II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1240 

To designate the Cerro del Yuta and Rı ́o San Antonio Wilderness Areas 

in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 7, 2015 

Mr. HEINRICH (for himself and Mr. UDALL) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To designate the Cerro del Yuta and Rı ́o San Antonio Wilderness Areas in the State of New Mexico, and for 

other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Cerros del Norte Con5 servation Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map en9 titled ‘‘Rı ́o Grande del Norte National Monument 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 1240 IS

1 Proposed Wilderness Areas’’ and dated May 2, 

2 2013. 

3 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

4 the Secretary of the Interior. 

5 (3) WILDERNESS AREA.—The term ‘‘wilderness 

6 area’’ means a wilderness area designated by section 

7 3(a). 

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF CERRO DEL YUTA AND RI 8  ́O SAN 

9 ANTONIO WILDERNESS AREAS. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with the Wilderness 

11 Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the following areas in the 

12 Rı ́o Grande del Norte National Monument are designated 

13 as wilderness and as components of the National Wilder14 ness Preservation System: 

15 (1) CERRO DEL YUTA WILDERNESS.—Certain 

16 land administered by the Bureau of Land Manage17 ment in Taos County, New Mexico, comprising ap18 proximately 13,420 acres as generally depicted on 

19 the map, which shall be known as the ‘‘Cerro del 

20 Yuta Wilderness’’. 

21 (2) R ́IO SAN ANTONIO WILDERNESS.—Certain 

22 land administered by the Bureau of Land Manage23 ment in Rı ́o Arriba County, New Mexico, comprising 

24 approximately 8,000 acres, as generally depicted on 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 1240 IS

1 the map, which shall be known as the ‘‘Rı ́o San An2 tonio Wilderness’’. 

3 (b) MANAGEMENT OF WILDERNESS AREAS.—Subject 

4 to valid existing rights, the wilderness areas shall be ad5 ministered in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 

6 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) and this Act, except that with respect 

7 to the wilderness areas designated by this Act— 

8 (1) any reference to the effective date of the 

9 Wilderness Act shall be considered to be a reference 

10 to the date of enactment of this Act; and 

11 (2) any reference in the Wilderness Act to the 

12 Secretary of Agriculture shall be considered to be a 

13 reference to the Secretary. 

14 (c) INCORPORATION OF ACQUIRED LAND AND INTER15 ESTS IN LAND.—Any land or interest in land within the 

16 boundary of the wilderness areas that is acquired by the 

17 United States shall— 

18 (1) become part of the wilderness area in which 

19 the land is located; and 

20 (2) be managed in accordance with— 

21 (A) the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et 

22 seq.); 

23 (B) this Act; and 

24 (C) any other applicable laws. 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 1240 IS

1 (d) GRAZING.—Grazing of livestock in the wilderness 

2 areas, where established before the date of enactment of 

3 this Act, shall be administered in accordance with— 

4 (1) section 4(d)(4) of the Wilderness Act (16 

5 U.S.C. 1133(d)(4)); and 

6 (2) the guidelines set forth in appendix A of the 

7 Report of the Committee on Interior and Insular Af8 fairs to accompany H.R. 2570 of the 101st Congress 

9 (H. Rept. 101–405). 

10 (e) BUFFER ZONES.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act creates 

12 a protective perimeter or buffer zone around the wil13 derness areas. 

14 (2) ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE WILDERNESS

15 AREAS.—The fact that an activity or use on land 

16 outside a wilderness area can be seen or heard with17 in the wilderness area shall not preclude the activity 

18 or use outside the boundary of the wilderness area. 

19 (f) RELEASE OF WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS.—Con20 gress finds that, for purposes of section 603(c) of the Fed21 eral Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 

22 1782(c)), the public land within the San Antonio Wilder23 ness Study Area not designated as wilderness by this sec24 tion— 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 1240 IS

1 (1) has been adequately studied for wilderness 

2 designation; 

3 (2) is no longer subject to section 603(c) of the 

4 Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 

5 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)); and 

6 (3) shall be managed in accordance with this 

7 Act. 

8 (g) MAPS AND LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—As soon as practicable after 

10 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

11 shall file the map and legal descriptions of the wil12 derness areas with— 

13 (A) the Committee on Energy and Natural 

14 Resources of the Senate; and 

15 (B) the Committee on Natural Resources 

16 of the House of Representatives. 

17 (2) FORCE OF LAW.—The map and legal de18 scriptions filed under paragraph (1) shall have the 

19 same force and effect as if included in this Act, ex20 cept that the Secretary may correct errors in the 

21 legal description and map. 

22 (3) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The map and legal 

23 descriptions filed under paragraph (1) shall be on 

24 file and available for public inspection in the appro25 priate offices of the Bureau of Land Management. 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 1240 IS

1 (h) NATIONAL LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION SYS2 TEM.—The wilderness areas shall be administered as com3 ponents of the National Landscape Conservation System. 

4 (i) FISH AND WILDLIFE.—Nothing in this Act affects 

5 the jurisdiction of the State of New Mexico with respect 

6 to fish and wildlife located on public land in the State. 

7 (j) WITHDRAWALS.—Subject to valid existing rights, 

8 any Federal land within the wilderness areas designated 

9 by subsection (a), including any land or interest in land 

10 that is acquired by the United States after the date of 

11 enactment of this Act, is withdrawn from— 

12 (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the 

13 public land laws; 

14 (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining 

15 laws; and 

16 (3) operation of the mineral leasing, mineral 

17 materials, and geothermal leasing laws. 

18 (k) TREATY RIGHTS.—Nothing in this Act enlarges, 

19 diminishes, or otherwise modifies any treaty rights. 

Æ 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS