I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3478 

To release wilderness study areas administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Luna and Hidalgo Counties, New Mexico that are not suitable for wilderness designation from continued management as de facto 

wilderness areas. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 10, 2015 

Mr. PEARCE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To release wilderness study areas administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Luna and Hidalgo Counties, New Mexico that are not suitable for wilderness 

designation from continued management as de facto wilderness areas. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Luna and Hidalgo 

5 Counties Wilderness Study Area Release Act of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. RELEASE OF BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT WIL2 DERNESS STUDY AREAS PREVIOUSLY IDENTI3 FIED AS NOT SUITABLE FOR WILDERNESS 

4 DESIGNATION. 

5 (a) RELEASE.—Congress finds and directs that the 

6 public lands described in subsection (b) have been ade7 quately studied for wilderness designation pursuant to sec8 tion 603 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 

9 of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782) and are no longer subject to 

10 the requirement of subsection (d) of such section per11 taining to the management of wilderness study areas in 

12 a manner that does not impair the suitability of such areas 

13 for preservation as wilderness. 

14 (b) COVERED PUBLIC LANDS.—Subsection (a) ap15 plies to public lands in Luna and Hidalgo Counties, New 

16 Mexico, administered by the Bureau of Land Management 

17 pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 

18 of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) that— 

19 (1) have not been designated as wilderness by 

20 an Act of Congress before the date of the enactment 

21 of this Act; and 

22 (2) have been identified by the Bureau of Land 

23 Management before the date of the enactment of 

24 this Act as not suitable for wilderness designation. 


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1 (c) WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS.—The following pub2 lic lands cited in this subsection shall be released accord3 ing to subsection (a): 

4 (1) Portions of the Big Hatchet Mountains Wil5 derness Study Area deemed unsuitable by the Bu6 reau of Land Management (reflected in the map 

7 dated August 5, 2014). 

8 (2) Portions of the Gila Lower Box Wilderness 

9 Study Area deemed unsuitable by the Bureau of 

10 Land Management (reflected in the map dated July 

11 24, 2014). 

12 (3) Alamo Hueco Mountains Wilderness Study 

13 Area (reflected in the map dated August 5, 2014). 

14 (4) Blue Creek Wilderness Study Area (re15 flected in the map dated July 24, 2014). 

16 (5) Cedar Mountains Wilderness Study Area 

17 (reflected in the map dated July 24, 2014). 

18 (6) Cooke’s Range Wilderness Study Area (re19 flected in the map dated June 11, 2014). 

20 (7) Florida Mountains Wilderness Study Area 

21 (reflected in the map dated May 28, 2014). 

22 (8) Guadalupe Canyon Wilderness Study Area 

23 (reflected in the map dated July 30, 2014). 

24 (9) Peloncillo Mountains Wilderness Study Area 

25 (reflected in the map dated July 24, 2014). 


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1 (d) MANAGEMENT.—Public lands identified in sub2 section (c) and released by subsection (a) shall be man3 aged by the Bureau of Land Management in accordance 

4 with the land use plan applicable to the lands developed 

5 pursuant to section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and 

6 Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712). 

7 (e) PROHIBITION.—The Secretary of the Interior 

8 may not promulgate or issue any systemwide regulation, 

9 directive, or order that would direct management of the 

10 public lands released by subsection (a) in a manner con11 trary to the applicable land use plan. 

Æ 


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