New Mexico Wild, along with ten other conservation organizations, has filed a formal objection to the proposed Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) transmission line project that would cross the sacred Caja del Rio plateau.
The coalition’s objection challenges the Forest Service’s “finding of no significant impact” and calls for:
- A comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement
- A Tribally-led Ethnographic Study of the Caja del Rio
- Full consultation with affected Tribes
- Proper evaluation of alternative routes and power solutions
“Across the Rio Grande from Bandelier National Monument, at approximately 107,000 acres, the Caja is one of the most ecologically rich and culturally significant landscapes in the American Southwest,” states the formal objection filed by New Mexico Wild Staff Attorney Sally Paez. “The EPCU Project would cause significant adverse impacts by bisecting the Caja Management Area with the 100-foot wide SNTUC utility corridor, a temporary 300-foot-wide construction zone and ROW, and permanent transmission lines, towers, and infrastructure.”
New Mexico Wild and our partners advocate for preserving the Caja del Rio’s irreplaceable cultural and natural resources. We urge federal agencies to pursue a more thorough review process that respects Tribal sovereignty and fully considers alternative solutions for LANL’s power needs.
