Two days ago, on May 22, Senator Pete V. Domenici wrote a letter to the Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requesting that the "BLM postpone its oil and gas leasing program" in Otero Mesa so that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) can conduct a thorough study of the Salt Basin aquifer. This is HUGE news!

Read Senator Domenici's letter here

Last month, the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance organized a public forum in Alamogordo, NM to show the support of the local community for protecting Otero Mesa. Two-hundred local citizens attended the meeting and all of them expressed support for preserving the Salt Basin aquifer and Otero Mesa.

Last week, Congressman Tom Udall wrote a letter to Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, requesting that the BLM "delay oil and gas leasing or permitting decisions until the USGS study is completed."

Read Congressman Udall's letter here

None of this could have been possible without YOUR letters, phone calls, constituent meetings with the delegations local staff and persistent work. THANK YOU for making your Voice Heard. The actions by Congressman Udall, Senator Bingaman and Senator Domenici demonstrate that our congressional officials are listening to us loud and clear!

Please take a few minutes to call Congressman Udall, Senator Bingaman and Senator Domenici and thank them for their efforts to safeguard America's largest and wildest grassland as well as the state's largest, untapped fresh water aquifer.

The Oil and Gas Industry is working non-stop to open Otero Mesa up to full-scale drilling. We must stay diligent in our efforts to ensure that our Congressional delegation stands strong on preserving America's wildest grassland and New Mexico's largest aquifer. Please call your representatives today!