FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Janice Varela, NM Wild, 505-231-2802, janice@nmwild.org

Trump Administration Cancels Pecos Mineral Withdrawal, Ignoring Local Community

Pecos, NM (April 16, 2026)— The Trump administration has canceled the Pecos Mineral Withdrawal despite essentially unanimous local support for its continuation and no known public request to reverse it. The Upper Pecos River Watershed is the headwaters of the Pecos River, the only native river to New Mexico. Exploratory drilling threatens to undo years of restoration: This watershed provides clean water for acequia agricultural communities for hundreds of miles, sustains native fish and wildlife habitat, and drives a thriving outdoor economy. Renewed mining in the Pecos is incompatible with the river’s role as a source of clean water, traditional ways of life, outdoor economy, and ecological health. 

This decision was made in Washington, D.C. with no opportunity for public comment and reflects a clear disregard for the people, culture, and communities of northern New Mexico. Local residents, Tribes, elected officials, and businesses have consistently supported protecting the Upper Pecos Watershed. 

“No one is asking for this rollback,” said Janice Varela, Traditional Communities Organizer with New Mexico Wild. “This is a top-down decision that ignores the community most affected.” 

New Mexico Wild is evaluating options for possible legal action and will continue working with surrounding counties and the State of New Mexico to pursue additional safeguards. The organization also remainscommitted to advancing federal legislation, the Pecos Watershed Protection Act, to permanently protect the area and thanks New Mexico’s congressional champions for their leadership. 

This move is part of a broader effort to dismantle public lands protections, alongside actions impacting places like Chaco Canyon. Proposals to roll back the Roadless Rule, weaken mining regulations, and undercut the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are further excluding the public from decisions and threatening the future of the Upper Pecos Watershed.