I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5556 
To establish the Great Bend of the Gila National Monument in the State 
of Arizona, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 22, 2016 
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 Monument 
in the State of Arizona, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Great Bend of the Gila National Monument Establish-
ment Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Establishment of Great Bend of the Gila National Monument, Arizona. 
Sec. 3. Management of national monument. 
Sec. 4. Management plan. 
Sec. 5. Tribal use of national monument. 
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Sec. 6. Off-road use of motorized and mechanized vehicles. 
Sec. 7. No military airspace restrictions. 
Sec. 8. Research, education, and visitor services. 
Sec. 9. Fish and wildlife. 
Sec. 10. Land acquisition. 
Sec. 11. Withdrawal. 
Sec. 12. Effect on existing facilities and rights-of-way. 
Sec. 13. Water rights. 
Sec. 14. Advisory council. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF GREAT BEND OF THE GILA NA-
TIONAL MONUMENT, ARIZONA. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 
State of Arizona the Great Bend of the Gila National 
Monument (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘national monu-
ment’’). 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the national monu-
ment is— 
(1) to preserve, protect, and restore the archae-
ological, cultural, historic, geologic, hydrologic, nat-
ural, educational, and scenic resources of the Great 
Bend of the Gila (Gila River in Western Maricopa 
County, Arizona) and adjacent land; and 
(2) to provide for public interpretation and 
recreation consistent with the resources described in 
paragraph (1). 
(c) BOUNDARIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The national monument con-
sists of approximately 84,296 acres of public lands 
and interests in land administered by the Secretary 
of the Interior through the Bureau of Land Manage-
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ment, as generally depicted on the map entitled 
‘‘Great Bend of the Gila National Monument’’ and 
dated March 6, 2013. 
(2) MINOR ADJUSTMENTS.—The Secretary may 
make minor adjustments to the boundaries of the 
national monument to reflect the inclusion of signifi-
cant archaeological resources discovered after the 
date of enactment of this Act on public lands adja-
cent to the national monument. 
(3) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map described 
in paragraph (1) and the legal description of any ad-
justments made under paragraph (2) shall be on file 
and available for public inspection in the appropriate 
offices of the Bureau of Land Management. 
(d) ADJACENT USES.—Nothing in this Act— 
(1) creates a protective perimeter or buffer zone 
around the national monument; or 
(2) affects private property outside of the 
boundaries of the national monument. 
SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT OF NATIONAL MONUMENT. 
(a) NATIONAL
LANDSCAPE
CONSERVATION
SYS-
TEM.—The Secretary of the Interior shall manage the na-
tional monument as part of the National Landscape Con-
servation System— 
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(1) to allow only such uses of the national 
monument as to further the purposes for which the 
monument was established; and 
(2) in accordance with this Act and other laws 
generally applicable to the national monument, in-
cluding the Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.) and the 
policy described in Public Law 95–341 (commonly 
known as the American Indian Religious Freedom 
Act; 42 U.S.C. 1996). 
(b) MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.—In managing the 
national monument, the Secretary of the Interior shall— 
(1) maintain the undeveloped character of the 
national monument to the maximum extent prac-
ticable; and 
(2) protect and restore cultural resources, spe-
cies, and ecosystems of the national monument. 
(c) VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior— 
(A) shall conduct an inventory of invasive 
plant species in the national monument; 
(B) may carry out vegetation management 
treatments, including efforts to control salt 
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cedar and other invasive plant species, in the 
national monument; and 
(C) shall coordinate vegetation manage-
ment within the national monument boundaries 
with ongoing efforts to eradicate invasive spe-
cies by the Flood Control District of Maricopa 
County and neighboring communities. 
(2) USE OF NATIVE PLANT SPECIES.—The Sec-
retary shall utilize native plant species in planning 
for restoration projects to be conducted in the na-
tional monument. 
(d) GRAZING.—The Secretary shall permit grazing in 
the national monument, where grazing was established be-
fore the date of enactment of this Act— 
(1) subject to all applicable laws; and 
(2) consistent with the purposes for which the 
national monument is established. 
(e) BACKCOUNTRY ACTIVITIES.—Management of the 
national monument shall support backcountry hunting 
and other non-motorized recreation in the national monu-
ment. 
SEC. 4. MANAGEMENT PLAN. 
(a) MANAGEMENT PLAN REQUIRED.—Not later than 
three years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of the Interior shall develop a management plan 
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for the national monument that addresses the actions nec-
essary to protect the resources described in section 
2(b)(1). The management plan shall include a transpor-
tation plan, including travel restrictions and road closures. 
(b) CONSULTATION.—In addition to the period of 
public comment required by subsection (b), the Secretary 
of the Interior shall prepare the management plan in gov-
ernment-to-government consultation with Indian tribes 
with a cultural or historic tie to the Great Bend of the 
Gila. 
SEC. 5. TRIBAL USE OF NATIONAL MONUMENT. 
(a) TRADITIONAL USES.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior shall allow for the continued use of the national monu-
ment by members of Indian tribes— 
(1) for traditional ceremonies; and 
(2) as a source of traditional plants and other 
materials. 
(b) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—Tribal use of the na-
tional monument under subsection (a) shall be— 
(1) subject to any terms and conditions the 
Secretary of the Interior determines to be necessary 
to further the purposes for which the national monu-
ment is established; and 
(2) in accordance with applicable law. 
(c) TRIBAL RIGHTS.—Nothing in this Act affects— 
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(1) the rights of any Indian tribe on Indian 
land; 
(2) any individually held trust land or Indian 
allotment; or 
(3) any treaty rights providing for nonexclusive 
access to or in the national monument by members 
of Indian tribes for traditional and cultural pur-
poses. 
SEC. 6. OFF-ROAD USE OF MOTORIZED AND MECHANIZED 
VEHICLES. 
Except as needed for administrative purposes or to 
respond to an emergency, the use of motorized and mecha-
nized vehicles in the national monument is limited to roads 
and trails designated for their use. 
SEC. 7. NO MILITARY AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS. 
Establishment of the national monument shall not be 
construed to impact or impose any altitude, flight, or other 
airspace restrictions on current or future military oper-
ations or missions. Should the Armed Forces require addi-
tional or modified airspace after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, Congress does not intend for the establishment 
of the national monument to impede the Secretary of De-
fense from petitioning the Federal Aviation Administra-
tion to change or expand restricted military airspace. 
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