S. 1497 — Cerro de la Olla Wilderness Establishment Act

This section designates the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness, comprising approximately 12,295 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in Taos County, New Mexico, within the Río Grande del Norte National Monument, as depicted on the map entitled “Proposed Cerro de la Olla Wilderness and Río Grande del Norte National Monument Boundary” dated April 1, 2025; modifies the monument's boundary as depicted on that map; and amends section 1202 of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Public Law 116-9). The amendments to section 1202 (1) revise the section heading to “Río Grande del Norte National Monument Wilderness Areas” (from “Cerro del Yuta and Río San Antonio Wilderness Areas”); (2) replace the map definition with reference to the new map dated April 1, 2025; (3) add the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness to the list of designated areas; (4) clarify that subsection (b)(4) applies to grazing under this Act (including a reserve common grazing allotment); (5) authorize maintenance of existing wildlife water development projects (e.g., guzzlers) in the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness, subject to section 4(c) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(c)), if they enhance wilderness values and minimize visual impacts, and require a cooperative agreement with New Mexico within one year specifying wildlife management terms; and (6) update the table of contents accordingly. (Thus, the amendments expand wilderness protections in the monument while accommodating certain wildlife and grazing activities.)