Catron County residents and a New Mexico environmental group are organizing opposition after a uranium company sought state and federal approval to begin exploratory uranium mining in a portion of Cibola National Forest.
NovaCore Exploration Inc. submitted a permit request on July 2 to the New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division, seeking permission to drill up to 37 boreholes approximately 15 miles northwest of Datil as part of the Ane Uranium Exploration Project.
Garrett VeneKlasen, Northern Conservation Director at New Mexico Wild, said the proposal is notable for its scale compared with other recent uranium projects in New Mexico.
If approved, and if exploration confirms economically viable uranium deposits, NovaCore holds up to 850 active mining claims covering roughly 15,000 acres—an area approximately the size of the city of Carlsbad, according to Bureau of Land Management records.
“This is the ugliest one I’ve seen in a long time, just because of the sheer size of its footprint,” VeneKlasen said.
Other proposed uranium projects in New Mexico, including the Roca Honda and La Jara Mesa projects elsewhere in Cibola National Forest, would cover less than 2,000 acres. A proposed site near Canjilon in Carson National Forest would encompass roughly 900 acres.
Douglas Christopherson, NovaCore’s chief operations officer, said the company is awaiting decisions from both the Cibola National Forest and state regulators.
“We want to be good neighbors,” Christopherson said. “That’s really all I can say on that matter until we know if the uranium there is economic or not.”
VeneKlasen said the permit applications represent the first concrete step toward uranium development in the area after years of speculation.
Two years ago, Myriad Uranium announced it had staked claims for what it called the Red Basin Uranium Project in the same region. The company estimated at least 500,000 pounds of uranium within the claims, with as much as 5.5 million additional pounds potentially present.
“These things are never real until the mining company actually does something” such as submitting a permit application, VeneKlasen said.
NovaCore’s 106-page application requests permission to construct drill pads and build at least one mile of new roads to support exploration activities. The company states it has plans to prevent chemical spills, transport its own water, minimize environmental impacts and may not ultimately use all 37 proposed drill sites.
Christopherson said the company’s interest is based in part on a 1981 research paper from what was then the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources. The study estimated that between 15 million and 45 million pounds of uranium concentrate, commonly known as yellowcake, could exist in the Datil Mountains and Pie Town area.
He emphasized that the company is still far from determining the extent of any uranium deposits and said NovaCore intends to comply fully with all state and federal environmental regulations.
Sidney Hill, spokesperson for the Mining and Minerals Division, said the agency is reviewing the application for completeness and will publish milestone documents, including requests for additional information and review determinations, on its website.
Kathy Knapp, a community advocate from nearby Pie Town, said she is urging the Catron County Commission to oppose the project and is organizing local residents.
She expressed concern that uranium mining could threaten the San Agustin Aquifer and permanently alter the area’s remote landscape and exceptionally dark night skies.
“They’ve moved here from all over because it’s one of the darkest parts of the contiguous US,” Knapp said. “And we want to protect the air, the water, the pristine environment. Once the uranium drilling starts, we’re not going to be able to stop it.”
NovaCore’s proposal is the latest in a series of renewed uranium development efforts in New Mexico following President Donald Trump’s January 2025 declaration of a national energy emergency aimed at expanding domestic energy production.
Since then, several New Mexico uranium projects have been identified for expedited federal review, while rising uranium prices have improved the economic outlook for new mining operations.
Although the U.S. Forest Service has designated the Roca Honda and La Jara Mesa proposals as priority projects, New Mexico officials have said that each project must still complete the state’s independent permitting process before any mining activities can begin.
ByPatrick Lohmann-July 7, 2026
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