Buffalo Tract Protection Act

S. 1464, the Buffalo Tract Protection Act, would permanently withdraw four parcels of Bureau of Land Management land in southern Sandoval County, New Mexico from all forms of mineral development, including gravel mining. The affected land, totaling approximately 4,288 acres and known as the Buffalo Tract and Crest of Montezuma, would be protected from mining operations while still allowing the BLM to sell, lease, or exchange surface rights.

The bill addresses concerns from local communities, Native American tribes, and environmental advocates who have opposed mineral development in the area for over a decade. The region is intermixed with residential areas near Placitas and Albuquerque, holds cultural and spiritual significance for the Pueblo of Santa Ana and Pueblo of San Felipe, and serves as a critical wildlife corridor for deer, elk, wild turkey, and pronghorn antelope. Supporters argue that gravel mining in the area would cause respiratory health problems from dust and irreversible environmental damage.

The bill is currently under consideration by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining, following hearings held in February 2026. If enacted, it would make permanent a temporary 50-year mineral withdrawal that the Bureau of Land Management implemented in 2023 in response to community support.