NW New Mexico News

Temporary changes were made to lease sale rules by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but not all groups are happy about. 

On March 24, the BLM began a 10-day protest period for a sale of  45,446 acres of public property in New Mexico. This protest period will be the third and last comment by the public.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued a stay-at-home order on the first day of the protest period. After this announcement, the BLM said only hand-delivered protests would be acceptable.  

“What that means is everyone is going to have to mail it early, or spend $30 to overnight it. No one is going to have the full 10 days,” Audubon New Mexico Director of Policy Judy Calman told the New Mexico Political Report. “Each of those [public comment] processes used to have a 30-day comment period, and Trump got them all down to 10 days."

Calman also said protests can only be submitted in person or by certified mail. But the stay-at-home order makes things more complicated. 

“We all have to go to post offices now when we’re supposed to stay home. I still am sort of risking my health to file this protest,” Calman told the NM Political Report. “It would make more sense [for them] to accept protests electronically during the coronavirus [pandemic].”

But three days into the protest period, rules were changed, which allowed electronic protests. 

“The health and safety of the public and our employees is our highest priority, and we continue to follow guidance put forth by the White House, the CDC, and state and local authorities, as we implement teleworking, social distancing and virtual meeting tools,” a BLM spokesperson said in an email. “All of our actions, including comment periods and lease sales, are being evaluated on a case-by-case basis and adjustments are being made to ensure we are allowing for proper public input, while protecting the health and safety of the public and our employees. As a result, the BLM is temporarily restricting in-person public access to visitor centers and public rooms in our New Mexico offices. Therefore, we will only accept comments via mail and email for the May 2020 lease sale.”

Calman plans on submitting protests for lease sales that overlap with wildlife lands. 

But two companies, Taxpayers for Common Sense and Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship, still want the Trump Administration to stop lease sales of public lands for the rest of the year. 

“In this environment, it is impossible for the American taxpayer to expect anywhere near a fair return on oil and gas leases,” a statement from the two companies said. “This is due to more leases selling at the minimum bid amount, or worse, at the even lower non-competitive lease rate.”

NM Voice for Children, an advocacy nonprofit, also asked for oil and gas lease sales to halt. 

“While New Mexico families are focused on making sure their loved ones are safe and healthy during this fast-moving crisis, other problems are brewing at the state level that may cause pain for years to come. Plummeting oil and gas prices are draining the state budget of funds needed for public safety, health care, education, and more. Actions by the Trump Administration will make this long-term revenue crisis worse,” NM Voices for Children Executive Director James Jimenez told the NM Political Report.