Secret ‘Project Mars’ roils Torrance County residentsBy Cormac Dodd cdodd@sfnewmexican.com, Aug 1, 2026, https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/secret-project-mars-roils-torrance-county-residents/article_6e15c500-ce01-4a68-a84e-b51d50769a85.htmlMORIARTY — Ernest Ortiz learned in late June from a top Torrance County official the state trust land where he runs cattle is eyed for a massive development known as “Project Mars.” The project, which would oust him from land he has leased for nearly a decade, remains mostly a mystery a month later. TakeawaysTorrance County residents have raised concerns about the largely secret “Project Mars” proposal, voicing fears of a new data center that would require large amounts of water in the parched Estancia Basin. The county knows little else about Project Mars, he said, though he added the development would be constructed on 2,200 to 2,500 acres and wouldn’t be a major water burden, like a data center might. Meanwhile, Project Mars faces a major hurdle: The New Mexico State Land Office said it won’t consider leasing state trust land for the development.