Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act

This bill would close federal land within the mapped Rio Chama Watershed area in New Mexico to new mining claims, entry, and patents under the mining laws. The withdrawal would apply only to minerals owned by the United States. It would not affect mineral rights owned by, held in trust for, or claimed by qualifying Spanish or Mexican community land grants (mercedes) or federally recognized Indian Tribes. It would also keep allowing people, including land grant and acequia community members, to gather materials such as stone, sand, gravel, clay, and adobe for personal, cultural, religious, farming, or noncommercial building uses.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Teresa Leger Fernandez Democrat sponsor
• 0 cosponsors