U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich joined Placitas-area residents on May 6 in celebrating the withdrawal of more than 4,000 acres of land from mineral leasing, including gravel mining.
The community gathering of about 100 residents and several tribal officials was held at the Placitas Winery.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland officially withdrew the area, including the Buffalo Tract and the Crest of Montezuma, following decades of advocacy work and community organizing.
“This is a great example of community organization and it sends a message that you can rally together and have your voices heard,” said Heinrich.
Heinrich also said the measure to protect the land from mining helped create an anchor for building protective measures for a wildlife corridor.
“Because of the fractionated land ownership [with the pueblos], you have to figure out where your anchors are,” he said. “Then you start tying them together and create a kind of archipelago for wildlife.”
Heinrich said there is now federal money for wildlife crossings and protection, which is what he intends to try and secure for the area and other parts of the state.
As far as what comes next for the Buffalo Tract, Heinrich said the work isn’t over, as the mineral withdrawal lasts only 50 years. “There’s still a lot of work left to do. We need to make this ban on mining permanent.”