H.R. 2903 — M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act

This section designates multiple segments of the Gila River system in New Mexico—including Apache Creek, Black Canyon Creek, Diamond Creek, South Diamond Creek, Gilita Creek, Holden Prong, Iron Creek, Indian Creek, and segments of the Gila River mainstem, Lower Box, Middle Box, Middle Fork, East Fork, and West Fork—as wild or recreational rivers in the national wild and scenic rivers system, totaling approximately 264 miles as generally depicted on specified dated maps. The segments are to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, depending on land jurisdiction. (As background, the national wild and scenic rivers system preserves designated rivers in free-flowing condition and protects their outstanding natural, cultural, recreational, and other values, generally prohibiting new federal dams or other incompatible development.)

This section transfers administrative jurisdiction over approximately 440 acres—identified as “Transfer from USDA Forest Service to National Park Service” on the map entitled “Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Proposed Boundary Adjustment” dated March 2020—from the Secretary of Agriculture to the Secretary of the Interior, revises the boundary of the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument to include that land, and modifies the boundary of the Gila National Forest to exclude it. (Thus, the land shifts from U.S. Forest Service multiple-use management to National Park Service preservation-focused management.)