About The Galisteo Basin Archaeological Sites Protection Act

The Galisteo Basin Archaeological Sites Protection Act (H.R. 506, 108th Congress) provides for the protection of archaeological sites in the Galisteo Basin in New Mexico.

The following summary was written by the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan arm of the Library of Congress.

Galisteo Basin Archaeological Sites Protection Act

Section 3

Designates specified archaeological sites in New Mexico as the Galisteo Basin Archaeological Protection Sites. Instructs the Secretary, upon written request of an owner of private property included within the boundary of such a site protected under this Act, to immediately remove that property from within that boundary.

Section 4

Requires the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) continue to search for additional Native American and Spanish colonial sites in the Basin area; and (2) submit to the Congress recommendations for additions to, deletions from, and modifications of the boundaries of such sites.

Section 5

Directs the Secretary to administer archaeological protection sites located on Federal land in accordance with this Act and other applicable laws in a manner that will protect, preserve, and maintain the archaeological resources and provide for research thereon. Requires the Secretary to submit to specified congressional committees a general management plan for the identification, research, protection, and public interpretation of the archaeological protection sites located on Federal lands, and those sites located on private and State lands for which the Secretary has entered into discretionary Cooperative Agreements with their owners for the protection, preservation, maintenance, and administration of their archaeological resources and associated lands. Directs the Secretary to consult with various parties in developing the plan, including: (1) the Governor of New Mexico; and (2) affected Native American pueblos.

Section 7

Authorizes the Secretary to acquire lands and interests within the boundaries of the archaeological protection sites, and access to them, by donation, by purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or by exchange. Limits to donation or exchange the Secretary's acquisition authority for lands or interests owned by the State of New Mexico or a local government, except that State trust land may be acquired only by exchange.

Section 8

Withdraws all Federal lands within the sites, subject to valid existing rights, from: (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing.

Section 9

States that this Act shall not: (1) authorize regulation of privately owned lands within an archaeological protection site; or (2) restrict or limit an Indian tribe from protecting cultural or religious sites on tribal land.