Legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich Wednesday to protect portions of the Pecos Watershed in northern New Mexico from mineral development received a key hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. The Democrat began the process with the following remarks to the panel:
Heinrich’s Pecos Watershed Protection Act would withdraw all federally-managed minerals in the watershed. It would also prevent leasing, patent, or sale of all publicly-owned minerals, including oil and gas as well as gold, silver, copper, and other hard rock minerals.