Buffalo Tract Protection Act

The Buffalo Tract Protection Act proposes to withdraw approximately 4,288 acres of federal land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from various forms of mineral development. This withdrawal specifically targets land identified as "Tract A," "Tract B," "Tract C," and "Tract D" on a map related to Placitas, New Mexico. Under this Act, the designated land would be protected from new location, entry, and patent under mining laws, as well as disposition under mineral leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws. While prohibiting mineral development, the bill allows the Secretary of the Interior to convey the surface estate of these lands under existing federal land management acts. However, any such conveyance would require the reservation of the mineral estate to the United States , ensuring that the federal government retains control over subsurface resources.