Caja del Rio Protection Act
Sen. Heinrich Introduces Bill to Protect 85,000 Acres of New Mexico’s Caja del Rio
The Caja del Rio Protection Act is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently introduced in the Senate and sent to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for review. The bill is actively moving forward as it waits for the committee to consider it.
Legislative Progress
Having both state senators as sponsors is a strong start, but land conservation bills often take years to move through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
Key Points
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Businesses involved in mining, mineral extraction, or geothermal energy development lose access to roughly 85,000 acres of federal land. The withdrawal from mineral leasing and mining laws permanently closes this area to new resource extraction operations. Off-road vehicle tour operators and similar recreation businesses could also face restrictions from the motorized vehicle limitations.
“is withdrawn from-- (A) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under public land laws, including the issuance of new rights-of-way on, under, or through the applicable Federal land; (B) location, entry, and patent under mining laws; and (C) operation of the mineral leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws.”
State Impacts
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
2 articlesPueblo governors endorse federal legislation to protect Caja del Rio
A coalition of New Mexico Pueblo governors unanimously voted to endorse forthcoming federal legislation to protect the 107,000-acre expanse of the Caja del Rio plateau. The bill, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, would create two new protected areas to conserve cultural and spiritual values.
Heinrich, Luján, Leger Fernández Introduce Caja del Rio Protection Act
New Mexico’s congressional delegation officially introduced the Caja del Rio Protection Act to establish a 85,000-acre Special Management Area and National Conservation Area. The bill aims to protect the landscape from mining and drilling while codifying Tribal access to sacred sites.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Caja del Rio Protection Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(1)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.