FOR RESPONSIBLE ENERGY, WATER & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

 | WHAT YOUR SIGNATURE MEANS
This petition does not approve a specific data center, mine, geothermal plant, developer, water withdrawal, or industrial project. It asks Sierra County to organize, investigate its opportunities, protect its resources, pursue available funding and investment, and prepare to make informed decisions about responsible economic development.


TO THE SIERRA COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS:

We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Sierra County, New Mexico, respectfully request that the Sierra County Board of County Commissioners take formal action to investigate and pursue the responsible development of Sierra County's geothermal, non-fresh/brackish-water, energy, mineral, infrastructure, and compatible industrial opportunities.

Decades of scientific research document groundwater systems, geothermal activity, elevated heat, brackish groundwater, and fault-influenced hydrothermal circulation within the Jornada del Muerto and broader Sierra County region. The evidence justifies organized action and further project-specific investigation. Questions involving sustainable production, freshwater protection, reservoir behavior, water chemistry, environmental effects, mineral economics, infrastructure, and commercial feasibility must still be answered before individual projects proceed.

Sierra County should neither blindly approve development nor simply close the door on opportunity.

WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THE COMMISSION TO:

1. Establish or formally recognize a Sierra County Energy, Water & Economic Development Working Group made up of citizens and appropriate stakeholders.

2. Direct the group to work with county, state, federal, academic, technical, agricultural, community, and private-sector partners to evaluate geothermal energy, non-fresh/brackish water, water treatment, mineral recovery, infrastructure, and compatible industry.

3. Identify where responsible development may be appropriate while protecting freshwater, existing water users, private property, agriculture and ranching, established hot-spring resources, wildlife, cultural resources, and Sierra County communities.

4. Actively pursue available technical assistance, grants, infrastructure programs, research partnerships, and responsible private investment to answer remaining scientific and economic questions.

5. Adopt a 90-Day Readiness Sprint to organize existing research, map infrastructure and resource evidence, communicate with geothermal leaseholders and agencies, identify funding opportunities, and return to the Commission with findings and recommended next actions.

This petition requests preparation, investigation, transparency, and responsible action. It is not authorization for any particular project. Future projects should stand or fall on their own evidence, economics, legal requirements, environmental review, resource protection, and public process.

WE ASK THE SIERRA COUNTY COMMISSION TO MOVE FROM RESEARCH TO ACTION.