---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 460uu–21"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "460uu–21"
heading: "Establishment; description of area"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/460uu-21"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — National Parks, Military Parks, Monuments, and Seashores"
  - "Subchapter CVI — El Malpais National Monument and Conservation Area"
  - "Part C — El Malpais National Conservation Area"
---

# §460uu–21. Establishment; description of area

- (a) In order to protect for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations that [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) in western New Mexico containing the La Ventana Natural Arch and the other unique and na­tionally important geological, archeological, ecological, cultural, scenic, scientific, and [wilderness](/usc/16/3102.md?p=13) resources of the [public lands](/usc/16/620e.md?p=7) surrounding the Grants Lava Flows, there is hereby established the El Malpais National Conservation [Area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) (hereinafter referred to as the “conservation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A)”). The conservation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) shall consist of approximately 262,690 acres of federally owned land as generally depicted on a [map](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=1) entitled “El Malpais National Monument and National Conservation [Area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A)” numbered NM–ELMA–80,001–B and dated May 1987. The [map](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=1) shall be on file and available for inspection in the offices of the Director of the Bureau of Land Management of the Department of the Interior.
- (b) As soon as practicable after December 31, 1987, the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) shall file a legal description of the conservation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) designated under this section with the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate and the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the United States House of Representatives. Such legal description shall have the same force and effect as if included in this subchapter, except that the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) may correct clerical and typographical errors in such legal description. The legal description shall be on file and available for public inspection in the offices of the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 100–225, title III, § 301, Dec. 31, 1987, 101 Stat. 1541.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives changed to Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives on Jan. 5, 1993, by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Third Congress.