Buffalo Tract Protection Act

H.R. 2893 would permanently protect four parcels of Bureau of Land Management land totaling approximately 4,200 acres near Placitas, New Mexico from mineral development, including gravel mining. The affected areas include the Buffalo Tract and the Crest of Montezuma in southern Sandoval County, just north of Albuquerque. If enacted, the bill would prevent mining companies from extracting minerals, sand, gravel, and geothermal resources from these lands while allowing the federal government to continue managing the surface of the land through sales, leases, or exchanges.

The bill responds to concerns from local residents, tribal communities, and environmental advocates who worry about the impacts of additional gravel mining in the region. The area is used for recreation activities and serves as a wildlife corridor connecting the Sandia and Sangre de Cristo mountain ranges. Sandoval County already has six gravel mines, including four of the state's largest. Supporters argue that mining in this location would pose health risks from dust and air pollution to nearby residential communities and would cause irreparable environmental damage to a landscape important to Santa Ana Pueblo and San Felipe Pueblo.