Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association (ESCA)
Signpost article, March 3, 2023 Edition
Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association (ESCA) Report
By Jean Roberts, ESCA Board of Directors
The new year has brought us a new Congress in Washington, and the Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association (ESCA) has renewed efforts to urge lawmakers to pass the Buffalo Tract Protection Act. New Mexico’s Congressional delegation is working on a strategy to gain additional support for the bill in the Senate and House of Representatives. The proposal would protect the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land adjacent to Placitas from gravel mining.
The bill is one of many that were not included in the omnibus bill that Congress passed at the end of the last session. Veterans of the Washington legislative process say that it’s not unusual for bills to be re-introduced multiple times before passage.
At the same time, ESCA is continuing to urge the Department of Interior and the BLM to administratively withdraw the Buffalo Tract from gravel mining. This effort will require a unified effort by various local organizations and tribes. Although administrative withdrawal is only a temporary solution, it will preserve the land until Congress passes permanent legislation
In other ESCA news, we will celebrate Earth Day with our spring cleanup of the first mile of Highway 165 on Saturday, April 22. Through the Adopt-a-Highway Program, ESCA is helping to keep the “main street” of Placitas clean and beautiful as residents and visitors enter our area. We need your help, so please contact Phil Messuri at philmessuribot@gmail.com to volunteer.
The next monthly ESCA meeting will be March 13, 4 pm, in the Gracie Lee Room of the Placitas Community Library.