An undated photo of angler fishing in the Pecos River. Amid upheaval over federal mining policies, New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard on March 12, 2025 banned mineral mining in a portion of the Upper Pecos Watershed through 2045. (Courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service)
An executive order banning mineral mining on approximately 2,500 acres of state trust land in the Upper Pecos Watershed will remain in place through 2045 and takes effect immediately, New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard announced on Wednesday.
“Some New Mexico landscapes are just too special to carve up with aggressive mineral development, and the Upper Pecos Watershed is one of those places,” Garcia Richard said in a statement. “Pueblos and traditional Hispanic communities have relied on the river and its watershed for everyday uses for centuries. It is as much a cultural landmark as it is a natural ecosystem. I view it as my duty to protect state lands that are part of such meaningful landscapes. The Upper Pecos Watershed continues be threatened by mining companies and federal policies that put it in the crosshairs. As I’ve made clear today with this executive order, those companies will not be welcome on these state lands under my watch.”
Last December, the U.S. Department of Interior proposed withdrawing close to 164,000 acres in the Upper Pecos Watershed from mineral mining. President Donald Trump upon taking office issued an executive order prioritizing mineral mining on federal lands and opening the door to rescinding existing bans.
The Bureau of Land Management recently postponed a meeting on a 20-year withdrawal of the Upper Pecos Watershed from mining, but will be taking comments through March 17.
That order includes the possibility of updating the U.S. Geological Survey’s list of critical minerals to include uranium. As Source recently reported, Cibola Forest supervisors recently told staff in a meeting that long-stalled uranium mining projects in the area are now a priority.
The Upper Pecos Watershed, the State Land Office news release notes, has experienced deleterious impacts from past mining activities, including a 1991 runoff from the Tererro and El Molino mine sites that killed more than 90,000 fish in the Pecos River.
Moreover, Australian mining company New World Resources has proposed exploratory drilling in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, including at the old Terrero mine and nearby deposits.
Local and state officials, farmers and environmental activists lauded Garcia Richard’s order.
“The Upper Pecos Watershed is the lifeblood of our communities, sustaining our acequias, our farms, our wildlife, and our way of life, Ralph Vigil, local acequia parciante and farmer said in a statement. “We have already seen the devastating consequences of irresponsible mining in this region, and our watershed is still healing from past contamination. This moratorium is crucial in protecting our water, our lands, and our cultural heritage for generations to come.”
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