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Stansbury, Heinrich, Luján, Leger Fernández, and McNerney Request Interior to Protect Land Near Las Placitas from Mineral Development

May 5, 2022

The lawmakers’ request follows the introduction of their bicameral legislation that would codify the public lands protections

WASHINGTON—This week, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) led a letter with U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (N.M.-03) and Jerry McNerney (CA.-09) to Secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior Deb Haaland requesting that the Department administratively withdraw over 4,200 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land near Las Placitas, New Mexico from all forms of mineral development. 

The lawmakers’ request follows Rep. Stansbury and Sen. Heinrich’s introduction of the Buffalo Tract Protection Act, legislation that protects the local communities and wildlife on and around the Buffalo Tract and Crest of Montezuma by withdrawing four parcels of BLM land from all forms of mineral development, while maintaining the authority of BLM to sell, lease, or exchange the surface rights. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee recently advanced Sen. Heinrich’s Senate companion legislation out of Committee after receiving testimony from BLM in support of the legislation. 

“As the former Representative for this area, we know that you are aware of how important the conservation of these lands is to these communities. Sandoval County already has six gravel mines, including four of the state’s largest. The location of the proposed mine is on lands that are ancestral to surrounding Pueblos, are key wildlife corridors for deer, elk, wild turkey, and pronghorn antelope, and could have cumulative environmental health and other impacts on the nearby residential communities,” the lawmakers wrote.

“We support permanent withdrawal and will continue to pursue our legislation, S. 180 and H.R. 5805, to permanently withdraw these lands while maintaining the authority of BLM to sell, lease, or exchange the surface rights,” the lawmakers continued. “As our legislation continues to move through the process, an administrative withdraw would protect the area from mineral development until a permanent withdrawal can be enacted.

“The Pueblo of Santa Ana, the Pueblo of San Felipe, and the people of Placitas have been waiting for nearly a decade to have their voices heard,” the lawmakers concluded. “We look forward to working with you to protect the long-term health, well-being, and habitat of these communities.”

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 that would allow additional mineral development, including gravel mining, on tracts of public land in several counties across New Mexico. Additional mining has faced strong opposition from residents adjacent to the proposed development in Placitas, including the Pueblo of San Felipe and the Pueblo of Santa Ana.

The full text of the letter is available here and below. 

Dear Secretary Haaland,  

We thank you for your leadership on so many issues important to New Mexico and the country. We write to request that you begin the process of administratively withdrawing 4,288 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land near Las Placitas, New Mexico, including an eponymous tract shaped like a buffalo, from all forms of mineral development. Withdrawing the land from mineral development is a priority for the communities in the area to protect and conserve these lands, which have both cultural and ecological significance. Their withdraw aligns closely with the Administration’s goals of conserving important lands and consulting with our communities.

As the former Representative for this area, we know that you are aware of how important the conservation of these lands is to these communities. Sandoval County already has six gravel mines, including four of the state’s largest. The location of the proposed mine is on lands that are ancestral to surrounding Pueblos, are key wildlife corridors for deer, elk, wild turkey, and pronghorn antelope, and could have cumulative environmental health and other impacts on the nearby residential communities.

Residents adjacent to the proposed development, including two Pueblos and surrounding neighborhood associations, are strongly opposed to the environmental, public health, and other damage that additional mining would bring. In fact, the BLM received more than 17,000 public comments on its draft Rio Puerco Resource Management Plan including these tracts of land, thousands more than are generally received for similar projects.  

We support permanent withdrawal and will continue to pursue our legislation, S. 180 and H.R. 5805, to permanently withdraw these lands while maintaining the authority of BLM to sell, lease, or exchange the surface rights. As our legislation continues to move through the process, an administrative withdraw would protect the area from mineral development until a permanent withdrawal can be enacted.

The Pueblo of Santa Ana, the Pueblo of San Felipe, and the people of Placitas have been waiting for nearly a decade to have their voices heard. We look forward to working with you to protect the long-term health, well-being, and habitat of these communities.