Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association (ESCA)
Signpost article
October 1, 2020
Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association (ESCA) Report
Current and proposed gravel mining adjacent to Placitas continues to be a key issue for ESCA. We are working with the Las Placitas Association to oppose a possible mine on the Buffalo Tract immediately north of our neighborhoods that the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) new Resource Management Plan may allow. As of late September, BLM had not yet released the plan for public comment.
ESCA is also monitoring developments with the Vulcan gravel mine that adjoins several Placitas neighborhoods between Camino Barranca and the I-25 frontage road. In 2021, we expect Vulcan to begin construction of a berm on the north side of the mine and to begin moving operations to that area, with mining proceeding from west to east. ES-CA continues to monitor compliance with the 2017 agreement, whereby Vulcan agreed to complete mining and land reclamation on the south side of the mine no later than August 2023, and to complete mining and reclamation on the north side no later than May 2027. ESCA had joined with the Sandoval County Commissioners as plaintiffs in litigation to reach the agreement.
The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped several ESCA activities:
The ESCA Adopt-a-Highway Committee has decided to delay the usual October cleanup on Highway 165 due to health safety concerns.
We’re again supporting the Placitas Artists Series (PAS) with an ad in their program book. PAS is grappling with continuing its concert series and art exhibits online until it is safe to gather in person again.
The upcoming general election also bears changes due to the pandemic, and ESCA urges everyone to have a plan for how to vote safely. Your vote is always important, but it is especially critical in this election. You can vote by absentee ballot, go to an early-voting convenience center, or vote on election day. The New Mexico Secretary of State website (www.sos.state.nm.us) has all the information you need, including an online application for an absentee ballot that will allow you to vote by mail or by placing your ballot in a secure dropbox at the early polling locations. Please be sure to send your ballot early so that your vote will be included when counting begins on October 26, seven days before the election. You can also visit the Sandoval County clerk’s office to request an absentee ballot. Their website is www.sandovalcountynm.gov.
ESCA also has an election coming up, and members will have an opportunity to review candidates and to vote by email. If you haven’t yet renewed your membership or you would like to join us, please visit our website at www.es-ca.org. Your support is critical to our efforts, because we are the “Watch Dogs” for eastern Sandoval communities. We are a nonpartisan civic organization that works with all levels of government to protect your interests.