Cerro de la Olla Wilderness Establishment Act

The Cerro de la Olla Wilderness Establishment Act proposes to designate approximately 12,295 to 13,000 acres of federal land within the Río Grande del Norte National Monument in Taos County, New Mexico, as a protected wilderness area. By establishing this designation, the bill aims to provide the highest level of federal protection to the area, which is centered around a prominent shield volcano. This would restrict certain commercial developments and motorized vehicle use to preserve the landscape's natural state, solitude, and critical wildlife migration corridors for species such as elk, mule deer, and black bears.

For local citizens and visitors, the bill seeks to balance conservation with long-standing community traditions. It specifically proposes to maintain existing access for traditional activities such as hunting, gathering medicinal herbs, and collecting firewood. Additionally, the legislation would allow for the continued maintenance of existing wildlife water development projects, often called "guzzlers," provided they are managed to minimize visual impact on the wilderness character.