Protection of special places

(a) Protection of National Park System units and national monuments No agency may authorize any mineral activity that would impair the land or resources of a unit of the National Park System or a national monument, including— (1) any diminution of the affected land, including wildlife, scenic assets, water resources, air quality, and acoustic qualities; or (2) other changes that would impair a the experience of a citizen at the National Park System unit or a national monument. (b) Protection of National Conservation System units In order to protect the resources and values of National Conservation System units, the Secretary, as appropriate, shall use authority under this Act and other applicable law to the fullest extent necessary to prevent mineral activities that could have an adverse impact on the resources or values for which such units were established. (c) Lands not open to mining Notwithstanding any other provision of law and subject to valid existing rights, no agency shall authorize mineral activities within any of the following areas: (1) Sacred sites. (2) Wilderness study areas. (3) Habitat designated as critical habitat under section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533). (4) Areas of critical environmental concern (as such term is defined in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702)). (5) Units of the National Conservation System. (6) Areas designated for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System pursuant to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.), areas designated for potential addition to such system pursuant to section 5(a) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(a)), and areas determined to be eligible for inclusion in such system pursuant to section 5(d) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(d)). (7) Inventoried Roadless Areas under the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, part 294 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Colorado Roadless Areas, or Idaho Roadless Areas.