NMSLO News:

SANTA FE — Legislation to protect the federal lands in the Upper Pecos Watershed from future mining development was reintroduced today by U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez. On Monday, the Trump administration reversed a proposal to ban mineral development on federal lands in the Upper Pecos Watershed, which the U.S. Department of Interior had implemented last December.

The Upper Pecos Watershed is a critical resource for surrounding communities and a diverse set of stakeholders. The Greater Pecos Valley region is the ancestral home of the Pueblo of Pecos, and holds deep cultural significance to Indigenous peoples, including the Pueblo of Jemez and the Pueblo of Tesuque, as well as Hispanic communities and the land grant Mercedes. The river supplies agriculturally and culturally significant acequia systems. The local economy also benefits from visitation for outdoor recreational activities including fishing, camping, swimming and hiking. 

In March, New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard issued an executive order prohibiting any new mineral development on about 2,552 acres of state trust lands located in the Upper Pecos region through 2045. The federal government, which owns the majority of the land in the area, had proposed withdrawing about 1650,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands from mineral development.

Commissioner Garcia Richard issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s reversal of federal efforts to ban mining and the legislation introduced by members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation:

“Some landscapes are just too special to permanently scar with development, and the Upper Pecos Watershed is one of those places. The region has provided sustenance and cultural enrichment for some of New Mexico’s Indigenous and Hispanic communities for centuries. While it’s not surprising that the Trump administration is ignoring the wishes and concerns of local communities and plowing ahead with aggressive development, it is deeply disappointing,” Commissioner Garcia Richard said. “I commend Senators Heinrich and Lujan and Congresswoman Leger Fernandez for once again leading on the protection of public lands at the national level. Conserving the Upper Pecos Watershed and maintaining our traditional ways of life is simply the right thing to do. As Commissioner of Public Lands, I’ve protected our state lands in this area and I will continue lending whatever support I can to protect this special place at the federal level.”