Advocates in Albuquerque, New Mexico, have submitted a letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Rio Puerco Field office. Signed by over 200 groups and organizations, the letter calls for an end to oil and gas leasing on public lands. The BLM New Mexico State office is scheduled to auction more than 10,000 acres of public land to the oil and gas industry on May 25th.

Sister Joan Brown, executive director of NM & El Paso Interfaith Power and Light, expressed concern over current leasing policies: “People of faith are concerned that the current BLM leasing policy does not care for the Common Good or our communities or the sacred land, water, air and the future.”

The advocates' letter cites findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change about narrowing opportunities to address climate impacts. It highlights that nearly 25% of U.S. climate pollution comes from fossil fuel production on federal lands, with New Mexico's Permian Basin being a significant contributor.

Ally Beasley from the Western Environmental Law Center criticized ongoing lease sales: “Once again, we find ourselves protesting the BLM’s continued auctioning of public and ancestral lands for harmful fossil fuel extraction.” Beasley emphasized the need for a transition away from fossil fuels due to health and environmental concerns.

The American Lung Association's State of the Air 2023 Report assigned poor grades for ozone pollution in several New Mexico counties. These grades are linked to oil and gas production as well as transportation emissions. Albuquerque was named among the top 25 worst cities in the nation for ozone pollution.

Demonstrations at BLM field offices across New Mexico are part of a broader effort to halt federal fossil fuel leasing programs. Advocates urge BLM to cancel upcoming lease sales and protect public lands from further extraction activities.