Since January, CO-based mining company Geovic has nearly tripled its mining claims on Otero Mesa– from 68 claims in January to 183 as of April. The company filed for a state exploration permit in April, and has proposed to drill 10 test wells, mostly on the slopes of iconic Wind Mountain, the tallest peak in Otero Mesa. All of the pending mining operations would take place within the citizens’ proposed wilderness areas and proposed ACEC (Area of Critical Environmental Concern).
Hardrock mining would seriously degrade the ecological, cultural, and water resources of Otero Mesa– everything we’ve been fighting for 10 years to protect could be lost forever. Mining for rare earth minerals would essentially mean the decimation of Wind Mountain– mountaintop removal in New Mexico!
Working together, we put a stop to oil and gas drilling on Otero Mesa. Together, we can stop the mining threat and protect this rare and beautiful region.
Take Action!
1. Get Informed: Read our May 5, 2011 Press Release
2. Stop Mining on Otero Mesa: Write to Interior Secretary Salazar on the Coalition for Otero Mesa website
3. Advocate for a National Monument: Write to President Obama at our Online Action Center
The future of Otero Mesa depends on every one of us. Help us save America’s last great desert grassland!
NM Wild's exclusive 2012 Mexican Wolf Conservation Stamp is here.