FROM THE OFFICE OF THE LAND COMMISSIONER

Legislation to protect the federal lands in the Upper Pecos Watershed from future mining development was reintroduced today by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan and Representative 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. 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.”

Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard has overseen the New Mexico State Land Office since 2019. In that time the agency has raised more than $11 billion for New Mexico public schools, hospitals, and universities. Over 13 million acres of state trust land are leased for a variety of uses, including ranching and farming, renewable energy, business development, mineral development, and outdoor recreation. The State Land Office has a dual mandate to use state trust land to financially support vital public institutions, while simultaneously working to protect the land for future generations.