Grant County Commission Votes to Preserve and Protect Pinos Altos and Surrounding Area from the Threat of Large-scale Mining

[Editor's Note: Thanks to Allyson Siwik for writing this as a press release. I asked her if she minded if I added what commissioners said in their comments, and she agreed. This article addresses the public input and commissioner discussion during the regular meeting prior to approval.]

Silver City, NM - The Grant County Commission this morning passed a proclamation acknowledging the threat of large-scale mining to Pinos Altos and surrounding lands, and resolved to "preserve and protect" these areas for their cultural, historic and ecological values. Thank you to Commission Chairman Chris Ponce and Commissioners Nancy Stephens and Eloy Medina for their support for the proclamation.

Mining claims have been recently staked on nearly 20,000 acres of the Gila National Forest and other federal and private lands north of Silver City by global mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP through its exploration partner Ivanhoe Electric.

Local residents have been extremely concerned that new mining of this magnitude in the Gila National Forest would have significant impacts on the area's water supplies, the forest's natural resources and wildlife, recreational opportunities, property values of homes located adjacent to the forest, and the local tourism and recreation economy.

The public has expressed its concern to the Grant County Commission by speaking up at commission meetings about the threat, while nearly 3,500 mostly local residents signed a petition to the Gila National Forest in opposition to industrial-scale mining in this unique area.

Sponsored by District 3 Commissioner Nancy Stephens, the proclamation states "in recognition of the many and varied values held by local residents and visitors to the region, Grant County commissioners resolve to preserve and protect the Pinos Altos community, all National Forest System lands to the Gila Wilderness boundary to the north, west and south," and other adjacent federal and state public lands. The area encompassed by the proclamation includes the Continental Divide Trail to the east of Pinos Altos and the communities of Lake Roberts, Feeley Subdivision, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery.

[Editorial addition:]

Pinos Altos resident Mary Hotvedt began the public input:

She thanked them [as did most of the others] for having it on the agenda and requested tat the commissioners approve it. "A group of us began to put together a request for a proclamation or resolution with the commission, and it's gone through several revisions." She clarified that "this sort of what I will call wildcat mining, I'm not talking about Freeport.So, this is the first step, and we look forward to bringing you more information as it's relevant for the commission to consider over the next year or two.

[Original:]
"Southwest New Mexico is on the front lines of the current mining boom in the U.S. Nearly half of the state's active mining claims have been staked in the past few years, with thousands of them located in our region, indicating the potential for future mining projects. We thank the Grant County Commission for recognizing this threat to the Pinos Altos area and adopting today's proclamation, which affirms the need to protect Pinos Altos and the surrounding Gila National Forest from land uses that would jeopardize their irreplaceable cultural, historic, and ecological values," said Allyson Siwik, Executive Director of Gila Resources Information Project.

"This proclamation works to immediately address the concerns of thousands of Grant County residents to the threat of large-scale mining around the Pinos Altos area and the surrounding communities. People love these lands and have recreated, fished, hunted and gathered there with their families for generations. We are grateful to Commissioner Nancy Stephens for listening to the people of Grant County, working with others on the Commission, and sponsoring this proclamation to protect the lands surrounding Pinos Altos," said Patrice Mutchnick, Director of Heart of the Gila.

[Editorial addition:]
Another resident of Pinos Altos, Ronnee-Sue Helzner offered the commissioners a copy of her comments, before she read them. She pointed out that Pinos Altos has been listed on the National Park Service's register of historic places since 1984. Helzner also expressed her gratitude that the proclamation includes not just the Pinos Altos townsite, but the surrounding areas.

[Original:]
"Mining targets the particular places snakes need to give birth, care for their kids, and shelter during the winter. This isn't hypothetical," said Melissa Amarello, a resident of the Feeley Neighborhood and Executive Director of Advocates for Snake Preservation. "Rio Tinto has staked claims on nest and den sites we've studied for years. Places my snake friends depend upon to keep them and their families safe."

"The Gila Native Plant Society is grateful to the Grant County Commissioners for passing a proclamation supporting protection for the forest land near Pinos Altos," said Donna Stevens, president of the Gila Native Plant Society. "This area is considered an Important Plant Area by the State of New Mexico, and is home to rare plants, some of which occur nowhere else on earth."

[Editorial addition:]
Donna Stephens also expressed concern that the proclamation might have been revised and they had access only to the original one. Commissioner Thomas Shelley had said at the Tuesday, June 9, 2026 work session that he had concerns about some of the language in the proclamation.

[Original:]
"The areas around Little Cherry Creek, Bear Creek, and Lake Roberts that are covered by the Proclamation are some of the most important places for birds and birders near Pinos Altos and Silver City. We're grateful to the Grant County Commission for recognizing the importance of bird habitat in these areas and resolving to preserve and protect them," said Linda Moore, board president of the Bird Alliance of Southwestern New Mexico.

[Editorial addition:]
Another speaker who supported the proclamation, David Becker, said he had lived in Silver City for five years. "I've come to value and enjoy and regularly use the areas in and around the Pinos Altos community that would be affected by the new mining claims that were filed last year. I've also done several work projects with the Gila Backcountry Horsemen in that area, for example, working to make the trails more passable for horseback riders and for hikers.I know from personal experience how potentially harmful new mining or large industrial developments in areas that are mostly pristine can be for the natural resources like birds and native plants, and how mining can destroy the quiet background noise the people who live in and hike and ride in these areas enjoy."

"Thank you to Chairman Ponce and Commissioners Stephens and Medina for their leadership in passing the Proclamation that honors Pinos Altos and its surrounding lands and values. Many Grant County residents trace multigenerational roots to this landscape, which also claims a deep history of presence and use by Indigenous communities. These lands provide important habitat for wildlife and rare plants, and contain gems such as the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, Inventoried Roadless Areas, a designated Area of Critical Environmental Concern, and the geological wonders of Hell's Half Acre. Bravo to these elected leaders for recognizing these historical, cultural, and natural values and the need to protect and preserve them," said Luke Koenig, Gila Grassroots Organizer for New Mexico Wild.

Other residents also spoke in support of the proclamation, as well as others giving punlic input on other issues

[Editorial Addition:]
During the regular meeting, Grant County Executive Assistant Mary Rae McDonald read the proclamation, which was followed by commission discussion.

Shelley noted that the last paragraph of the proclamation outlines the area that will be withdrawn from mining. "I just want the commissioners to understand that if we, as a commission, do that, that means there's no gold panning or anything in that area. I'm opposed to that. This is a big area that's proposed for withdrawal from minerals. I do want to be clear that I do agree that I don't want to see the solitude of Pinos Altos or the monastery to be bothered by future mining operations.

He also noted that an underground mining operation had been in the area until 1985, and it did not seem to conflict with the monastery. He said he found other language inappropriate, even in a proclamation. "I think that it should be based on facts." He criticized the comments about mining lowering the water table, as there is a state agency that makes that sort of determination.

Shelly also stated that it is part of county government to protect private property, protect property rights an mineral rights. "So I think it's inappropriate for us to be in a blanket fashion supporting an effort to undermine those property rights. For that reason, I do not support this proclamation, as it's written."

Commissioner Stephens also had comments for Shelley: "I really appreciate the carefulness, with which you read documents that are put in front of you, and your critical thinking in terms of looking at potential for how these statements could be used, and the implications. I also appreciate that you were trying to make the proclamation neat and more concise, which is a tremendous skill."

She then said:"When we had the big public outcry in response to the threatened mining in the community, you did talk about private property rights, and about our limited authority, because you wanted to be sure we were not overreaching our authority. AS I said on Tuesday, I feel like my job as a commissioner is to be responsive to the public, and the public has made very clear that they don't just want appreciation for being special up in the Pinos Altos community, they worry about the threat of large scale mining operations. WThat's why it was written as a proclamation instead of a resolution with mindfulness that we are limited in our scope, and you know there are laws in place to protect property rights. This is just a statement I hope that will show the public that we, as commissioners, value your input, and we respond, we listen, we hear you."

After other comments from commissioners, Ponce, Stephens and Medina voted to approve the proclamation, with a Nay from Shelley. Commissioner Eddie Flores was out of town on work business.

[Original:]
Attachment: GRANT COUNTY PROCLAMATION HONORING PINOS ALTOS AND ITS SURROUNDING LANDS AS TREASURED CULTURAL, HISTORICAL & ECOLOGICAL ASSETS OF GRANT COUNTY