Cerros del Norte Conservation Act

To designate the Cerro del Yuta and Río San Antonio Wilderness Areas in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Cerros del Norte Conservation Act 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Map The term map Río Grande del Norte National Monument Proposed Wilderness Areas (2) Secretary The term Secretary (3) Wilderness area The term wilderness area 3. Designation of Cerro del Yuta and Río San Antonio Wilderness Areas (a) In general In accordance with the Wilderness Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1131 (1) Cerro del Yuta wilderness Certain land administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Taos County, New Mexico, comprising approximately 13,420 acres as generally depicted on the map, which shall be known as the Cerro del Yuta Wilderness (2) Río San Antonio wilderness Certain land administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Río Arriba County, New Mexico, comprising approximately 8,120 acres, as generally depicted on the map, which shall be known as the Río San Antonio Wilderness (b) Management of wilderness areas Subject to valid existing rights, the wilderness areas shall be administered in accordance with the Wilderness Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1131 (1) any reference to the effective date of the Wilderness Act shall be considered to be a reference to the date of enactment of this Act; and (2) any reference in the Wilderness Act to the Secretary of Agriculture shall be considered to be a reference to the Secretary. (c) Incorporation of acquired land and interests in land Any land or interest in land within the boundary of the wilderness areas that is acquired by the United States shall— (1) become part of the wilderness area in which the land is located; and (2) be managed in accordance with— (A) the Wilderness Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1131 (B) this Act; and (C) any other applicable laws. (d) Grazing Grazing of livestock in the wilderness areas, where established before the date of enactment of this Act, shall be administered in accordance with— (1) section 4(d)(4) of the Wilderness Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(4) (2) the guidelines set forth in appendix A of the Report of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs to accompany H.R. 2570 of the 101st Congress (H. Rept. 101–405). (e) Buffer zones (1) In general Nothing in this Act creates a protective perimeter or buffer zone around the wilderness areas. (2) Activities outside wilderness areas The fact that an activity or use on land outside a wilderness area can be seen or heard within the wilderness area shall not preclude the activity or use outside the boundary of the wilderness area. (f) Release of wilderness study areas Congress finds that, for purposes of section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ( 43 U.S.C. 1782(c) (1) has been adequately studied for wilderness designation; (2) is no longer subject to section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ( 43 U.S.C. 1782(c) (3) shall be managed in accordance with this Act. (g) Maps and legal descriptions (1) In general As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall file the map and legal descriptions of the wilderness areas 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) Force of law The map and legal descriptions filed under paragraph (1) shall have the same force and effect as if included in this Act, except that the Secretary may correct errors in the legal description and map. (3) Public availability The map and legal descriptions filed under paragraph (1) shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Bureau of Land Management. (h) National landscape conservation system The wilderness areas shall be administered as components of the National Landscape Conservation System. (i) Fish and wildlife Nothing in this Act affects the jurisdiction of the State of New Mexico with respect to fish and wildlife located on public land in the State. (j) Withdrawals Subject to valid existing rights, any Federal land within the wilderness areas designated by subsection (a), including any land or interest in land that is acquired by the United States after the date of enactment of this Act, is withdrawn from— (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) operation of the mineral leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws. (k) Treaty rights Nothing in this Act enlarges, diminishes, or otherwise modifies any treaty rights.

Summary: Cerros del Norte Conservation Act This bill designates the Cerro del Yuta Wilderness (comprising approximately 13,420 acres) and Rio San Antonio Wilderness (comprising approximately 8,120 acres) within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico as wilderness and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The bill releases specified public land within the San Antonio Wilderness Study Area not designated as wilderness by this bill from further study for such a designation. The bill requires the wilderness areas to be administered as components of the National Landscape Conservation System.