Caja del Rio Protection Act

The Caja del Rio Protection Act establishes two new protected areas in New Mexico: the Caja del Rio Special Management Area on about 67,163 acres of Santa Fe National Forest land and the Caja del Rio National Conservation Area on about 17,837 acres of Bureau of Land Management land. The bill also creates a withdrawal area and includes provisions for management, land exchanges, tribal contracting, and protection of cultural and religious uses.

Sec. 2, Definitions: Defines key terms used in the bill, including 'Conservation Area,' 'Special Management Area,' 'covered area,' 'decommission,' 'ecological restoration,' 'Indian land,' 'Indian Tribe,' 'Indigenous knowledge,' 'interested Indian Tribe,' 'land grant-merced,' 'Map,' and 'Secretary.'

Title I, Caja del Rio Special Management Area: Establishes the Special Management Area on approximately 67,163 acres of federal land in the Santa Fe National Forest. The purposes are to conserve cultural, spiritual, religious, scenic, ecological, wildlife, natural, geological, historical, and traditional values, and to enhance opportunities for interested Indian Tribes to engage in preservation and management. The Secretary of Agriculture must manage the area to conserve and protect its resources, allow only consistent uses, and develop a comprehensive management plan within three years, including a travel management plan to reduce unauthorized road access and motorized use.

Title II, Caja del Rio National Conservation Area: Establishes the Conservation Area on approximately 17,837 acres of Bureau of Land Management land. The purposes mirror those of the Special Management Area. The Secretary of the Interior must manage the area as part of the National Landscape Conservation System, allow only consistent uses, and develop a comprehensive management plan within three years. The plan must include a travel management plan to decrease unauthorized road access and motorized use, and the Secretary must attempt to enter into a land exchange agreement with the Commissioner of Public Lands of New Mexico within 18 months to consolidate land ownership.

Title III, General Provisions: Prohibits new permanent road construction in covered areas except as designated, and limits temporary roads. Requires decommissioning of undesignated roads within three years. Restricts motorized vehicles to designated roads, with exceptions for administrative purposes, emergencies, tribal practices, and grazing. Withdraws all federal land in covered areas from mining, mineral leasing, and other public land laws. Allows continued livestock grazing under regulations. Permits the Secretary to contract with interested Indian Tribes for management functions and ensures tribal access for cultural and religious uses. States that the bill does not affect treaty rights, water rights, or existing drinking water infrastructure rights, and allows new water infrastructure permits near Buckman. Protects Indigenous knowledge and sacred site locations from public disclosure.

Title IV, Caja del Rio Withdrawal Area: Withdraws federal land depicted on the map as the 'Caja del Rio Withdrawal Area' from all forms of entry, appropriation, and disposal under public land laws, mining laws, and mineral leasing laws, subject to valid existing rights.