By Nicole Maxwell, City Desk ABQ
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury hinted at a possible run for the congressional House Natural Resources (NHRC) ranking member seat.
“I just want to say that there is a clear path to winning that race should I formally get into it,” Stansbury said during her weekly press call Friday. “We are currently speaking to members. We’re speaking to stakeholders. We’re talking to tribes, we’re talking to outside groups, to the conservation community, to leadership and really understanding what is the vision that our communities have for the committee as it moves forward.”
Although she is “still in listening mode” she has still not officially announced her intention to run for the position.
The Democrat, who represents New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District, was endorsed by the former NHRC Ranking Member Raúl Grijalva, D-Arizona, who announced in October his plans to step down following a cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
“I think it’s important to honor the historic legacy of Chairman Grijalva, who served the committee for over a decade. He has tragically been facing health challenges over the last several months in his battle with cancer, and has asked me to consider a run,” she said.
Stansbury is working on preventing Chaco Canyon, a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site, from being used by oil and gas companies for drilling.
“This is a place that is important to all humankind, and it’s a place that’s especially important and sacred to our Indigenous communities, and there is plenty of oil and gas out there to drill and to make a profit on,” Stansbury said. “There is absolutely no reason why these companies need to be granted access into the greater Chaco Canyon area and to irreparably destroy a World Heritage Site and a sacred site. In terms of the overall outlook of oil and gas, we are in the midst of a historic boom.”
The potential for drilling on Chaco Canyon was mentioned in the Project 2025 Mandate for Leadership document.
how come there is not more solar farms built in our Land of Enchanment ??????