This latest proposal from the Biden Administration will have a devastating impact on the oil industry. A plan was recently proposed to block thousands of acres of northern New Mexico from future oil drilling or mining. The proposal will put a ban on new mining claims as well as oil and gas development across 4,200 acres in Sandoval County, which is located north of Albuquerque.
The Department of the Interior (DOI) says that this action would remain in place for up to 50 years.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland has stated that this proposal is an answer to requests from Tribes, elected leaders, and community members who want these public lands protected.
The DOI cites several reasons behind the decision.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland noted that it was important to hear more from the public with regards to how activities such as gravel mining may impact these lands which contain important cultural and natural resources.
Melanie Barnes, the state director of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) New Mexico office also added that they recognize the importance of the Placitas area for both Tribal Nations and local citizens who enjoy visiting or recreating there.
The BLM’s proposal states that its goal is to “protect, preserve, and promote the scenic integrity, cultural importance, recreational values, and wildlife habitat connectivity” in this region.
In addition to local citizens being involved with advocating for protections in this area due to its archeological resources dating back hundreds of years ago as well as its popularity for hiking, camping, sightseeing and hunting purposes, two Pueblo tribes have been part of the conversation as well- San Felipe Tribe and Santa Ana Tribe.
This comes after Rep Deb Haaland introduced a bill titled ‘Buffalo Tract Protection Act’ earlier last year which sought similar actions taken today by prohibiting mineral development within Sandoval County due to pollution produced by many mines found within those areas having negative impacts on residents living there as well as tribal citizens.
Sen Martin Heinrich D-Nm., Rep Melanie Stansbury D-Nm., have also reiterated calls upon DOI to take action blocking mineral development within Sandoval county suggesting it is time we put an end to the debate to withdraw parcels from future mineral development.
The Congressional Budget Office issued a report earlier this year about potential losses in federal revenue due to mineral bans like those proposed currently.
They estimate that there will be a decrease of $2 million due to withdrawing land from mineral development opportunities such as sand and gravel extraction which is used for infrastructure projects such as roads or bridges.
Overall it appears that while protecting Native American lands is certainly something we should strive towards, we must also consider how it might affect our economy or our access to certain resources such as sand or gravel extraction sites which are vital for various construction projects around our nation’s infrastructure network system.