Otero Mesa

New Mexico’s Otero Mesa is one of the wildest and most threatened landscapes in the country. We're working to secure protections from mining and other threats.

Otero Mesa is a sweeping 1.2 million acre plain — the last fragment of the wild Chihuahan Desert. Potential mining operations threaten Otero Mesa and the wildlife that lives there.

Why Otero Mesa

Home to wild pronghorn antelope, the grasslands of New Mexico’s Otero Mesa rival those of the Serengeti.

Work we are doing

We’re working to protect this fragile, wild landscape from drilling and mining. Opening Otero Mesa to development would destroy the unique natural and cultural aspects of this special place.

Our partners

We wouldn't be able to accomplish our goal of protecting New Mexico’s Otero Mesa without the help of two important partners.

  • A support letter for H.R. 908/S. 404, the Green Mountain Lookout Heritage Protection Act, introduced in February by Reps. DelBene and Larsen and Sens. Murray and Cantwell.

  • Dear Representative Gosar:

    On behalf of the National Association of Counties (NACo), I am writing to express our support of the Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act (H.R. 596). This landmark legislation would extend royalties and lease income from solar and wind projects developed on Federal lands to home states and counties.

  • Dear Representative Gosar:

    We are writing to express our support for sharing with states and counties renewable energy royalty revenues from federal lands. The language contained in the Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act (HR 596) which you have introduced in the House would enact such revenue sharing.