The Caja del Rio Protection Act establishes two distinct protected areas in New Mexico: the Caja del Rio Special Management Area (SMA) within the Santa Fe National Forest, encompassing approximately 67,163 acres, and the Caja del Rio National Conservation Area (NCA) on approximately 17,837 acres of Bureau of Land Management land. The primary purpose of both areas is to conserve and permanently protect their significant cultural, spiritual, religious, ecological, wildlife habitat, natural, geological, historical, and traditional values. The Act also aims to enhance opportunities for interested Indian Tribes to engage in the preservation and management of these lands. Management of both the SMA and NCA will be guided by comprehensive plans developed within three years of the Act's enactment. These plans must be created in coordination with various stakeholders, including the Secretary of the Interior (for SMA) or Agriculture (for NCA), the National Park Service, the State of New Mexico, local governments, land grant-mercedes, and traditional historic communities. Crucially, the development process requires consultation with interested Indian Tribes , and at their request, Indigenous knowledge must be incorporated, and they can serve as cooperating agencies. The bill restricts new permanent road construction within the protected areas and limits temporary roads to specific administrative or safety purposes. All undesignated roads must be decommissioned within three years, and motorized vehicle use is generally restricted to designated routes, with exceptions for administrative, emergency, Tribal cultural practices, or grazing. Furthermore, all Federal land within the SMA, NCA, and a designated withdrawal area is permanently withdrawn from new mining claims, mineral leasing, and other public land disposals. Existing livestock grazing is permitted to continue, subject to reasonable regulations consistent with the areas' conservation purposes. The Act also allows for necessary wildfire, insect, and disease management, as well as ecological restoration activities aimed at protecting and enhancing the areas' values, including traditional food and material gathering. Importantly, the legislation explicitly protects Tribal rights , ensuring continued access for spiritual, cultural, medicinal, and traditional food gathering activities, and allows for temporary closures to protect the privacy of such practices. The Act affirms that nothing diminishes any Tribal rights secured by treaty or statute, nor does it affect existing Indian land or land claims. It also permits enrolled members of culturally affiliated Indian Tribes to collect plants and mineral resources for noncommercial traditional uses, exempting them from existing quantity limitations. Finally, the bill clarifies that it does not reserve water rights, affect existing water rights or interstate compacts, or impose Federal water quality standards, while also safeguarding existing drinking water infrastructure rights-of-way.