The Department of the Interior has “withdrawn” National Forest lands around Medicine Wheel, a Native American sacred site in the Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming.
About 4,500 acres are withdrawn “to protect and preserve significant existing cultural resources and American Indian spiritual values within the formally designated Medicine Wheel/ Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark.”
The order includes an acknowledgment that Native Americans use Medicine Wheel “as part of traditional ceremonial practices where tranquility is crucial.” This withdrawal order limits “location and entry” under mining laws, but does not prohibit mineral or geothermal leasing. The order will last for 20 years.
