NPCA submitted the following positions to members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands ahead of a hearing scheduled for July 15, 2026.
S.4458 - Caja del Rio Protection Act: NPCA supports this legislation, which would conserve and permanently protect the cultural, spiritual, ecological, geological, historical and traditional values of the Caja del Rio landscape near Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico. These protections are vital given rampant vandalism, dumping, shooting and off-road vehicle use which threatens the resources of this landscape. The legislation is reflective of the indigenous voices associated with current and traditional uses of the landscapes and enhances opportunities for these communities to participate in the preservation and management of the landscape.
H.R. 4090 - Critical Mineral Dominance Act: NPCA opposes this legislation, which would codify some provisions of Executive Order (EO) 14241: Immediate Measures To Increase American Mineral Production. The EO directs the Secretary of the Interior to identify public lands, including national parks, with high mineral potential and prioritize mineral development activities above all else. When combined with other actions taken by the administration regarding mineral development on public lands, this EO provides significant benefits for the mining industry in the short term at great risk to our national parks and public lands, while doing little to provide for long-term, sustainable and low-conflict domestic mineral supply-chains. We appreciate the provisions in H.R. 4090 to place some modest oversight on the administration’s mineral agenda. However, the bill still does not adequately address the fundamental underlying inadequacies of our mining laws to better mitigate conflicting demands between mining and mineral exploration and all other uses for public lands, including recreation and conservation of resources.
