New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

New Mexico Senate Bill SM11 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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28	28	SENATE MEMORIAL 11
29	29	57
30	30	TH LEGISLATURE
31	31	- STATE OF NEW MEXICO -
32	32	FIRST SESSION
33	33	, 2025
34	34	INTRODUCED BY
35	35	Angel M. Charley
36	36	A MEMORIAL
37	37	AFFIRMING THE STATE'S COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING AND PRESERVING
38	38	MOUNT TAYLOR AS A TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PROPERTY AND OPPOSING
39	39	URANIUM MINING PROJECTS THAT THREATEN MOUNT TAYLOR'S CULTURAL
40	40	AND ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY.
41	41	WHEREAS, Mount Taylor, known to indigenous people by
42	42	several traditional names, stands as a sacred landmark central
43	43	to the spiritual, cultural and historical identity of the
44	44	region's Indian nations, tribes and pueblos; and
45	45	WHEREAS, in 2009, following significant advocacy by the
46	46	Pueblos of Acoma, Laguna and Zuni, the Hopi Tribe and the
47	47	Navajo Nation, Mount Taylor was formally nominated and
48	48	designated as a traditional cultural property on the New Mexico
49	49	register of cultural properties; and
50	50	WHEREAS, the nomination of Mount Taylor as a traditional
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78	78	cultural property recognized its profound cultural
79	79	significance, including its role in origin stories, traditional
80	80	practices and ceremonies and as a place of prayer and
81	81	pilgrimage for indigenous peoples; and
82	82	WHEREAS, the supreme court, in a landmark 2014 decision,
83	83	affirmed the validity of Mount Taylor's traditional cultural
84	84	property designation, reinforcing the importance of preserving
85	85	the mountain as a monument for future generations; and
86	86	WHEREAS, proposed uranium mining projects pose significant
87	87	threats to Mount Taylor and the surrounding environment by
88	88	physically degrading the landscape and cultural sites with
89	89	destructive mining operations; and
90	90	WHEREAS, proposed uranium mining may deplete and
91	91	contaminate the San Andres-Glorieta aquifer and related
92	92	aquifers and springs, which serve as primary water sources for
93	93	the Pueblos of Acoma and Laguna and the surrounding
94	94	communities, posing significant risks to water security and
95	95	public health; and
96	96	WHEREAS, uranium mining operations create environmental
97	97	hazards through the transport and storage of uranium ore,
98	98	increasing the risk of contamination of land, air and water
99	99	resources and exacerbating the health threats already faced by
100	100	Indian and non-Indian communities alike; and
101	101	WHEREAS, the ongoing legacy of uranium mining in New
102	102	Mexico has resulted in long-term environmental contamination,
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131	131	such as poisoned aquifers and negative health impacts on Indian
132	132	nations, tribes and pueblos and local communities, highlighting
133	133	the need for stronger ecological protections for Mount Taylor
134	134	and all of the state's natural resources; and
135	135	WHEREAS, the protection of this sacred mountain is
136	136	essential for the continuation of traditional practices and
137	137	ceremonies and the preservation of cultural identity of Indian
138	138	nations, tribes and pueblos;
139	139	NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE
140	140	OF NEW MEXICO that the senate affirm its commitment to
141	141	protecting Mount Taylor and oppose any uranium mining projects
142	142	that threaten its traditional cultural property designation,
143	143	environmental integrity and sacred status; and
144	144	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the senate urge federal and
145	145	state agencies, including the United States forest service and
146	146	the mining and minerals division of the energy, minerals and
147	147	natural resources department, to deny permits or authorizations
148	148	for uranium mining projects within the Mount Taylor traditional
149	149	cultural property boundaries; and
150	150	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the senate call upon the
151	151	United States congress to reform the federal General Mining Act
152	152	of 1872 to prioritize the protection of sacred cultural sites
153	153	and to require meaningful tribal consultation in decisions that
154	154	impact tribal resources; and
155	155	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
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184	184	transmitted to the United States secretary of the interior, the
185	185	United States secretary of agriculture, the New Mexico
186	186	congressional delegation, the governor, the commissioner of
187	187	public lands, the department of environment and the energy,
188	188	minerals and natural resources department.
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