Much of the New Mexico part of the range lies inside land controlled by the Navajo Nation.

The Colorado populations lie close to Mesa Verde National Park.

[15][16] As with many slowly maturing desert cacti, the Mesa Verde Cactus has been subjected to over-harvesting and "poaching," contributing to its decline in the wild.

Among the cacti, it is particularly sensitive to the effects of illegal cactus collecting due to its small population size, limited range, and low reproductive success rate.

[14] However, as of 2017 the IUCN assesses the species as Least concern based on ongoing protection and management in multiple locations and lack of severe population fragmentation.