Mount Taylor gets protection from state cultural register listing
02-23-08 - North America — United States, New Mexico
A committee has agreed to an emergency listing of Mount Taylor in the State Register of Cultural Properties at the request of five American Indian communities.
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Mount Taylor gets protection from state cultural register listing
By HEATHER CLARK Associated Press Writer
Article Launched: 02/23/2008 05:52:29 PM MST
ALBUQUERQUE—A committee has agreed to an emergency listing of Mount Taylor in the State Register of Cultural Properties at the request of five American Indian communities.
The action would make it more difficult for uranium mining companies to obtain state exploration permits, while protecting a mountain that is considered sacred by tribes and pueblos in the area.
The listing—agreed to in a rare special meeting Friday of the state Cultural Properties Review Committee—will protect Mount Taylor for a year while the committee investigates whether the area should be permanently listed in the register, the state Historic Preservation Division said in a news release Saturday.
The mountain is located near Grants, where uranium companies have been requesting exploration permits since April 2006 in preparation for mining 300 million pounds of known uranium in the Grants mineral belt. An increase in uranium prices sparked interest in the area.
The committee\'s chairman said the emergency listing is not about prohibiting mining companies from setting up shop in the area.
\"It is not about putting a stop sign in front of mining interests,\" Estevan Rael-Galvez said in the news release. \"Our Representatives from two uranium mining companies working near Grants did not immediately return phone messages left Saturday.
Jodi Porter, spokeswoman for the state Mining and Minerals Division, said Saturday the division would work with the state Cultural Affairs Department, which oversees the Historic Preservation Division, to evaluate any applications for mining permits in or near Mount Taylor.
Acoma Pueblo was the lead sponsor to place the mountain on the State Register. The Zuni and Laguna pueblos, the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe joined Acoma.
The tribes and pueblos have one year to persuade the committee to place the mountain on the register permanently. If they fail to finish their request, the mountain will become ineligible to be listed for five years, the news release said.
The mountain has spiritual significance and is considered life sustaining to each of the tribes. They ascribe human qualities and personalities to the mountain by conducting prayers and pilgrimages that are essential to tribal members to this day, the news release said. "
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