13-03-2025
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.
