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As oil and gas development booms in New Mexico's Permian Basin, conservation advocates are pushing to protect key wildlife habitat, but facing roadblocks from the Trump administration. The Bureau of Land Management is in the process of revising a major plan that will guide management decisions in the southeastern corner of the state for years to come, and conservationists have asked the agency to protect four areas with herons, falcons, and a vast array of bird species.
However, even while developing the new management plan, BLM's Carlsbad office has continued to offer oil and gas leases within those areas identified as key habitat. The Carlsbad office has come under fire in recent years for skirting cultural and environmental laws in favor of oil and gas companies.
Conservationists have continued their push to protect the region's wildlife, but remain wary of the agency, particularly in this administration. Judy Calman, Policy Director for the New Mexico Audubon Society noted, "At this point, in Carlsbad, 98 percent of BLM land is open to leasing, and most of it is already leased. So it’s not like we’re asking for that much. BLM is supposed to be a multiple use agency. It’s not supposed to be a single-use field office."
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This really isn’t a cost-benefit analysis. It’s a couple of spreadsheets”
