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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3478 Introduced in House (IH)]

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.

    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 ``Luna and Hidalgo Counties Wilderness 
Study Area Release Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. RELEASE OF BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS 
              PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED AS NOT SUITABLE FOR WILDERNESS 
              DESIGNATION.

    (a) Release.--Congress finds and directs that the public lands 
described in subsection (b) have been adequately studied for wilderness 
designation pursuant to section 603 of the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782) and are no longer subject to 
the requirement of subsection (d) of such section pertaining to the 
management of wilderness study areas in a manner that does not impair 
the suitability of such areas for preservation as wilderness.
    (b) Covered Public Lands.--Subsection (a) applies to public lands 
in Luna and Hidalgo Counties, New Mexico, administered by the Bureau of 
Land Management pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) that--
            (1) have not been designated as wilderness by an Act of 
        Congress before the date of the enactment of this Act; and
            (2) have been identified by the Bureau of Land Management 
        before the date of the enactment of this Act as not suitable 
        for wilderness designation.
    (c) Wilderness Study Areas.--The following public lands cited in 
this subsection shall be released according to subsection (a):
            (1) Portions of the Big Hatchet Mountains Wilderness Study 
        Area deemed unsuitable by the Bureau of Land Management 
        (reflected in the map dated August 5, 2014).
            (2) Portions of the Gila Lower Box Wilderness Study Area 
        deemed unsuitable by the Bureau of Land Management (reflected 
        in the map dated July 24, 2014).
            (3) Alamo Hueco Mountains Wilderness Study Area (reflected 
        in the map dated August 5, 2014).
            (4) Blue Creek Wilderness Study Area (reflected in the map 
        dated July 24, 2014).
            (5) Cedar Mountains Wilderness Study Area (reflected in the 
        map dated July 24, 2014).
            (6) Cooke's Range Wilderness Study Area (reflected in the 
        map dated June 11, 2014).
            (7) Florida Mountains Wilderness Study Area (reflected in 
        the map dated May 28, 2014).
            (8) Guadalupe Canyon Wilderness Study Area (reflected in 
        the map dated July 30, 2014).
            (9) Peloncillo Mountains Wilderness Study Area (reflected 
        in the map dated July 24, 2014).
    (d) Management.--Public lands identified in subsection (c) and 
released by subsection (a) shall be managed by the Bureau of Land 
Management in accordance with the land use plan applicable to the lands 
developed pursuant to section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712).
    (e) Prohibition.--The Secretary of the Interior may not promulgate 
or issue any systemwide regulation, directive, or order that would 
direct management of the public lands released by subsection (a) in a 
manner contrary to the applicable land use plan.
                                 <all>
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