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This bill creates a formal process for New Mexico land grant communities to use federal lands in ways they have historically practiced, such as gathering firewood and herbs, grazing livestock, hunting, fishing, and maintaining cemeteries and shrines. The law requires the federal government to negotiate agreements with the New Mexico Land Grant Council within two years to streamline permits and reduce or waive fees for these noncommercial uses, while also requiring consultation with Native American tribes that could be affected. The bill applies to land grant communities recognized under New Mexico state law that have a history of traditional use on federal lands managed by the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management. The agreements must balance community rights with environmental protection and existing federal laws, and the bill explicitly protects tribal treaty rights and does not create new rights to federal land use.

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