New Mexico Wild
New Mexico Wild
New Mexico Wild is a grass roots organization dedicated to the protection, restoration, and continued enjoyment of New Mexico's wild lands and Wilderness Areas. Founded in 1997, we achieve our mission through administrative protection and federal Wilderness designation.
In mid-December, the U.S. Department of Interior and the USDA Forest Service announced a mineral segregation, which initiated a two-year pause on new mining claims and mineral leases across about 165,000 acres of the upper Pecos River watershed. The mineral segregation was the first step toward implementing an administrative mineral withdrawal.
New Mexico Wild worked to gain broad public support, including from local businesses and a resolution for the SanMiguel del Bado Land Grant, through numerous events including public meetings, river cleanups, hikes, and youth events. The two-year withdrawal would have protected the watershed and its residents from pollution and water quality degradation and would have promoted the future of agriculture, outdoor recreation, and safe drinking water.
Additionally, in December 2024, the Water Quality Control Commission voted to designate additional Outstanding Natural Resource Waters (ONRWs), including the Pecos River within the Pecos National Historical Park, located just downstream of the withdrawal area. The proposed administrative mineral withdrawal would have help both federal and state agencies fulfill their duty of safeguarding these vital waterways from water quality degradation while preserving traditional and recreational uses. As one of only three states without its own water permitting program, New Mexico Wild is proud to be one of the organizations that has advocated for these state-level ONRW protections, which are crucial for preserving water quality in our watersheds.
Unfortunately, on April 4th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture canceled the pause on new mining claims and mineral leases across the upper Pecos River watershed. This action threatens all the communities that rely on the watershed and disregards the strong local support for its protection. New Mexico Wild will continue to work with local communities to protect the watershed and the people and wildlife who rely on it from pollution and water quality degradation.
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