What This Bill Does
This bill creates a new wilderness area called Cerro de la Olla Wilderness within the Río Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico. It also changes the boundary lines of the Río Grande del Norte National Monument.
Who It Affects
The Bureau of Land Management (a federal agency that manages public lands). The State of New Mexico. Wildlife managers. People who use the monument for recreation or other purposes.
Key Provisions
• The bill establishes the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness, which covers approximately 12,898 acres of federal land in Taos County, New Mexico, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. (Sec. 2(a)(1)(C))
• The Secretary of the federal government may allow the maintenance of existing structures or facilities for wildlife water development projects (devices that provide water for animals) in the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness if they improve wildlife populations and minimize visual impacts. (Sec. 2(a)(1)(iv))
• The Secretary must enter into a cooperative agreement with the State of New Mexico within one year of the bill becoming law to establish the terms for wildlife management activities in the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness. (Sec. 2(a)(1)(iv))
• The boundary of the Río Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico is modified according to a specific map dated June 30, 2022. (Sec. 2(b))
What Changes
The law currently governing this area will be amended to establish the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness and adjust the monument's boundaries.
Important Definitions
The bill defines "map" in two ways: one map for certain purposes dated July 28, 2015, and another map for the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness and boundary modification dated June 30, 2022.
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1303
To amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recre-
ation Act to establish the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness in the Rı´o Grande
del Norte National Monument and to modify the boundary of the Rı´o
Grande del Norte National Monument.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 1, 2023
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ (for herself and Ms. STANSBURY) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
A BILL
To amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Manage-
ment, and Recreation Act to establish the Cerro de la
Olla Wilderness in the Rı´o Grande del Norte National
Monument and to modify the boundary of the Rı´o
Grande del Norte National Monument.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cerro de la Olla Wil-
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derness Establishment Act’’.
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SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF CERRO DE LA OLLA WILDERNESS.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—
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•HR 1303 IH
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1202 of the John D.
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Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recre-
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ation Act (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; Public Law 116–
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9; 133 Stat. 651) is amended—
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(A) in the section heading, by striking
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‘‘CERRO DEL YUTA AND RI´O SAN ANTO-
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NIO’’ and inserting ‘‘RI´O
GRANDE
DEL
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NORTE NATIONAL MONUMENT’’;
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(B) in subsection (a), by striking para-
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graph (1) and inserting the following:
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‘‘(1) MAP.—The term ‘map’ means—
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‘‘(A) for purposes of subparagraphs (A)
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and (B) of subsection (b)(1), the map entitled
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‘Rı´o Grande del Norte National Monument Pro-
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posed Wilderness Areas’ and dated July 28,
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2015; and
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‘‘(B) for purposes of subsection (b)(1)(C),
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the map entitled ‘Proposed Cerro de la Olla
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Wilderness and Rı´o Grande del Norte National
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Monument Boundary’ and dated June 30th,
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2022.’’; and
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(C) in subsection (b)—
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(i) in paragraph (1), by adding at the
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end the following:
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•HR 1303 IH
‘‘(C) CERRO DE LA OLLA WILDERNESS.—
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Certain Federal land administered by the Bu-
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reau of Land Management in Taos County,
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New Mexico, comprising approximately 12,898
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acres as generally depicted on the map, which
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shall be known as the ‘Cerro de la Olla Wilder-
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ness’.’’;
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(ii) in paragraph (4), in the matter
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preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
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‘‘this Act’’ and inserting ‘‘this Act (includ-
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ing a reserve common grazing allotment)’’;
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(iii) in paragraph (7)—
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(I) by striking ‘‘map and’’ each
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place it appears and inserting ‘‘maps
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and’’; and
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(II) in subparagraph (B), by
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striking ‘‘the legal description and
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map’’ and inserting ‘‘the maps or
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legal descriptions’’; and
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(iv) by adding at the end the fol-
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lowing:
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‘‘(12)
WILDLIFE
WATER
DEVELOPMENT
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PROJECTS IN CERRO DE LA OLLA WILDERNESS.—
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‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
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graph (B) and in accordance with section 4(c)
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•HR 1303 IH
of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(c)), the
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Secretary may authorize the maintenance of
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any structure or facility in existence on the date
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of enactment of this paragraph for wildlife
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water development projects (including guzzlers)
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in the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness if, as deter-
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mined by the Secretary—
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‘‘(i) the structure or facility would en-
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hance wilderness values by promoting
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healthy, viable, and more naturally distrib-
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uted wildlife populations; and
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‘‘(ii) the visual impacts of the struc-
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ture or facility on the Cerro de la Olla Wil-
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derness can reasonably be minimized.
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‘‘(B)
COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENT.—Not
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later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
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this paragraph, the Secretary shall enter into a
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cooperative agreement with the State of New
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Mexico that specifies, subject to section 4(c) of
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the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(c)), the
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terms and conditions under which wildlife man-
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agement activities in the Cerro de la Olla Wil-
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derness may be carried out.’’.
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(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
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tents for the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation,
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•HR 1303 IH
Management, and Recreation Act (Public Law 116–
1
9; 133 Stat. 581) is amended by striking the item
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relating to section 1202 and inserting the following:
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‘‘Sec. 1202. Rı´o Grande del Norte National Monument Wilderness Areas.’’.
(b) RI´O GRANDE DEL NORTE NATIONAL MONUMENT
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BOUNDARY MODIFICATION.—The boundary of the Rı´o
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Grande del Norte National Monument in the State of New
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Mexico is modified, as depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Pro-
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posed Cerro de la Olla Wilderness and Rı´o Grande del
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Norte National Monument Boundary’’ and dated June
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30th, 2022.
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Æ
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