Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association (ESCA)
Signpost article, June 2022 Edition
Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association (ESCA) Report
By Jean Roberts, ESCA Board of Directors
Efforts to preserve the Buffalo Tract adjacent to the northern edge of Placitas are making progress. A letter dated May 3, 2022 requesting administrative withdrawal of the Buffalo Tract and related parcels was sent to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland by Sen. Martin Heinrich, Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, Rep. Melanie A. Stansbury, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, and Rep. Jerry McNerney in support of pending legislation, Senate bill 180 and House bill 5805.
Administrative withdrawal is an important tool in situations like ours to protect land while relevant legislation is pending in Congress. According to rules and regulations, the Department of the Interior is expected to publish a notice of the request soon in the Federal Register. Further opportunity for public comment also will be forthcoming soon.
A few neighborhoods in Placitas have seen some improvements to our roads, and more work is afoot throughout Sandoval County. If you want to be sure the county is aware of needed road repairs, County Commissioner Katherine Bruch has reminded us that the county maintains an online portal where you can report a road maintenance issue. Go to www.sandovalcountynm.gov/departments/public-works, scroll down to Report Road Issues, and select Request Road Maintenance Service. You can also email Commissioner Bruch at kbruch@sandovalcountynm.gov.
And just a reminder that the next ESCA meeting will be June 20, 4 pm, at the Placitas Community Library. After June, we will return to our regular schedule of meetings on the second Monday of every month, 4 pm, at the library.