On Monday, nearly 2,000 protesters gathered in Santa Fe's De Vargas Park to oppose Utah Sen. Mike Lee's proposal to sell off 3.2 million acres of federal public land, threatening national parks across the West. Local leaders, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, addressed the gathering, with mixed support for the sale from local governors at a nearby meeting. The protests highlighted the connection residents have to public lands, emphasizing stewardship across notable sites like Chaco Canyon and Bears Ears, while calls for local decision-making reflect a desire for sustainable land management practices.
"One of the reasons I moved to Santa Fe from the Midwest was to be closer to the wilderness, to public lands - not only in New Mexico, but Colorado and in Utah. I don't want them destroyed."
"We're fighting for Chaco Canyon, we're fighting for Bears Ears, Tent Rocks, Puye Cliffs, Bandelier, Valles Caldera. All our national parks are in jeopardy."
"Those kinds of decisions should be made on a local level with a very robust process that does not say we're going to wholesale get rid of our public lands..."
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum spoke more generally about the need for 'innovation' in energy but did not address Sen. Lee's proposal.
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