This bill withdraws certain Federal land in the Pecos Watershed area from mineral entry, mining laws, and mineral or geothermal leasing. The Federal land is the area shown as "Pecos Withdrawal" on a map dated September 11, 2023. It also designates about 11,599 acres of Forest Service land as the "Thompson Peak Wilderness Area" under the Wilderness Act.
The Secretary of Agriculture must file a map and legal description with congressional committees and keep them available for public inspection. The wilderness area will be administered under the Wilderness Act. The bill allows existing valid rights to continue, allows pre-existing livestock grazing to continue, preserves State authority over fish and wildlife management, and permits the Secretary to act to control wildfire, insects, or disease. Any land the United States acquires inside the wilderness boundary after enactment will be added to the wilderness area. Both the withdrawn Federal land and the wilderness area are withdrawn from entry, mining location and patents, and mineral or geothermal leasing, subject to valid existing rights.
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The bill text shows the sponsors seek to protect the Pecos Watershed area by withdrawing the mapped Federal land from mineral entry and by creating the Thompson Peak Wilderness Area managed under the Wilderness Act.
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