---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 460uu–31"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "460uu–31"
heading: "Designation; description of area"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/460uu-31"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — National Parks, Military Parks, Monuments, and Seashores"
  - "Subchapter CVI — El Malpais National Monument and Conservation Area"
  - "Part D — Wilderness"
---

# §460uu–31. Designation; description of area

- (a) In furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (78 Stat. 890) [[16 U.S.C. 1131](/usc/16/1131.md) et seq.], there are hereby designated as [wilderness](/usc/16/3102.md?p=13), and, therefore, as components of the [National Wilderness Preservation System](/usc/16/3102.md?p=13), the Cebolla [Wilderness](/usc/16/3102.md?p=13) of approximately 60,000 acres, and the West Malpais [Wilderness](/usc/16/3102.md?p=13) of approximately 38,210 acres, as each is generally depicted on the [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, 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 each [wilderness](/usc/16/3102.md?p=13) [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) designated by this subchapter with the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the United States House of Representatives and with the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate. 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 IV, § 401, Dec. 31, 1987, 101 Stat. 1542.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Wilderness Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 88–577, Sept. 3, 1964, 78 Stat. 890, which is classified generally to chapter 23 (§ 1131 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1131 of this title and Tables.

### 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.