Latest news with #BLM-managed
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
BLM Nevada issues new order to curb human-caused wildfires
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Starting Thursday, a new fire prevention order will take effect across Nevada on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The order aims to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires and applies to nearly 48 million acres, about 63% of the state. 'Most wildfires in Nevada are caused by humans, often accidentally, and too often are entirely preventable,' Brock Uhlig, the BLM Nevada fire management officer, said. Under the order, the following are prohibited on BLM-managed public lands: The use or possession of fireworks, pyrotechnics, or incendiary devices Using or possessing explosives, including binary explosive targets Discharging firearms with tracer, incendiary, or steel-component ammunition Operating any engine without a properly installed and maintained spark arrestor The BLM notes that individual districts may implement additional fire restrictions, and other public land agencies may have different guidelines. Anyone who violates the order could face fines and be held financially responsible for any fire-related damages or suppression costs. For more information, including maps of restrictions and jurisdiction boundaries, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State land commissioner bans mining in Upper Pecos Watershed
Mar. 12—SANTA FE — New Mexico's commissioner of public lands banned mining on state land in the Upper Pecos Watershed, a move meant to pressure the federal government to follow through on similar protections for federal land. Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard signed an executive order Wednesday morning to withdraw 2,552 acres of state land from mineral leases through 2045. There are no active mining leases on the state land, but a mining company, Comexico LLC, acquired 20 mining leases on federal land in the Upper Pecos Watershed in 2019. The area was once home to the Tererro Mine, which left significant mine waste behind, killing off 90,000 fish in 1991. The subsequent cleanup effort cost New Mexico $28 million. Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland started the process to withdraw 165,000 acres of federal land from mining in December, but the Trump administration's interest in mining rare earth and precious metals may derail the process. "The Pecos River is worth more than gold, and we will continue to fight to keep it clean and healthy and thriving," said Pecos farmer Ralph Vigil, who is also a northern advocate for nonprofit New Mexico Wild. The Pecos River plays a key role in the Village of Pecos' local economy, according to Vigil and Pecos Mayor Telesfor Benavidez, because it is a popular camping and fishing area. The area is also culturally significant as the ancestral home of the Pueblo of Pecos. River water is used by local farmers in the acequia system, a tradition passed down for generations. "We still do it, because it's part of who we are," Vigil said. "It's part of that connection to the land, because without it, especially for me, I feel empty. I don't feel alive." The Bureau of Land Management indefinitely postponed a February public meeting, required as one of the first steps in the two-year process, to consider the proposed federal mining ban on 164,000 acres of National Forest land and 1,330 acres of BLM-managed land. BLM is still accepting public comments on the proposal until March 17, and New Mexico Wild has collected an estimated 400 comments to submit, said NM Wild staff attorney Sally Paez. President Donald Trump wants to increase domestic mining. He referenced increasing U.S. production of rare earth and critical minerals during last week's joint address of Congress. One of his day-one executive orders instructed federal agency heads to identify "agency actions that impose undue burdens on the domestic mining and processing of non-fuel minerals and undertake steps to revise or rescind such actions." Trump specifically directed the Interior and Agriculture secretaries to reassess any public land withdrawals for potential revision. The state Land Office order is an attempt to "push the powers that be to listen to the voices of the community," Garcia Richard said. The state Legislature is also throwing its support behind protections for the watershed. A state House joint memorial to support federal protections for the watershed passed 52-9 Tuesday. New Mexico's all-Democratic congressional delegation has vocally supported protections for the Pecos River. Sens. Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich introduced the Pecos Watershed Protection Act in 2024 to protect portions of the watershed from mining. Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández and Melanie Stansbury introduced a companion bill in the House. The state Land Office order will help, said Benavidez, who has been pushing for protections for the last six years. "The more we push, I think the better it is for our community," he said.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Advocates for protecting the Pecos watershed from mining worried after public meeting is postponed
Mar. 3—PECOS — Advocates are worried about a federal proposal to protect the Upper Pecos Watershed from mining for the next 20 years after the Bureau of Land Management postponed a public meeting meant to collect feedback on the proposal. More than 50 people gathered in the Pecos Village Hall on Wednesday night. They were supposed to attend a meeting hosted by the Bureau of Land Management about potentially withdrawing mineral rights from 164,000 National Forest lands and 1,330 acres of BLM-managed lands near the Pecos River headwaters. When the BLM meeting was postponed, advocacy group New Mexico Wild held a community meeting instead to gather letters in support of the mineral withdrawal. "We want our future generations to continue to thrive here. Pecos is very special, not just for us, but for Jemez Pueblo, Tesuque Pueblo, who have been doing their own work behind the scenes to say that this place is special to them as well," said Ralph Vigil, a northern organizer for NM Wild and a Pecos farmer. BLM postponed the meeting a week before it was set to take place and has not set a new date yet. The agency is still encouraging the public to submit comments on the proposal until March 17. The two-year process for deciding if mining should not be allowed on the land was started by former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and former President Joe Biden in December. The people in Pecos Village know how a mine can leave a legacy of contamination long after closing. The Tererro Mine operated from 1926 to 1939, mining lead and zinc north of Pecos Village. After the mine closed, mine and mill waste was used to fill campgrounds, trailheads and at the Lisboa Springs Fish Hatchery. The mine waste led to water contamination, which in 1991 killed off more than 90,000 trout at the hatchery. A different mining company, Comexico LLC, applied for exploratory drilling permits in 2019 to look for gold, copper, zinc, lead and silver, and has acquired mining claims throughout the Pecos headwaters. Pecos Mayor Ted Benavidez said he is concerned about the long-term health and economic impacts of mining near the Pecos River. Camping and fishing near the river are significant economic drivers for the village. "I believe that we all need to work together to keep the Pecos River," he said. "It's one of the best fishing areas around. People love it." Representatives from both of the state's U.S. senators and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández attended the community meeting. The three sponsored legislation in the last session of Congress, the Pecos Watershed Protection Act, to grant permanent protection for the watershed. The entire delegation advocated for the mineral withdrawal. "New Mexicans who have been united for years in calling for protections for this cherished watershed deserve to have their voices heard. The withdrawal process would protect clean water and safeguard this region from harmful mining pollution," Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said in a statement. Cathy Cook is a news reporter for the Albuquerque Journal. Reach her via email at ccook@
