San Juan Basin Wilderness Protection Act of 1984
Public Law 98-603 · H.R. 6296 · 98th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 30, 1984 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. William Richardson (D-NM-3)
Cosponsors (2): Rep. Manuel Luján, Rep. John Seiberling
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
San Juan Basin Wilderness Protection Act of 1984 - Title I: San Juan Basin - Designates the following lands in the Albuquerque District of the Bureau of Land Management in New Mexico as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) the Bisti Wilderness; and (2) the De-na-zin Wilderness.
Withdraws the area in the Albuquerque District of the Bureau of Land Management known as the Fossil Forest from appropriation under the mining laws and from disposition under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to administer the area so as to protect its natural, educational, and scientific research values. Directs the Bureau of Land Management to conduct a long-range study of the Fossil Forest to determine how best to manage the area's resource values. Directs the Secretary to forward the study results and management plan for the area to Congress.
Sets forth requirements for an exchange of Federal lands selected by New Mexico for State lands located within the wilderness areas designated by this Act. Requires the Secretary to exchange lands upon the request of an Indian whose lands are located within the De-na-zin Wilderness area.
Requires the Navajo Tribe to select lands in New Mexico administered by the Bureau of Land Management of equal acreage in lieu of lands previously selected by the Tribe within the boundaries of the Fossil Forest.
Transfers all rights, title, and interests in certain lands in New Mexico to the Navajo tribe, subject to pending coal lease applications and certain payments to New Mexico.
Transfers, at a cost of $2.50 per acre, all rights, title, and interests in certain lands in New Mexico to the New Mexico State University, for the purpose of conducting educational, demonstrative, and experimental development with livestock, grazing methods, and range forage plants.
Provides for the relief of the Elephant Butte Irrigation District from certain obligations to reimburse the Bureau of Reclamation.
Adds approximately 20 acres to the Sandia Mountain Wilderness in New Mexico.
Authorizes the Secretary to convey certain lands in Lake Sumner State Park in New Mexico to the Sumner Lake Corporation.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 12 actions.
- Nov 2, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Oct 30, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-603.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 18, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 5, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- Oct 4, 1984FloorFloor · Received in the Senate and held at the desk by unanimous consent.
- Oct 3, 1984FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Natural Resources Committee
- Sep 24, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.