Pecos Watershed Protection Act

HR 5943, the Pecos Watershed Protection Act, withdraws approximately 11,600 acres of federal land in New Mexico’s Pecos Watershed from mineral development and designates it as the Thompson Peak Wilderness Area under the National Wilderness Preservation System. The bill prohibits new mining claims, mineral leasing, and public land entry on this land while allowing existing grazing and wildlife management under state authority. It explicitly states that the wilderness designation does not create buffer zones or restrict non-wilderness activities visible from within the area. The law requires the Forest Service to administer the wilderness per existing federal rules, with a map filed for public review after enactment.