Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland signed Public Land Order 7940 on April 18, protecting more than 4,200 acres of Bureau of Land Management public lands in the Placitas, NM, area.
The lands are now closed to new mining claims, mineral sales, and oil and gas leases for at least the next half century.
“The site contains significant cultural ties to neighboring Pueblos and provides outdoor recreation opportunities to the local community,” Haaland said.
The Interior Department announced the proposed protections last fall, which led to a public commenting period and public meeting. A second comment period was held earlier this year before the protections were finalized in April.
