119-hr2727

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2727 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2727

 To withdraw certain Federal land in the Pecos Watershed area of the 
 State of New Mexico from mineral entry, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 8, 2025

 Ms. Leger Fernandez (for herself and Ms. Stansbury) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
 Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To withdraw certain Federal land in the Pecos Watershed area of the 
 State of New Mexico from mineral entry, 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 ``Pecos Watershed Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. WITHDRAWAL OF FEDERAL LAND IN PECOS WATERSHED AREA, NEW MEXICO.

    (a) Definition of Federal Land.--In this section, the term 
``Federal land'' means the Federal land depicted as ``Pecos 
Withdrawal'' on the map entitled ``Proposed Mineral Withdrawal 
Legislative Map'' and dated September 11, 2023.

    (b) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid rights in existence on the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Federal land is withdrawn from all forms 
of--

    (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land 
 laws;

    (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and

    (3) disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and 
 geothermal leasing or mineral materials.

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF THOMPSON PEAK WILDERNESS AREA, NEW MEXICO.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Agriculture.

    (2) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of New 
 Mexico.

    (3) Wilderness area.--The term ``wilderness area'' means 
 the Thompson Peak Wilderness Area designated by subsection

    (b) .

    (b) Designation.--In accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
1131 et seq.), the approximately 11,599 acres of land managed by the 
Forest Service in the State, as generally depicted on the map entitled 
``Proposed Mineral Withdrawal Legislative Map'' and dated September 11, 
2023, is designated as a wilderness area and as a component of the 
National Wilderness Preservation System, to be known as the ``Thompson 
Peak Wilderness Area''.
            (c) Map and Legal Description.--

    (1) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall file a map and legal 
 description of the wilderness area 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) Effect.--The map and legal description filed under 
 paragraph

    (1) shall have the same force and effect as if 
 included in this Act, except that the Secretary may correct 
 clerical and typographical errors in the map and legal 
 description.

    (3) Availability.--The map and legal description filed 
 under paragraph

    (1) shall be on file and available for public 
 inspection in the Office of the Chief of the Forest Service.
            (d) Administration.--

    (1) In general.--Subject to valid existing rights, the 
 wilderness area shall be administered by the Secretary in 
 accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), 
 except that any reference in that Act to the effective date of 
 that Act shall be considered to be a reference to the date of 
 enactment of this Act.

    (2) Adjacent management.--
        (A) No protective perimeters or buffer zones.--
 Congress does not intend for the designation of the 
 wilderness area to create a protective perimeter or 
 buffer zone around the wilderness area.
        (B) Nonwilderness activities.--The fact that 
 nonwilderness activities or uses outside of the 
 wilderness area can be seen or heard from an area 
 within the wilderness area shall not preclude the 
 conduct of the nonwilderness activities or uses outside 
 the boundaries of the wilderness area.

    (3) Fish and wildlife management.--In accordance with 
 

section 4
            (d) (7) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133
            (d) (7) ), 
 nothing in this section affects the jurisdiction or 
 responsibilities of the State with respect to fish and wildlife 
 management in the wilderness area (including the regulation of 
 hunting, fishing, and trapping).

    (4) Grazing.--The Secretary shall allow the continuation of 
 the grazing of livestock in the wilderness area, if established 
 before the date of enactment of this Act, in accordance with--
        (A) section 4
            (d) (4) of the Wilderness Act (16 
 U.S.C. 1133
            (d) (4) ); and
        (B) the guidelines set forth in Appendix A of the 
 report of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs 
 of the House of Representatives accompanying H.R. 2570 
 of the 101st Congress (H. Rept. 101-405).

    (5) Wildfire, insect, and disease control.--The Secretary 
 may carry out measures in the wilderness area that the 
 Secretary determines to be necessary to control fire, insects, 
 or diseases, in accordance with 

section 4
            (d) (1) of the 
 Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133
            (d) (1) ).

    (e) Incorporation of Acquired Land and Interests in Land.--Any land 
or interest in land within the boundaries of the wilderness area that 
is acquired by the United States after the date of enactment of this 
Act shall be added to and administered as part of the wilderness area.

    (f) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, the wilderness 
area is withdrawn from--

    (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land 
 laws;

    (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and

    (3) disposition under all laws relating to mineral and 
 geothermal leasing or mineral materials.
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