Pecos Watershed Protection Act Withdraws Federal Land from Mining, Designates 11,600-Acre Thompson Peak Wilderness

The Pecos Watershed Protection Act sets out to accomplish two primary goals in New Mexico, according to its text. First, it withdraws specific federal lands within the Pecos Watershed area, as shown on a map dated September 11, 2023, from several types of development. Second, it designates roughly 11,599 acres of Forest Service land as the new Thompson Peak Wilderness Area, making it part of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Hands Off the Watershed

Section 2 gets straight to the point: certain federal lands in the Pecos Watershed are being taken off the table for future development. This "withdrawal" means you generally can't stake new mining claims, start mineral or geothermal leasing operations, or acquire the land under public land laws anymore. Think of it as putting up a 'Do Not Disturb' sign for specific types of industrial activity in this zone. However, the bill explicitly states this is "subject to valid existing rights," meaning anyone who already holds legitimate claims or rights in the area likely gets to keep them.

Welcome to Thompson Peak Wilderness

Section 3 officially creates the Thompson Peak Wilderness Area. This designation puts the land under the management rules of the Wilderness Act, which generally prioritizes preservation and limits things like roads and commercial enterprises. The Secretary of Agriculture is tasked with managing it and filing the official map. Importantly, the bill clarifies this designation isn't meant to create 'buffer zones' outside the wilderness boundary – activities on adjacent land aren't restricted just because they might be seen or heard from within the wilderness.

How It Works on the Ground

The bill includes practical details for managing the new wilderness area. New Mexico keeps its authority over managing fish and wildlife within the area, consistent with existing Wilderness Act provisions (Section 4(d)(7)). If ranchers currently graze livestock there, Section 3 allows that to continue under established guidelines (Section 4(d)(4)). The Forest Service also retains the ability to take necessary actions to control fire, insects, and diseases (Section 4(d)(1)). Finally, any land the government acquires within the wilderness boundaries in the future automatically becomes part of it.