§539m–2 T’uf Shur Bien Preservation Trust Area

Summary

Creates the T’uf Shur Bien Preservation Trust Area inside the Cibola National Forest and the Sandia Mountain Wilderness, shown on the official map. The area must protect the Pueblo’s rights and interests forever, keep the land’s forest and wilderness character, and protect public use. The Secretary must keep managing the area as part of the National Forest System under the rules that apply to this area. Traditional or cultural uses by Pueblo members and other tribes the Pueblo allows cannot be limited except by the Wilderness Act as it was on February 20, 2003, and by federal wildlife protection laws. Laws passed or changed after February 20, 2003 that conflict with these rules do not apply here unless Congress says so. Calling the area a “Trust” recognizes Pueblo rights but does not give the Pueblo full ownership like Interior trust land. The Secretary must file the official map and legal description with the House Resources Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee as soon as practical after February 20, 2003, and keep them available at the Forest Service office in Washington, D.C.; the map has the same force as the law, but typos can be fixed and the written law controls if there is a conflict. The United States cannot give away or exchange its interest in the area without Congress. Uses banned by the Wilderness Act as of February 20, 2003 are not allowed in the wilderness part, and no part of the area may be used for gaming, mineral production, timber production, or any new use the Pueblo objects to. The area is closed to mining claims under the Mining Law of 1872. Establishing the area does not change the boundaries of the Sandia Mountain Wilderness, the Cibola National Forest, or the Pueblo grant.