[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 526 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 350
116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 526

    To withdraw certain Bureau of Land Management land from mineral 
                              development.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 14, 2019

Mr. Heinrich (for himself and Mr. Udall) introduced the following bill; 
   which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

                           December 17, 2019

              Reported by Ms. Murkowski, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To withdraw certain Bureau of Land Management land from mineral 
                              development.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Buffalo Tract Protection 
Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. WITHDRAWAL.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Subject to valid existing rights, the 
Bureau of Land Management land described in subsection (b) is withdrawn 
from all forms of mineral development under all laws pertaining to 
mineral leasing or mineral materials, including locatable 
minerals.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) BLM Land Described.--The Bureau of Land Management 
land referred to in subsection (a) is the land identified as ``Tract 
A'', ``Tract B'', ``Tract C'', and ``Tract D'' on the map entitled 
``Placitas, New Mexico Area Map'' and dated March 11, 2016.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Disposal of Surface Estate.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), nothing 
        in this section prohibits the disposal of the surface estate of 
        the Bureau of Land Management land described in subsection (b) 
        under--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the Federal Land Policy and Management 
                Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); or</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the Act of June 14, 1926 (commonly 
                known as the ``Recreation and Public Purposes Act'') 
                (43 U.S.C. 869 et seq.).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Ownership of mineral estate.--Any disposal of 
        the surface estate of the Bureau of Land Management land 
        described in subsection (b) shall be subject to the condition 
        that the mineral estate of that land shall remain under the 
        ownership of the Bureau of Land Management, subject to the 
        withdrawal described in subsection (a).</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Buffalo Tract Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. WITHDRAWAL.

    (a) In General.--Subject to valid existing rights, the Federal land 
described in subsection (b) is withdrawn from all forms of--
            (1) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
            (2) disposition under the mineral leasing, mineral 
        materials, and geothermal leasing laws.
    (b) Description.--The Federal land referred to in subsections (a) 
and (c) is the approximately 4,288 acres of land administered by the 
Director of the Bureau of Land Management and generally depicted as 
``Tract A'', ``Tract B'', ``Tract C'', and ``Tract D'' on the map 
entitled ``Placitas, New Mexico Area Map'' and dated November 13, 2019.
    (c) Surface Estate.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to the reservation of the mineral 
        estate under paragraph (2), nothing in this Act prohibits the 
        Secretary of the Interior from conveying the surface estate of 
        the Federal land described in subsection (b) in accordance 
        with--
                    (A) the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
                1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); or
                    (B) the Act of June 14, 1926 (commonly known as the 
                ``Recreation and Public Purposes Act'') (43 U.S.C. 869 
                et seq.).
            (2) Mineral estate.--Any conveyance of the surface estate 
        of the Federal land described in subsection (b) shall require a 
        reservation of the mineral estate to the United States.
                                                       Calendar No. 350

116th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 526

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

    To withdraw certain Bureau of Land Management land from mineral 
                              development.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           December 17, 2019

                       Reported with an amendment