Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program
What is NALEMP?
The Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program (NALEMP) was developed in 1996 to address environmental issues resulting from past Department of Defense (DoD) activities on Native American Lands.
This program has funded the cleanup and continued monitoring of multiple World War II era bombing practice sites on the Pueblo of Santa Ana.
The goal of the NALEMP program is to mitigate the risks that these former practice bombing sites pose to people and the environment, and to restore the impacted land for ranching, hunting, hiking and other culturally significant activities.
Former Bombing Sites
There are five known bombing sites that are either within or adjacent to the Pueblo of Santa Ana Tribal boundary, all of which were used during World War II for the purpose of training military personnel.
Two of these sites referred to as N-13 and N-14 are located on the edge of the Tamaya boundary. These sites have both underwent multiple surface clearance sweeps; however, weathering and erosion may still uncover buried debris over time.
Kwii Kie Nii Puu has two additional bombing sites called N-6 and N-7. Sites N-6 and N-7 have each had multiple clearance seeps, however a newly discovered impact at N-7 will require further surface clearance activity. Surface clearance for this new impact location is slated to begin in early 2026.
Debris Clearance
Since the beginning participation in the NALEMP program, the PSA Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has overseen the removal of hundreds of pounds of munitions debris from the Pueblo.
To remove all of this material, sweep teams of about a dozen certified contractors move back and forth across sections of the bombing site searching for debris and removing them by hand after they have been deemed to safe to handle. To date, these sweeps have covered over 1,000 acres of Pueblo land.
Your Safety
Please exercise caution if you are planning on going to area of the Pueblo that could have munitions debris.
Munitions and bombing debris can be dangerous, the Army Corps of Engineers have indicated that there is a possibility that unexploded ordinances remain buried and could be exposed by weathering.
The best way to protect yourself is to follow the three R’s:
The 3R's
Be aware of where you are, and what you might encounter.
If you know you are going to a remote area of the Pueblo keep an eye out for any metal that looks old and out of place, as this could be dangerous. If you are unsure, please contact the DNR so that we can work with you to identify the debris.
If you encounter possible munitions debris, do not touch or move the object. Make note of the location and carefully leave the area.
Notify the Pueblo of Santa Ana DNR by calling (505) 771-6461.
If you can, do your best to recall the location and shape of the debris so that DNR staff know what to look for.
Contact the SADNR Environmental Division
Please reach out if you have any questions about the NALEMP program or would like to report potential munitions debris.
Lisa Hopinkah, Environmental Division Manager, lisa.hopinkah@santaana-nsn.gov
Tara Weston, Environmental Programs Manager, tara.weston@santaana-nsn.gov
Stephen Sanders, Environmental Program Specialist, stephen.sanders@santaana-nsn.gov