§410dddd White Sands National Park

Summary

Creates White Sands National Park in New Mexico to protect its scenic, scientific, historic, and recreational values and to improve visitor experiences. The White Sands National Monument (created by Presidential Proclamation No. 2025 on January 18, 1933) is abolished and its lands and money become part of the Park. The Park must be run by the Secretary of the Interior under the usual National Park laws. The Park boundary is changed to match the official map entitled “White Sands National Park Proposed Boundary Revision & Transfer of Lands Between National Park Service & Department of the Army”, map number 142/136,271, dated February 14, 2017, and the Interior Department must keep a copy and do an official survey when funds are available. The Park cannot be put on the UNESCO World Heritage List unless each county where it sits agrees, and the Army must be told before a nomination is sent. Existing rights, permits, agreements (including with the Department of Defense), the Army’s control of restricted airspace, and the Park’s Clean Air Act airshed stay the same. Key terms: “Map” means the named map dated February 14, 2017; “military munitions” uses the definition in title 10; “missile range” means White Sands Missile Range; “Monument” means the former White Sands National Monument; “munitions debris” uses the DoD manual dated February 29, 2008 (as in effect on December 20, 2019); “Park” means White Sands National Park; “Public Land Order” means PLO 833 dated May 21, 1952; “State” means New Mexico. Administrative control of about 2,826 acres labeled “To NPS, lands inside current boundary” and about 5,766 acres labeled “To NPS, new additions” is moved from the Army to the Interior. About 3,737 acres labeled “To DOA” is moved from the Interior to the Army. The missile range boundary and the Public Land Order are changed to match those transfers. The Army must use low-impact development and protect natural and cultural resources when working on the transferred Army lands east of Range Road 7 (T. 17 S., R. 5 E., sec. 31; T. 18 S., R. 5 E.; and T. 19 S., R. 5 E., sec. 5), include that area in its resource plans, and let Interior keep a fence shown on the map until Interior decides it is no longer needed (if removed, Interior pays). The Army stays responsible for cleaning up military munitions and munitions debris on the lands moved to Interior to the same extent as on December 19, 2019; Interior can ask the Army to investigate such munitions, must give the Army access for those investigations, and investigations depend on available funding and must follow CERCLA, the Park’s purposes, and other laws.