16 U.S.C. § 460rrr–5 — Administration of Natural Area

(a) In general: The Secretary must manage federal land in the Natural Area: (1) following public-land laws and the management plan; and (2) in a way that: (A) conserves, restores, and protects the Natural Area's natural, historic, scientific, scenic, wildlife, and recreational resources; (B) keeps allowing education, scientific study, and limited public recreation, as long as this doesn't seriously hurt the reasons the Natural Area was created; (C) protects wildlife habitat; (D) bans building water storage facilities in the Natural Area; and (E) reduces or removes roads, and reduces or bans motorized vehicles, as much as practical -- including removing roads and banning motorized use on the federal land on the Rio Grande's west side, from Lobatos Bridge south to the New Mexico line. (b) Changes in streamflow: The Secretary is encouraged to talk with Colorado, the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, and water users to see if streamflow changes that would help the Natural Area are possible. (c) Private land: The management plan applies to private land only if the landowner agrees in writing to follow it. (d) Withdrawal: Subject to existing valid rights, all federal land in the Natural Area is off-limits to: (1) entry, claims, or disposal under public land laws; (2) mining claims; and (3) mineral or geothermal leasing. (e) Acquisition of land: (1) The Secretary may buy, trade for, or accept donations of land or land interests in the Natural Area -- but only from willing sellers. (2) Any land acquired this way must be managed under the management plan and this subchapter. (f) Applicable law: One specific law -- section 1276(d)(1) of this title -- does not apply to the Natural Area.