Congresswoman Stansbury Leads Introduction of Buffalo Tract Protection Act

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) led the introduction of the BuffaloTract Protection Act with Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (N.M.-03),Jerry McNerney (Calif.-09), and Jared Huffman (Calif.-02). The bill would protect the local communities and wildlife on and around the BuffaloTract and the Crest of Montezuma by withdrawing four parcels of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land from all forms of mineral development, while maintaining the authority of BLM to sell, lease, or exchange the surface rights.  

Sandoval County, New Mexico has six gravel mines, including four of the state’s largest. In 2012, the BLM’s Rio Puerco field office released a draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) that would allow additional mineral development, including gravel mining, on tracts of public land in several counties across New Mexico. During our District Listening Tour, we heard from hundreds of community members across our state – many of whom were residents from Placitas and surrounding areas who shared their concerns about the protection of our ecosystems, public lands, and wildlife. Residents adjacent to the proposed development in Placitas, including the Pueblo of San Felipe and the Pueblo of Santa Ana, are strongly opposed to the public health and environmental damage that additional mining would bring. In fact, BLM received more than 10,000 public comments for the draft RMP, thousands more than are generally received for similar projects.  

Gravel mining creates particulate matter that can cause respiratory issues. The location of this proposed mine would be especially dangerous because the tracts are intermixed with residential areas and would increase the cumulative impacts of existing mines. The site is also a key wildlife corridor for deer, elk, wild turkey, and pronghorn antelope. The resource management plan revision is currently listed as paused, but the Pueblo of Santa Ana, the Pueblo of San Felipe, and the people of Placitas have been waiting nearly a decade to have their voices heard.

“I look forward to continuing to work in partnership with Senator Heinrich, Pueblo and Tribal leadership and communities in Sandoval County to protect these lands, waters, and wildlife,” said Rep. Stansbury. “Working collaboratively with our Tribal communities, Placitas residents, and local stakeholders who have overwhelmingly voiced their concerns about mineral development, I am proud to introduce the BuffaloTract Protection Act today to help protect the public health, ecological well-being, water, and quality of life of our communities for generations to come.”

“Protecting the BuffaloTract is another key step towards safeguarding clean water and clean air for New Mexico families. As all conservation efforts should, the movement to prevent mineral development in this area started locally and is supported by local officials,” said Rep. Leger Fernández. “The communities who cherish and live on these lands deserve to have a say in the decisions made upon their homes and ancestral lands. I'm proud to co-sponsor this bill to preserve our land and cultural resources.”

Identical companion legislation was introduced by U.S.Senators Martin Heinrich (N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (N.M.), and administration officials recently testified in support of the Senate companion.

The BuffaloTract Protection Act has been endorsed by Santa Ana Pueblo, San Felipe Pueblo, the Town of Bernalillo, Sandoval County, Merced De Comunidad De San Antonio De Las Huertas, Las Placitas Association, the Eastern Sandoval County Citizens Association, and the Land Use Protection Trust.

To read organization and Pueblo and local government statements of support for the BuffaloTract Protection Act, click HERE.

The full text of the BuffaloTract Protection Act is HERE and a section-by-section summary of the bill is HERE.