New Mexico leaders want to block oil and gas on some public lands. Feds consider proposal

New Mexico elected officials signaled support for proposed federal rules aimed at increasing conservation uses on public land.

U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) and New Mexico Public Lands Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard testified in Congress this week in favor of the proposal by the Bureau of Land Management to establish conservation leases on federal land in the U.S.

The leases would be used alongside others for industrial uses like oil and gas or agriculture, essentially creating easements by conservationists or outdoor recreation companies, where land could be protected from development.

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The proposal would also allow for interim areas of critical environmental concern (ACEC) designations put in place while they are finalized in updated resource management plans (RMPs) that often take years to fully approve and enact at local BLM offices.

Environmental groups cheered the policy as one that would balance federal land by prioritizing environmental needs.

During a Wednesday hearing before the U.S. House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Garcia Richard touted her office’s ongoing efforts to conserve land and provide revenue to the State while protecting the environment.

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“Our ability to continue to generate money for education is directly tied to the health and the productivity of state lands,” she said during her testimony “Conservation leasing must be part of a balanced portfolio of uses as we work to ensure the health and resiliency of our public lands for current and future generations.”

Against criticism for industry leaders that the rule would lands away from economy-driving industries in New Mexico like ranching or fossil fuels, Garcia Richard said the rule would compliment the array of uses available for public land and strengthen efforts to reduce pollution and save natural resources.

“I would also like to emphasize that this rule isn’t about taking public lands away. It is about explicitly allowing another type of use, which can often occur alongside other lands uses,” she said. “There may be times where various uses are incompatible, but there are also going to be many instances where there are not any conflicts.”

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Garcia Richard also applauded provisions in the proposed rule that she said would increase participation of indigenous organizations and communities.

“The pressing challenges of climate change cannot be understated,” she said. “We need more resilient lands and ecosystems. And to get there, we should learn from our traditional and Tribal communities.”

Stansbury, who serves as the committee’s ranking member, said the BLM’s proposal would take needed action to address climate change and environmental impacts on public land, arguing the federal government so far lacked adequate policy to do so.

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“Until now, there has not been an effective mechanism to also ensure effective landscape level and conservation needs,” Stansbury said.

“BLM's proposed rule, which we're here to discuss today, will help to fulfill the congressional mandate of multiple use by creating conservation leases, and by allowing federal lands for mitigation of harms from other developments like energy infrastructure.”

She said the rule will also help transition the U.S. toward renewable energy, protect cultural resources and protected endangered plants and animals.

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Stansbury pointed to 90 percent or BLM land currently open to oil and gas leasing nationwide, and 60 percent open to grazing, contending the rule could help balance conservation with the needs of private industries.

She referred to the Chaco Canyon area in northwest New Mexico, a place sacred to the Navajo Nation but adjacent to heavy natural gas extraction in the San Juan Basin, as one that could benefit from a conservation lease to prevent the degradation of artifacts and cultural important landforms.

“These are places that are not only sacred and important, they are part of the iconic landscapes that define us as a country,” Stansbury said.

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New Mexico’s agriculture industry was concerned the rule would impact farming and ranching activities, a key economic driver of the state, according to public comments submitted May 21 by the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau.

Bureau President Larry Reagan wrote that the rule would “elevate” conservation over all other uses, arguing agriculture activities already actively included such practices.

“We are opposed to the proposed approach which looks to elevate conservation at the expense of multiple use,” Reagan wrote. “Active management and conservation activities go hand in hand, but the proposed rule looks to pit these efforts against one another by prioritizing a protectionist approach.

“We strongly urge you to withdraw the proposed rule and begin meaningful conversations with producers and industry members to find long-lasting management solutions for these challenges.”

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: New Mexico leaders want to block oil and gas on some public lands