You might be wondering what direction the U.S. Bureau of Land Management will be taking now. Steve Pearce is on track to become its Director after his nomination was advanced on May 11 by the U.S. Senate.

Mr. Pearce is well known to New Mexicans. He was a Congressman for the 2nd district (mainly southeastern NM) from 2011 to 2019, and led the state Republican party for many years. His loud support for Donald Trump and his consistent anti-environmental stances won him the President’s recognition and nomination to this latest post.

The BLM’s holdings comprise public lands in all western states, including over 13 million acres in New Mexico. The agency has long operated under a multiple-use doctrine, and since 2024 has followed the Conservation and Landscape Heath Rule, which specifically authorized it “to advance the BLM’s multiple use and sustained yield mission by prioritizing the health and resilience of ecosystems across public lands.” Late last year the Administration announced the rescission of this Rule, allowing it to prioritize extractive industries on its public lands without regard for environmental protection.

Although Pearce’s confirmation is a given, all who care about conserving public lands and their ecosystems — which include habitat for not only birds but all wildlife and game animals, as well as a foundation for traditional sustainable practices of grazing and forestry — will need to tell our elected officials that we, the people, have not given up on conservation, and don’t accept letting BLM land become a sacrifice zone for increasing private wealth.

https://sourcenm.com/2026/05/11/u-s-senate-advances-former-nm-gop-official-steve-pearce-to-lead-federal-land-management-agency/

https://sourcenm.com/briefs/feds-officially-cancel-conservation-rule-for-public-lands/

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/11/2025-17537/rescission-of-conservation-and-landscape-health-rule

The Sangre de Cristo Audubon Society encourages members to get out and enjoy the spring migration in celebration of World Migratory Bird Day on May 9. As a bonus, you can raise funds for your favorite environmental group with a little friendly competition.
Between May 8 and May 17, choose any 24-hour period to count as many bird species as you can in any area north of Interstate 40. You can bird solo, but teaming up with a friend or two is encouraged.
The individual or team that records the greatest number of species will earn a donation, made in their name by Sangre de Cristo Audubon, to the named environmental organization of their choice.
Prizes
1st place: $750 donation
2nd place: $350 donation
3rd place: $250 donation
This is our first event of this sort, and we hope it will inspire a good start for our spring birding season.
How to submit results
By May 18, please email the following information:
·       Your name and your teammates names
·       Birding location(s)
·       Total number of species observed
·       The date and 24-hour period of your count
·       The environmental organization you would like to support
Please send submissions to Shane Woolbright at mesoinc@hotmail.com and include a cell phone number. We’ll announce the results on our website the following week.

What is a dark sky worth? It is priceless, some would say. Think about it this month during International Dark Sky Week, April 13-20, 2026.

Light pollution threatens dark starry skies all around the world. Not limited to major urbanized areas, excess artificial light at night disrupts life cycles of nocturnal animals and interferes with sleep of diurnal ones, including humans. It can disrupt with bird migration by distracting and confusing nocturnal migrants’ orientation and inducing window collisions. And it takes away the wonder and cultural heritage of a sky full of constellations and the luminous band of the Milky Way.

Audubon is a partner of Dark Sky International in their efforts to reduce light pollution. Beginning in 1956, Audubon persuaded the Empire State Building to turn off lights during migration seasons. More recently, Lights Out campaigns in cities around North America have saved birds and raised awareness about our over-lit nighttime environment.

Among local events planned for this week is a webinar presentation by Jeff Pfaller titled “Dark Skies: Rare Phenomena in America’s Public Lands,” at 7:00 p.m (MDT) on Friday, April 17. The webinar is sponsored jointly by NM Wild and NM Dark Sky. There will be a live screening at Santa Fe Community College, in lecture hall 215, in the west wing next to the Planetarium.

We can all help:

• Turn off outdoor lights that aren’t needed
• Replace or shield outdoor lights that cause glare or shine upward
• Close curtains, shades or blinds to keep indoor light indoors
• Support ordinances and legislation to reduce light pollution
• Support dark sky organizations (DSI, NMDS)

Sangre de Cristo Chapter has submitted comments to the Federal Register opposing the USDA’s proposed cancellation of the 2001 Roadless Rule, which has effectively limited damage to large parts of our National Forests and has had wide bipartisan support in spite of opposition by timber interests and other powerful lobbyists. See our comments here.

The latest challenge to the Roadless Rule and the reason for this comment period (which is due to close on Sept. 19) is the recent announcement by U.S Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins of intent to entirely rescind the Roadless Rule. The stated reason is to remove “burdeonsome” regulations that “stifle economic growth.” Wildfire suppression is also cited, although ironically most wildfires occur near roads. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) must be prepared by the Department of Agriculture to enact this change, and the EIS must consider public comments.

To learn more about the Roadless Rule, read here.

To submit comments to the Federal Register, go here.

Since the original Valles Caldera Trust’s inception, the Sangre de Cristo Chapter has advocated for preservation and public ownership of this land and regards this management plan as an important blueprint for the future of the preserve. After reviewing both the management plan and environmental assessment, we believe that the New Appropriate Facilities Alternative offers the best option for encouraging the public to enjoy Valles Caldera’s beauty and serenity without compromising the preserve’s natural, cultural and historic values.

– see complete comment
– see planning documents
– submit a comment