I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 560 
To establish the Rio Grande del Norte National Conservation Area in the 
State of New Mexico, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 6, 2013 
Mr. BEN RAY LUJA´N of New Mexico introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To establish the Rio Grande del Norte National Conservation 
Area in the State of New Mexico, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rio Grande del Norte 
National Conservation Area Establishment Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CONSERVATION
AREA.—The term ‘‘Con-
servation Area’’ means the Rio Grande del Norte 
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National Conservation Area established by section 
3(a)(1). 
(2) LAND
GRANT
COMMUNITY.—The term 
‘‘land grant community’’ means a member of the 
Board of Trustees of confirmed or nonconfirmed 
community land grants within the Conservation 
Area. 
(3) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage-
ment plan’’ means the management plan for the 
Conservation Area developed under section 3(d). 
(4) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map en-
titled ‘‘Rio Grande del Norte National Conservation 
Area’’ and dated November 4, 2009. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of New Mexico. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CONSERVATION 
AREA. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established the Rio 
Grande del Norte National Conservation Area in the 
State. 
(2) AREA INCLUDED.—The Conservation Area 
shall consist of approximately 235,980 acres of pub-
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lic land in Taos and Rio Arriba counties in the 
State, as generally depicted on the map. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Conservation 
Area are to conserve, protect, and enhance for the benefit 
and enjoyment of present and future generations the cul-
tural, traditional, archaeological, natural, ecological, geo-
logical, historical, wildlife, educational, recreational, and 
scenic resources of the Conservation Area. 
(c) MANAGEMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall manage 
the Conservation Area— 
(A) in a manner that conserves, protects, 
and enhances the resources of the Conservation 
Area; and 
(B) in accordance with— 
(i) the Federal Land Policy and Man-
agement Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et 
seq.); 
(ii) this Act; and 
(iii) any other applicable laws. 
(2) USES.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
allow only such uses of the Conservation Area 
that the Secretary determines would further the 
purposes described in subsection (b). 
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(B) USE OF MOTORIZED VEHICLES.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as needed 
for administrative purposes or to respond 
to an emergency, the use of motorized ve-
hicles in the Conservation Area shall be 
permitted only on roads designated for use 
by motorized vehicles in the management 
plan. 
(ii) NEW ROADS.—No additional road 
shall be built within the Conservation Area 
after the date of enactment of this Act un-
less the road is needed for public safety or 
natural resource protection. 
(C) GRAZING.—The Secretary shall permit 
grazing within the Conservation Area, where es-
tablished before the date of enactment of this 
Act— 
(i) subject to all applicable laws (in-
cluding regulations) and Executive orders; 
and 
(ii) consistent with the purposes de-
scribed in subsection (b). 
(D) COLLECTION OF PIN˜ON NUTS, FIRE-
WOOD, MEDICINAL PLANTS AND HERBS.—Noth-
ing in this section precludes the traditional col-
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