I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8719 
To establish the Great Bend of the Gila National Conservation Area in 
the State of Arizona, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 16, 2022 
Mr. GRIJALVA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To establish the Great Bend of the Gila National Conserva-
tion Area in the State of Arizona, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Great Bend of the Gila 
Conservation Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CONSERVATION
AREAS.—The term ‘‘Con-
servation Areas’’ means the Great Bend of the Gila 
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National Conservation Area and the Palo Verde Na-
tional Conservation Area established by section 3(a). 
(2) EXISTING USE.—The term ‘‘existing use’’, 
with respect to the Conservation Areas, means a use 
that is occurring within the Conservation Areas on 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(3) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 
means the governing body of any Indian or Alaska 
Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, commu-
nity, component band, or component reservation in-
dividually identified (including parenthetically) on 
the list published by the Secretary of the Interior 
under section 104 of the Federally Recognized In-
dian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131). 
(4) INTERESTED
INDIAN
TRIBE.—The term 
‘‘interested Indian Tribe’’means— 
(A) historic, precontact, cultural, or reli-
gious connections to lands within the Conserva-
tion Areas; 
(B) a former reservation located on land 
within the Conservation Areas; or 
(C) treaty rights or other reserved rights 
associated with on land within the Conservation 
Areas. 
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(5) GREAT BEND OF THE GILA MAP.—The term 
‘‘Great Bend of the Gila Map’’ means the map enti-
tled ‘‘Proposed Great Bend of the Gila Conservation 
Act’’ and dated February 3, 2022. 
(6) LAND
MANAGEMENT
PLANS.—The term 
‘‘land management plans’’ means each of the land 
management plans developed pursuant to section 
6(a). 
(7) NATIVE KNOWLEDGE.—The term ‘‘Native 
knowledge’’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 219.19 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations 
(as in effect on the date of the enactment of this 
Act). 
(8) NEW USE.—The term ‘‘new use’’, with re-
spect to the Conservation Areas— 
(A) means a use that— 
(i) involves surface disturbance and is 
not occurring in the Conservation Areas on 
the date of the enactment of this Act; or 
(ii) is occurring in the Conservation 
Areas on the date of the enactment of this 
Act, but that is being modified so as— 
(I) to create a surface disturb-
ance; 
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(II) to significantly expand or 
alter impacts of the use on the land, 
water, air, cultural resources, or wild-
life of the Conservation Areas; or 
(III) to negatively impact the 
purposes for which the Conservation 
Areas are designated under this Act; 
and 
(B) does not include a use that— 
(i) is categorically excluded from the 
requirements of title I of the National En-
vironmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4331 et seq.); 
(ii) is carried out to comply with the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); 
(iii) is necessary to maintain a road, 
trail, structure, or facility within the Con-
servation Areas that is— 
(I) in existence on the date of the 
enactment of this Act; and 
(II) identified in the management 
planning documents of the applicable 
land management agency as a road, 
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trail, structure, or facility intended for 
continued use; or 
(iv) the Secretary determines to be 
necessary for the control of fire, insects, or 
diseases, subject to applicable law, includ-
ing regulations, and such terms and condi-
tions as the Secretary determines appro-
priate. 
(9) PLO 1015 LANDS.—The term ‘‘PLO 1015 
lands’’ means those Federal lands withdrawn and re-
served by Public Land Order 1015, dated October 1, 
1954 (19 Fed. Reg. 6477), for use by the Arizona 
Game and Fish Commission in connection with the 
Gila River Waterfowl Area Project. 
(10) RESTORATION.—The term ‘‘restoration’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 219.19 of 
title 36, Code of Federal Regulations as in effect on 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(11) SACRED
SITE.—The term ‘‘sacred site’’ 
means a specific, discrete, narrowly delineated site 
on public land that is identified by an Indian Tribe 
as sacred by virtue of the established religious sig-
nificance of the site to, or ceremonial or medicinal 
use of the site by, an Indian Tribe. 
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(12) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary’’ 
means the Secretary of the Interior. 
(13) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the 
State of Arizona. 
(14) SURFACE DISTURBANCE.—The term ‘‘sur-
face disturbance’’ means any new disruption of soil 
or vegetation that would require restoration to re-
turn the soil or vegetation to natural appearance or 
ecological function. 
(15) TRIBAL COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Tribal 
commission’’ means each Tribal commission estab-
lished under section 6(a). 
(16) TRIBAL
CULTURAL
SITE.—The term 
‘‘Tribal Cultural Site’’ means— 
(A) a historic property (as defined in sec-
tion 800.16 of title 36, Code of Federal Regula-
tions as in effect on the date of the enactment 
of this Act); 
(B) a sacred site; or 
(C) a landform, landscape, or location 
that— 
(i) is or may be important to the cus-
toms, practices, objects, places, religions, 
or ceremonies of an Indian Tribe; 
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(ii) is or may be important to an In-
dian Tribe for the undertaking of religious, 
cultural, spiritual, traditional subsistence, 
or other traditional practices; 
(iii) contains unique or important tra-
ditional Tribal food, medicinal, or material 
gathering areas; or 
(iv) is connected through features, 
ceremonies, objects, histories, or cultural 
practices to other sites or to a larger sa-
cred landscape, as determined by an In-
dian Tribe. 
(17) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘Trib-
al organization’’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 
(18) WILDERNESS AREAS.—The term ‘‘Wilder-
ness Areas’’ means the public lands designated as 
Wilderness by the amendments made by section 
4(a). 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF CONSERVATION AREAS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to valid existing 
rights, there is established in the State— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall manage 
the Conservation Areas— 
(A) in a manner that conserves, protects, 
and enhances the resources of the Conservation 
Areas; 
(B) in a manner that preserves and pro-
tects Tribal Cultural Sites; 
(C) in consultation with the applicable 
Tribal commissions; 
(D) as components of the National Land-
scape Conservation System; and 
(E) in accordance with— 
(i) the Federal Land Policy and Man-
agement Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et 
seq.); 
(ii) the Native American Graves Pro-
tection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 
3001 et seq.); 
(iii) Public Law 95–341 (commonly 
known as the American Indian Religious 
Freedom Act; 42 U.S.C. 1996); 
(iv) this Act; and 
(v) any other applicable law. 
(2) USES.— 
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(A) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with this 
Act, the Secretary shall only authorize new or 
existing uses within the Conservation Areas 
that the Secretary determines, in consultation 
with the applicable Tribal commission, are con-
sistent with— 
(i) the purposes described in sub-
section (b); 
(ii) the management priorities identi-
fied in paragraph (1); 
(iii) the preservation of Tribal Cul-
tural Sites within the Conservation Areas; 
and 
(iv) this Act. 
(B) NEW USES.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary de-
termines under subparagraph (A) that a 
new use is consistent with the require-
ments of clauses (i) through (iv) of that 
subparagraph, before authorizing the new 
use, the Secretary shall request agreement 
from the applicable Tribal commission. 
(ii) APPROVAL.—The Secretary shall 
authorize the new use for which the Sec-
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retary requests agreement under clause (i) 
if the applicable Tribal commission— 
(I) agrees to the new use; or 
(II) does not respond to the re-
quest by the date that is 60 days after 
the date on which the Secretary 
makes the request under clause (i). 
(iii) DENIAL.—If the applicable Tribal 
commission denies agreement for a new 
use on or before the date that is 60 days 
after the date on which the Secretary 
makes the request under clause (i), the 
Secretary shall— 
(I) consult with the applicable 
Tribal commission to determine spe-
cific measures to eliminate or, to the 
extent practicable, mitigate potential 
adverse impacts to the Conservation 
Areas resulting from the new use; and 
(II) authorize the new use, sub-
ject to completion of the measures de-
termined under subclause (I), or deny 
the new use if elimination or substan-
tial mitigation of potential adverse im-
pacts is not practicable. 
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(C) MOTORIZED VEHICLES.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 
in clauses (ii) and (iii), and as needed for 
administrative purposes or to respond to 
an emergency, the use of motorized vehi-
cles in the Conservation Areas after the ef-
fective date of the land management plans 
shall be allowed only on roads and trails 
designated for the use of motor vehicles in 
the land management plans. 
(ii) RESOURCE PROTECTION AREA.— 
Except as needed for administrative pur-
poses or to respond to an emergency, the 
use of motor vehicles within the area gen-
erally depicted on the Great Bend of the 
Gila Map as ‘‘Proposed Resource Protec-
tion Area’’ shall be prohibited. 
(D) NEW ROADS.—Except as provided in 
section 6(c), no new permanent or temporary 
roads or other motorized vehicle routes shall be 
constructed within the Conservation Areas after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF WILDERNESS. 
(a) DESIGNATION.—Section 101(a) of the Arizona 
Wilderness Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; Public Law 
101–628) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (15), by striking ‘‘1990’’ and 
all that follows through the semicolon and inserting 
‘‘1990, and approximately 9,809 acres, generally de-
picted as ‘Gila Bend Wilderness’ on the map entitled 
‘Proposed Great Bend of the Gila Conservation Act’ 
and dated August 05, 2021, and which shall be 
known as the Gila Bend Wilderness;’’; 
(2) in paragraph (39), by striking the period 
and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(40) certain lands in Maricopa County, Ari-
zona, which comprise approximately 23,464 acres, as 
generally depicted as ‘Red Rock Canyon Wilderness’ 
on the map entitled ‘Proposed Great Bend of the 
Gila Conservation Act’ and dated August 05, 2021, 
and which shall be known as the Red Rock Canyon 
Wilderness; and 
‘‘(41) certain lands in Maricopa County, Ari-
zona, which comprise approximately 23,712 acres, 
generally depicted as ‘Ringtail Wilderness’ on the 
map entitled ‘Proposed Great Bend of the Gila Con-
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servation Act’ and dated August 05, 2021, which 
shall be known as the Ringtail Wilderness.’’. 
(b) APPLICABLE LAW.—For the purposes of admin-
istering the Wilderness Areas— 
(1) any reference in the Wilderness Act (16 
U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) to the effective date of that Act 
shall be considered to be a reference to the date of 
the enactment of this Act; and 
(2) any reference in section 101 of the Arizona 
Wilderness Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; Pub-
lic Law 101–628) to the effective date of that Act 
shall be considered to be a reference to the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
(c) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, map, reg-
ulation, document, paper, or other record of the United 
States to the Woolsey Peak Wilderness, as designated by 
section 101(a)(13) of the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1990 
(16 U.S.C. 1132 note; Public Law 101–628), as redesig-
nated and amended by subsection (a)(1) of this Act, shall 
be considered to be a reference to the Gila Bend Wilder-
ness. 
SEC. 5. MAPS AND LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—As soon as practicable after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
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of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources 
of the House of Representatives a map and legal descrip-
tion of each of the Conservation Areas and each of the 
Wilderness Areas. 
(b) FORCE AND EFFECT.—Each map and legal de-
scription submitted under subsection (a) shall have the 
same force and effect as if included in this Act, except 
that the Secretary may correct any clerical or typo-
graphical errors in the maps or legal descriptions. 
(c) AVAILABILITY.—Each map and legal description 
submitted under subsection (a) shall be available for pub-
lic inspection in the appropriate offices of the Bureau of 
Land Management. 
SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT OF CONSERVATION AREAS AND WIL-
DERNESS AREAS. 
(a) LAND MANAGEMENT PLANS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall develop a comprehensive management plan for 
each of the Conservation Areas that provides for the 
long-term protection and management of the Con-
servation Areas. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In developing a manage-
ment plan under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
shall— 
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