Sponsors (3)
The bill secures lasting river and habitat protections and modestly expands monument recreation and management clarity, benefiting ecosystems and local recreation, but it does so by restricting some local resource and commercial uses and by shifting administrative and management costs to public authorities and taxpayers.
New Mexico communities, outdoor users, and ecosystems receive long-term protection for multiple river segments and adjacent lands, preserving water quality, habitat (including native fish restoration), and recreation by withdrawing federal lands from mineral/leasing disposals and enabling targeted restoration projects.
Local water users and ranchers keep existing water rights, points of diversion, and grazing permits, reducing disruptions to agricultural and ranching operations.
Rural communities, visitors, and local businesses gain an expanded National Monument boundary (~440 acres) and clearer National Park Service management, improving recreation and tourism opportunities and streamlining visitor services on the transferred lands.
Rural communities, local governments, and resource-dependent businesses face reduced economic opportunities and potential lost royalties as federal withdrawals and monument/designation restrictions limit future development, mining, and certain commercial uses.
Small businesses, recreation operators, and nearby residents may encounter new permitting, operational constraints, or rule changes (including a management shift from Forest Service to NPS) that limit some recreational, timber, or grazing activities and require adaptation.
Taxpayers and federal/state agencies could face additional planning, mapping, management, and administrative costs to implement, maintain, and update the new designations and transferred boundaries.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Designates specified Gila River system segments in New Mexico as Wild or Recreational Rivers and transfers ~440 acres to expand Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, adjusting forest boundary.
Introduced April 10, 2025 by Gabriel Vasquez · Last progress April 10, 2025
Designates multiple specific segments of the Gila River system in New Mexico (including Diamond Creek, South Diamond Creek, Gila River segments, East Fork Gila River, and several creeks) as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, classifying each segment as "wild" or "recreational" and tying each designation to contemporaneous maps. Transfers about 440 acres from U.S. Forest Service to the National Park Service to expand the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, adjusts the Gila National Forest boundary accordingly, and requires the Secretaries to keep maps and legal descriptions on file and to correct minor mapping errors.