Transmission lines

The Caja del Rio is once again in the limelight after New Mexico State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard issued an executive order banning mineral leases and large transmission lines on the area’s state-owned land on Wednesday.

Community members showed up in droves to protest a controversial Northern New Mexico power line project Friday, demanding federal intervention to protect the sacred and historically significant Caja del Rio plateau as a deadline looms for public objections to the plan.

Located just to the west of Santa Fe, the Caja del Rio plateau boosts a diverse array of wildlife, vegetation, and spectacular biking and hiking trails. The area also holds a complicated legacy from over 300 years of conflict – stretching to the modern day.

The National Nuclear Security Administration is proposing to build an energy transmission line that would run across the protected Caja del Rio wilderness in Northern New Mexico. But, leaders from pueblos and environmental groups are concerned about transparency, the legal process, and the impact on the land.

As New Mexicans are preparing for the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays, a public comment period for a proposed electrical transmission line in Northern New Mexico is gathering heat from environmentalists, who claim the 30-day deadline is too short.

Scientists often point to large-scale solar power as a big solution to our climate crisis.But, these energy projects do come with a cost––the damage and even destruction of our public lands and wildlife.