The Campaign to Protect Otero Mesa
The public lands and waters of Otero Mesa are essentially unprotected from ecological and cultural harm.
The campaign to preserve Otero Mesa has been ongoing since 2001 when the Bush administration and the oil and gas industry targeted the Mesa for full-scale development. As a result, the Coalition for Otero Mesa was formed and has led the way in preserving this international treasure. The coalition brought together hunters, ranchers, conservationists, and state leaders with the goal of stopping proposed drilling.
Almost 500,000 acres of Otero Mesa qualify for Wilderness designation, making it the largest potential Wilderness area left in New Mexico. Now is the time to move to more permanent protections for this important ecosystem.
History of the Campaign
- 1997 – A test well at the base of Alamo Mountain discovers natural gas.
- Oct. 1998 – After a second test well finds gas, the Bureau of Land Management suspends all leases and new leasing and begins an amendment to the governing 1986 White Sands Resource Management Plan (RMP) to reassess leasing in the region.
- Nov. 2000 – A draft RMP amendment is issued. The preferred alternative would limit new surface disturbance in the grasslands to within 492 feet of existing roads to limit fragmentation.
- April 2002 – The Coalition for Otero Mesa is formed.
- Jan. 2003 – The proposed RMP permits drilling activities. The plan is met with staunch opposition from conservation groups, departments of the state of New Mexico, and the New Mexico governor.
- Feb. 2004 – Gov. Bill Richardson issues an executive order, directing all state agencies to find ways to protect the resources of Otero Mesa from oil and gas drilling.
- March 2004 – The New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission finalizes rules to protect water and habitat on Otero Mesa, prohibiting use of pits and requiring additional reporting.
- May 2004 – The Bureau of Land Management expands closures for the endangered aplomado falcon.
- Jan. 2005 – The RMP is adopted with no additional protections for Otero Mesa’s rich biodiversity and cultural resources.
- April 2005 – On Earth Day, the governor files a lawsuit challenging the RMP amendment. This lawsuit represents the first time the state has sued the federal government over a public lands issue.
- May 2005 – Conservation groups, led by New Mexico Wild, file a companion lawsuit.
- June 2005 – A new lease on Otero Mesa is sold despite formal protests to the Bureau of Land Management’s planning process. The leasing decision is included in the pending lawsuits. The parties agree to pause the new lease and any additional leasing until the lawsuits are resolved.
- Sept. 2006 – The district court rules the leasing decision was not valid because the Bureau of Land Management did not conduct the necessary analysis of impacts such as habitat fragmentation prior to the lease. The agency is directed to complete additional environmental analysis
- Nov./Dec. 2006 – The governor and conservation groups appeal the parts of the district court decision. The Bureau of Land Management initially appeals the part of the decision finding the lease invalid, but later drops the appeal. The Independent Petroleum Association maintains its appeal.
- Sept. 2008 – The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals holds a hearing on the litigation brought by the state of New Mexico and conservation groups challenging the RMP amendment.
- April 2009 – The court recognizes the ecological importance of Otero Mesa and specifically finds the Bureau of Land Management did not adequately consider potential impacts of oil and gas development in causing habitat fragmentation or in contaminating the Salt Basin Aquifer that underlies Otero Mesa. Furthermore, the court finds the RMP flawed because the Bureau of Land Management did not consider an alternative to protect all of Otero Mesa from oil and gas drilling.
- April 2024 – After years of delay by the Bureau of Land Management in revising the RMP, the Otero Mesa coalition submits a proposal to establish an Area of Critical Environmental Concern to protect wildlife and other values across Otero Mesa to the agency. The Bureau of Land Management’s work on the RMP revision remain ongoing. You can help
What You Can Do
Our voices help to change policies. As we learn more about the amazing diversity of life on Otero Mesa, we have even more reason to lend support. Our goal is simple: permanently protect Otero Mesa’s vast grasslands, biodiversity, and cultural values from known and future threats.