Sponsors (2)
The bill permanently protects about 12,295 acres and clarifies management of nearby federal lands—benefiting wildlife and recreation—at the cost of restricting some traditional land uses (especially grazing and motorized access) and introducing administrative and scenic trade-offs that could affect local economies and management timelines.
Residents and outdoor recreation users near the Río Grande del Norte: about 12,295 acres receive permanent wilderness protection, preserving natural landscapes and securing long-term public access for hiking, hunting, and other non-motorized recreation.
Wildlife and nearby communities: continuing allowance for maintenance of existing wildlife water developments (guzzlers) supports healthier, better-distributed wildlife populations that benefit local ecosystems and wildlife-based recreation/economies.
State and local governments: a required cooperative agreement with New Mexico within one year clarifies management responsibilities for wildlife in the new wilderness and aligns the national monument boundary change with local administration and mapping, improving coordination.
Rural residents, ranchers, and nearby businesses: wilderness designation restricts motorized access, certain development, and some commercial land uses, which can limit ranching operations, recreational businesses, and other economic activities tied to land access.
Grazing permittees: referencing a reserve common grazing allotment creates uncertainty and potential new restrictions on grazing use for affected allotments, which could disrupt livelihoods and long-standing grazing practices.
Visitors and wilderness purists: permitting maintenance of visible wildlife water infrastructure may conflict with the wilderness character and scenic expectations of the newly designated area.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Designates about 12,295 acres of BLM land in Taos County, NM as the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness, updates a monument boundary, and allows limited maintenance of existing wildlife water developments under conditions.
Introduced April 17, 2025 by Teresa Leger Fernandez · Last progress April 17, 2025
Designates about 12,295 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in Taos County, New Mexico as the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness and adjusts the Río Grande del Norte National Monument boundary to match the same official map. Allows continued maintenance of existing wildlife water development structures (including guzzlers) in the new wilderness if they help sustain healthy, naturally distributed wildlife populations and their visual impacts can be reasonably minimized, and requires the Secretary to enter a cooperative agreement with the State of New Mexico within one year to specify how wildlife management activities will be carried out under Wilderness Act restrictions.