This bill protects a section of the Pecos Watershed in New Mexico by permanently withdrawing certain federal lands from mining, oil and gas leasing, and other forms of mineral development or land disposal, subject to any existing valid rights already in place. It also creates a new wilderness area, called the Thompson Peak Wilderness Area, covering roughly 11,599 acres of Forest Service land, giving it the highest level of federal protection under the Wilderness Act. Within this new wilderness area, existing grazing operations may continue, the state retains authority over fish and wildlife management including hunting and fishing regulations, and the Forest Service can still take action to fight wildfires, insects, or disease outbreaks. The designation does not create buffer zones restricting activities outside the wilderness boundary, and any land later acquired within its boundaries will automatically become part of the protected area. This legislation primarily affects federal land managers, mining and energy companies, ranchers with grazing permits, and outdoor recreation users in the Pecos Watershed region of New Mexico, with protections taking effect once the bill is enacted into law.
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