent under the mining 
                laws; and
                    (C) operation of the mineral leasing, mineral 
                materials, and geothermal leasing laws.
            (10) Adjacent management.--
                    (A) In general.--Nothing in this Act creates a 
                protective perimeter or buffer zone around the 
                Monument.
                    (B) Activities outside the monument.--
                            (i) In general.--The fact that an activity 
                        or use on land outside the Monument can be seen 
                        or heard within the Monument shall not preclude 
                        the activity or use outside the boundary of the 
                        Monument.
                            (ii) Development focus areas.--The 
                        development and operation of renewable energy 
                        facilities, related energy storage facilities, 
                        and associated infrastructure, including 
                        electric utility facilities (including electric 
                        transmission facilities and electric 
                        distribution facilities), in Development Focus 
                        Areas near or adjacent to the Monument shall 
                        not be affected by the establishment or 
                        management of the Monument.
                    (C) Savings provision.--Nothing in this section 
                affects renewable energy development (including related 
                energy storage or electric utility facilities, 
                including electric transmission facilities and electric 
                distribution facilities) on any land near or adjacent 
                to the Monument.
            (11) Military activities.--Nothing in this Act precludes--
                    (A) low-level overflights of military aircraft over 
                the Monument;
                    (B) the landing and takeoff of military aircraft in 
                designated landing zones in accordance with all 
                aviation safety regulations;
                    (C) the designation of new units of special 
                airspace over the Monument;
                    (D) the use or establishment of military flight 
                training routes over the Monument; or
                    (E) the use of Federal land within the Monument for 
                off-road or off-trail training pursuant to agreements 
                between the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense.
            (12) Treaty rights.--Nothing in this Act alters, modifies, 
        enlarges, diminishes, or abrogates the treaty rights of any 
        Indian Tribe, including off-reservation reserved rights.
            (13) Jurisdiction over fish and wildlife.--
                    (A) In general.--Nothing in this section diminishes 
                the jurisdiction of the State with respect to fish and 
                wildlife management, including the regulation of 
                fishing and hunting within the Monument.
                    (B) Limitations.--
                            (i) Regulations.--Subject to clause (ii), 
                        the Secretary may designate by regulation areas 
                        in which, and establish periods during which, 
                        for reasons of public safety, administration, 
                        or compliance with applicable laws, no hunting, 
                        fishing, or trapping will be permitted in the 
                        Monument.
                            (ii) Consultation.--Except in emergencies, 
                        the Secretary shall consult with the 
                        appropriate State agency before promulgating 
                        regulations under clause (i) that close a 
                        portion of the Monument to hunting, fishing, or 
                        trapping.
                    (C) Fish and wildlife management activities.--
                Management activities (including the use of motorized 
                vehicles by appropriate State agencies, subject to 
                applicable laws (including regulations) to maintain, 
                enhance, or restore fish and wildlife populations and 
                the habitats to support fish and wildlife populations 
                may be carried out within the Monument.
            (14) Wildlife water development projects.--In accordance 
        with applicable law (including regulations), the Secretary may 
        authorize structures and facilities, including maintenance of 
        existing structures and facilities, for wildlife water 
        development projects, including guzzlers, in the Monument, if--
                    (A) the structures and facilities are necessary to 
                fulfill the purpose described in subsection (b);
                    (B) the structures and facilities would, as 
                determined by the Secretary, promote healthy, viable, 
                and more naturally distributed wildlife populations; 
                and
                    (C) the visual impacts of the structures and 
                facilities on the Monument can reasonably be minimized.
            (15) Map; legal description.--
                    (A) In general.--As soon as practicable after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
                submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
                of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of 
                the House of Representatives a map and legal 
                description of the Monument.
                    (B) Corrections.--The map and legal description 
                submitted under subparagraph (A) shall have the same 
                force and effect as if included in this Act, except 
                that the Secretary may correct any clerical or 
                typographical errors in the legal description and the 
                map, including to ensure that there is no overlap 
                between the Monument and Development Focus Areas.
                    (C) Conflict between map and legal description.--In 
                the case of a conflict between the map and the legal 
                description submitted under subparagraph (A), the map 
                shall control.
                    (D) Availability of map and legal description.--
                Copies of the map and legal description submitted under 
                subparagraph (A) shall be on file and available for 
                public inspection in the appropriate offices of the 
                Bureau of Land Management.
            (16) New rights-of-way.--Nothing in this Act prevents the 
        Secretary from approving new rights-of-way within the Monument 
        that the Secretary determines, in consultation with applicable 
        State and local agencies and culturally affiliated Indian 
        Tribes, are consistent with--
                    (A) this Act;
                    (B) applicable laws (including regulations);
                    (C) the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Area 
                Plan;
                    (D) the purpose described in subsection (b);
                    (E) the management plan; and
                    (F) the care and proper management of objects of 
                historical and scientific interest within the Monument.
            (17) Management plan.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
                develop a comprehensive plan for the long-term 
                management of the Monument.
                    (B) Consultation required.--The Secretary shall--
                            (i) in developing the management plan, 
                        consult with--
                                    (I) culturally affiliated Indian 
                                Tribes;
                                    (II) appropriate State and local 
                                governmental entities;
                                    (III) the Advisory Council;
                                    (IV) members of the public; and
                                    (V) affected renewable energy 
                                developers and local electric utility 
                                companies; and
                            (ii) in making management decisions 
                        relating to the Monument, consult with 
                        culturally affiliated Indian Tribes.
                    (C) Requirements.--The management plan--
                            (i) shall--
                                    (I) assess opportunities to improve 
                                recreational opportunities within, and 
                                access to, the Monument in a manner 
                                that--
                                            (aa) conserves, protects, 
                                        and enhances resources of the 
                                        Monument resources; and
                                            (bb) furthers the purpose 
                                        described in subsection (b);
                                    (II) incorporate traditional 
                                ecological knowledge; and
                                    (III) identify opportunities to 
                                interpret Monument resources for 
                                members of the public; and
                            (ii) shall not--
                                    (I) impact renewable energy 
                                projects in Development Focus Areas 
                                near or adjacent to the Monument; or
                                    (II) interfere with the development 
                                of renewable energy (including related 
                                energy storage facilities or electric 
                                utility facilities, including electric 
                                transmission facilities and electric 
                                distribution facilities) or colocated 
                                telecommunications facilities on land 
                                near or adjacent to the Monument.
                    (D) Transportation management plan.--For the 
                purposes of protecting and restoring objects of 
                historical and scientific interest within the Monument, 
                as part of the management plan, the Secretary shall 
                include a transportation plan that--
                            (i) designates the routes and trails on 
                        which motorized vehicle use and nonmotorized 
                        mechanized vehicle use will be allowed within 
                        the Monument;
                            (ii) provides that--
                                    (I) except as provided in subclause 
                                (II) or for emergency or authorized 
                                administrative purposes, including 
                                appropriate wildlife management, 
                                motorized vehicle use in the Monument 
                                shall be permitted only on routes and 
                                trails existing as of the date of 
                                enactment of this Act;
                                    (II) notwithstanding subclause (I), 
                                the Secretary may designate additional 
                                routes or trails for motorized vehicle 
                                use in the Monument after the date of 
                                enactment of this Act for the purposes 
                                of public safety needs, access to 
                                existing or new electric utility 
                                facilities or infrastructure, or 
                                protection of objects of historical and 
                                scientific interest within the 
                                Monument; and
                                    (III) the Secretary shall monitor 
                                motorized and non-motorized vehicle use 
                                and designated roads and trails to 
                                ensure proper care and management of 
                                objects of historical and scientific 
                                interest within the Monument.
                    (E) Incorporation of plans.--In developing the 
                management plan, to the extent consistent with this 
                section, the Secretary may incorporate any provision of 
                an applicable land and resource management plan.
                    (F) Effect.--If there is a conflict between this 
                section and the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation 
                Area Plan, the more restrictive provision shall 
                control.
            (18) Wildfire.--In accordance with this Act and applicable 
        law (including regulations), the Secretary may take any 
        measures within the Monument that the Secretary determines to 
        be necessary to control fire, insects, and diseases, including, 
        as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, the coordination 
        of the activities with a State or local agency.
            (19) Incorporation of acquired land and interests.--Any 
        land or interest in land within the boundary of the Monument 
        that is acquired by the United States after the date of 
        enactment of this Act shall--
                    (A) become part of the Monument;
                    (B) be withdrawn in accordance with paragraph (9); 
                and
                    (C) be managed in accordance with--
                            (i) the Federal Land Policy and Management 
                        Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.);
                            (ii) this section; and
                            (iii) any other applicable law (including 
                        regulations).

SEC. 5. CHUCKWALLA NATIONAL MONUMENT TRIBAL COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a commission, to 
be known as the ``Chuckwalla National Monument Tribal Commission''.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Makeup.--The Commission shall include a representative 
        from each culturally affiliated Indian Tribe.
            (2) Process.--The Secretary shall conduct government-to-
        government consultation with each culturally affiliated Indian 
        Tribe to determine the membership of the Commission.
    (c) Duties.--
            (1) Duties of the commission.--The Commission shall inform, 
        and provide input to, the development and implementation of the 
        management plan.
            (2) Duties of the secretary.--The Secretary shall--
                    (A) consult with the Commission on--
                            (i) the development of the management plan; 
                        and
                            (ii) providing guidance and recommendations 
                        to the Secretary on management decisions 
                        relating to the Monument;
                    (B) ensure that the management plan sets forth 
                parameters for the continued meaningful engagement by 
                the Commission in the implementation of the management 
                plan; and
                    (C) incorporate into the management plan--
                            (i) the traditional and historical 
                        knowledge and special expertise of the 
                        Commission;
                            (ii) public education and interpretation 
                        for traditional place names and the cultural 
                        significance of land within the Monument, as 
                        the Secretary and the Commission determine to 
                        be appropriate; and
                            (iii) address funding, capacity building, 
                        and infrastructure for culturally affiliated 
                        Indian Tribes.
    (d) Procedures.--The Commission shall establish any rules and 
procedures for the Commission that the Commission determines to be 
necessary.

SEC. 6. CHUCKWALLA NATIONAL MONUMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish an advisory 
council, to be known as the ``Chuckwalla National Monument Advisory 
Council''.
    (b) Duties.--The Advisory Council shall advise the Secretary with 
respect to the development of the management plan.
    (c) Applicable Law.--The Advisory Council shall be subject to--
            (1) chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code (commonly 
        known as the ``Federal Advisory Committee Act'');
            (2) the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 
        U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and
            (3) any other applicable laws.
    (d) Membership.--The Advisory Council shall consist of 19 members, 
to be appointed by the Secretary, of whom, to the extent practicable--
            (1) 1 member shall be appointed after considering the 
        recommendations of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors;
            (2) 1 member shall be appointed after considering the 
        recommendations of the Imperial County Board of Supervisors;
            (3) 1 member shall be appointed after considering the 
        recommendations of the Secretary for Natural Resources of the 
        State;
            (4) 1 member shall be appointed to represent the Department 
        of Defense; and
            (5) 8 members shall--
                    (A) reside in, or within reasonable proximity to, 
                Riverside or Imperial County in the State; and
                    (B) have backgrounds that reflect--
                            (i) the purpose described in section 4(b); 
                        and
                            (ii) the interests of persons affected by 
                        the planning and management of the Monument, 
                        including representatives of--
                                    (I) the renewable energy industry;
                                    (II) electric utilities;
                                    (III) private land owners;
                                    (IV) nongovernmental organizations 
                                managing land for conservation 
                                purposes; and
                                    (V) environmental, recreational, 
                                tourism, or other non-Federal land 
                                interests.
    (e) Representation.--The Secretary shall ensure that the membership 
of the Advisory Council is fairly balanced in terms of--
            (1) the points of view represented by the Advisory Council; 
        and
            (2) the functions to be performed by the Advisory Council.
    (f) Terms.--
            (1) Staggered terms.--A member of the Advisory Council 
        shall be appointed for a term of 3 years, except that, of the 
        members first appointed--
                    (A) 5 shall be appointed for a term of 1 year; and
                    (B) 5 shall be appointed for a term of 2 years.
            (2) Reappointment.--A member may be reappointed to serve on 
        the Advisory Council on the expiration of the term of the 
        member.
            (3) Vacancy.--A vacancy on the Advisory Council shall be 
        filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was 
        made.
    (g) Quorum.--
            (1) In general.--8 members of the Advisory Council shall 
        constitute a quorum.
            (2) No effect on operations.--The operations of the 
        Advisory Council shall not be impaired by the fact that a 
        member has not yet been appointed if a quorum has been attained 
        under paragraph (1).
    (h) Chairperson and Procedures.--The Advisory Council shall--
            (1) elect a chairperson from among the members of the 
        Advisory Council; and
            (2) establish any rules and procedures for the Advisory 
        Council that the Advisory Council determines to be necessary.
    (i) No Compensation.--A member of the Advisory Council shall serve 
without pay.
    (j) Termination.--The Advisory Council shall terminate on--
            (1) the date on which the management plan is officially 
        adopted by the Secretary; or
            (2) such later date as the Secretary determines to be 
        appropriate.

SEC. 7. ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY AND CULTURAL RESOURCES SURVEY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary--
            (1) after consultation with the culturally affiliated 
        Indian Tribes, shall conduct, or enter into a contract with a 
        third party to conduct, an ethnographic study of land within 
        the Monument and public land adjacent to the Monument that is 
        not within a Development Focus Area to assess the importance of 
        the land studied to the culturally affiliated Indian Tribes and 
        the religious, spiritual, and cultural practices of the 
        culturally affiliated Indian Tribes; and
            (2) after consultation with the culturally affiliated 
        Indian Tribes and a review of any applicable data, studies, and 
        reports in the possession of the culturally affiliated Indian 
        Tribes, shall conduct, or enter into a contract with a third 
        party to conduct, a cultural resources survey of the land 
        within the Monument and public land adjacent to the Monument 
        that is not within a Development Focus Area to identify 
        specific sites that contain cultural, religious, spiritual, and 
        archaeological resources of importance to the culturally 
        affiliated Indian Tribes.
    (b) Participation of Culturally Affiliated Indian Tribes.--In 
conducting an ethnographic study or cultural resources survey under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall coordinate with, and provide for 
the participation of, each culturally affiliated Indian Tribe, 
including through the conduct of interviews with members of each 
culturally affiliated Indian Tribe.
    (c) Applicable Law.--The Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.) shall apply to burial sites 
identified under subsection (a).
    (d) Submission of Results to Culturally Affiliated Indian Tribes.--
Not later than 1 year after the date on which the ethnographic study 
and the cultural resources survey are completed under subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall submit to culturally affiliated Indian Tribes the 
results of the ethnographic study and the cultural resources survey for 
review and comment.
    (e) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date on which the 
ethnographic study and the cultural resources survey are completed 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a report describing the results of the 
ethnographic study and the cultural resources survey completed under 
that subsection.
    (f) Public Availability of Information.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
        information relating to the nature and specific location of a 
        cultural resource located on land adjacent to the Monument that 
        is obtained from an ethnographic study or cultural resources 
        survey conducted under subsection (a) shall be exempt from 
        disclosure under section 552 of title 5, United States Code 
        (commonly known as the ``Freedom of Information Act'') and any 
        other applicable law.
            (2) Exception.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the 
        Secretary, in consultation with the culturally affiliated 
        Indian Tribes, may disclose information described in that 
        paragraph if the Secretary determines that the disclosure--
                    (A) would--
                            (i) further the protection of the cultural 
                        resource; and
                            (ii) be in accordance with other applicable 
                        laws; and
                    (B) would not create a risk of harm to, or theft or 
                destruction of, the cultural resource or the site at 
                which the cultural resource is located.
    (g) Savings Provision.--Nothing in this section, including the 
ethnographic study or the cultural resources survey conducted under 
subsection (a), affects--
            (1) the development of renewable energy projects in a 
        Development Focus Area;
            (2) any requirements for that development that may be 
        imposed based on the findings of any study required under other 
        law prior to that development;
            (3) existing requirements for that development under 
        section 306108 of title 54, United States Code (formerly 
        section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 
        U.S.C. 470f)) or any other applicable law; or
            (4) any existing responsibility of the Bureau of Land 
        Management or any renewable energy company to conduct 
        ethnographic studies prior to development in a Development 
        Focus Area.

SEC. 8. EXPANSION OF JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK.

    Section 402 of the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 (16 
U.S.C. 410aaa-22) is amended, in the first sentence, by inserting after 
``October 1991 or prior,'' the following: ``and including the 
approximately 17,842 acres of land depicted on the map entitled 
`Proposed Chuckwalla National Monument and Joshua Tree National Park 
Expansion' and dated April 12, 2024,''.
                                 <all>