Last progress April 10, 2025 (8 months ago)
Introduced on April 10, 2025 by Martin Heinrich
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
This bill protects about 4,288 acres of federal land near Placitas, New Mexico, from new mining and mineral leasing. It blocks new claims and leases for minerals and geothermal energy on this land, while honoring any valid rights that already exist . The land stays open for possible sale or transfer of the surface for public uses under existing laws, but the United States keeps ownership of the minerals underground .
In short, it stops new mineral development on these specific tracts to protect the area, while allowing normal surface uses that follow federal rules .