Luján, Heinrich, Vasquez Urge USPS to Reconsider Permanent Closure of Mule Creek Post Office

Santa Fe, N.M. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) wrote to Postmaster General David Steiner demanding that the United States Postal Service (USPS) reconsider the proposed permanent closure of the Mule Creek Post Office in Grant County, New Mexico, and to keep postal service in the community it has served for more than 100 years. The Mule Creek Post Office opened on January 16, 1916, and has served ranchers, veterans, seniors, families, and small businesses for generations. In 2024, the facility was damaged, and repairs were never made. The U.S. Postal Service set up a mobile unit as a temporary fix, but more than two years later, residents still have no permanent post office. Now, instead of restoring service, USPS has proposed permanently closing the Mule Creek Post Office. “We are deeply concerned about the impact this proposed permanent closure would have on the residents of Mule Creek and the surrounding rural service area. We strongly urge that the United States Postal Service (USPS) reconsider the proposed closure and maintain postal service in Mule Creek,” the lawmakers wrote. “The Mule Creek Post Office has served the community since 1916. It’s more than one hundred years of service reflects its longstanding role in the life of the community. We request that USPS reconsider the proposed closure and undertake a comprehensive, community-specific review before proceeding with any final decision,” the lawmakers concluded. Read the full letter here and below: Dear Postmaster General Steiner, We write as a delegation regarding the proposed permanent closure of the Mule Creek Post Office in Grant County, New Mexico. We are deeply concerned about the impact this proposed permanent closure would have on the residents of Mule Creek and the surrounding rural service area. We strongly urge that the United States Postal Service (USPS) reconsider the proposed closure and maintain postal service in Mule Creek. The Mule Creek Post Office has served the community since January 16th, 1916—more than 110 years. For generations, it has provided essential postal services to residents, ranchers, veterans, senior citizens, families, and small businesses. In 2024, the Mule Creek postal facility was damaged, and the landlord subsequently declined to make the necessary repairs. As a result, USPS was required to locate a new property from which to continue permanent operations. While USPS quickly established a mobile postal unit to provide interim service, what was intended to be a temporary solution has now become a two-year challenge. Mule Creek residents continue to lack a permanent post office and must rely on a mobile unit that provides reduced hours and services. Currently, residents can access the mobile unit only from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on weekdays. These limited hours create significant accessibility challenges for residents and further underscore the importance of finding a permanent solution rather than allowing temporary arrangements to become the basis for permanent closure. It has now been more than two years since the original facility was damaged, and residents continue to wait for USPS to establish a permanent postal facility in Mule Creek. The prolonged absence of a permanent facility, combined with reduced hours and services, has created uncertainty for the community and raised serious concerns about the future of the post office. The consequences of this closure are particularly devastating because Mule Creek residents do not have universal residential mail delivery. Many residents would have to travel substantially far to retrieve letters, packages, prescriptions, government correspondence and other essential items. We understand that USPS has identified Buckhorn as a potential alternative location. Buckhorn is approximately 18 miles from the current Mule Creek Post Office, requiring a resident traveling between the two locations to make an approximately thirty-six-mile round trip. For residents living in the more remote service area, the total round-trip distance to an alternative post office can range from approximately forty-five to seventy-five miles. These distances could create a significant burden for residents who rely on local postal services. We are concerned about the effect of closure on senior citizens, veterans, individuals with disabilities, residents with medical needs and individuals without reliable transportation. The potential consequences extend to the timely receipt and shipment of prescription medications, medical correspondence, government documents, business materials, packages, and other time sensitive items. Requiring residents to travel substantially greater distances for routine postal needs would impose recurring costs in fuel, vehicle maintenance, mileage, and travel time. We respectfully request that USPS consider the importance of the Mule Creek Post Office to the residents and community of Mule Creek. This local post office serves a purpose that extends beyond the processing and delivery of mail. It provides an important point of contact for residents who may otherwise have limited opportunities to interact with neighbors, exchange information and maintain essential community relationships. After more than a century of continuous service, the Mule Creek Post Office has become an established and valued institution within the community. We recognize USPS’s responsibility to operate efficiently and to evaluate its facilities and services. At the same time, decisions concerning rural postal facilities should account for the unique circumstances of communities where geographic isolation and the absence of universal residential delivery can make access to an alternative facility substantially more difficult. To that end, we respectfully request that the Postal Service undertake a comprehensive review of the proposed closure and specifically: Suspend and reconsider the proposed closure of the Mule Creek Post Office pending further review; Conduct a thorough assessment of the actual distances, driving times, and transportation requirements residents would face in accessing alternative postal facilities; Consider the absence of universal residential mail delivery within the Mule Creek servicearea and the resulting importance of local access to postal services; Evaluate the specific effects of closure on senior citizens, veterans, individuals with disabilities, residents with medical needs, and those without reliable transportation; Assess the economic consequences for ranchers, home-based businesses, agricultural operations, and other local enterprises that rely on dependable postal services; Consider the cumulative fuel, vehicle, and transportation costs that would be imposed upon residents required to travel greater distances; Evaluate the potential consequences for the timely receipt and shipment of prescription medications, medical correspondence, business materials, and other time-sensitive items; Engage directly with the Mule Creek community and local stakeholders to explore alternatives that would preserve meaningful, reliable, and accessible postal service. The Mule Creek Post Office has served the community since 1916. It’s more than one hundred years of service reflects its longstanding role in the life of the community. We request that USPS reconsider the proposed closure and undertake a comprehensive, community-specific review before proceeding with any final decision. We appreciate your attention to this critical issue affecting our constituents and urge USPS to provide a timely and detailed response outlining the steps it will take to fulfill its obligations to the residents of Mule Creek. ###