Title: Cerros del Norte Conservation Act
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

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.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 432 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 432

To designate the Cerro del Yuta and Rio San Antonio Wilderness Areas in 
            the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 16, 2017

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 Rio San Antonio Wilderness Areas in 
            the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Cerros del Norte Conservation Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Rio 
        Grande del Norte National Monument Proposed Wilderness Areas'' 
        and dated July 28, 2015.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (3) Wilderness area.--The term ``wilderness area'' means a 
        wilderness area designated by section 3(a).

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF CERRO DEL YUTA AND RIO SAN ANTONIO WILDERNESS 
              AREAS.

    (a) In General.--In accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
1131 et seq.), the following areas in the Rio Grande del Norte National 
Monument are designated as wilderness and as components of the National 
Wilderness Preservation System:
            (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) Rio san antonio wilderness.--Certain land administered 
        by the Bureau of Land Management in Rio Arriba County, New 
        Mexico, comprising approximately 8,120 acres, as generally 
        depicted on the map, which shall be known as the ``Rio 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 et seq.) and this Act, except that 
with respect to the wilderness areas designated by this Act--
            (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 et seq.);
                    (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)); and
            (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)), the public land within the San Antonio 
Wilderness Study Area not designated as wilderness by this section--
            (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)); and
            (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.
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