ORGAN MOUNTAINS NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA MA3{?LQ'EM'E<X2 TXPSTTCIUS JULY 1989 FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT MIMBRES RESOURCE AREA 1800 MARQUESS STREET LAS CRUCES, NM 88005 (505) 525-8228 BLM-NM-GI-89-018-4333 PURPOSE The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) of south-central New Mexico. The CRMP will has been actively preparing for the legisla­ constitute the initial management plan for tive action which will create the Organ the NCA. Mountains National Conservation Area (NCA). The Organ Mountains Coordinated This prospectus has been developed to Resource Management Plan (CRMP), present a status of the work that has been, which has just been completed, outlines and is continuing to be accomplished specific management actions for over toward a fully operating National Conserva­ 50,000 acres of BLM-administered public tion Area. land in the Organ and Franklin Mountains Illustration Courtesy of Sara Hopkins 1 PREVIOUS DESIGNATIONS AND STUDIES The BLM has long recognized the Organ and Franklin Mountains areas. The Final and Franklin Mountains as an area with Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for special resource values in need of special the New Mexico Statewide Wilderness management and protection. In 1971, the Study was completed in 1988. The EIS 27,167-acre Organ Mountains Recreation recommended the designation of a Lands (OMRLs) were designated. The 7,144-acre wilderness area in the Organ OMRLs Management Plan was prepared in Mountains. Recent land acquisitions will 1971 and Updated in 1975 and 1985. In make it possible to designate nearly 17,000 1984, the 8,947-acre Organ Mountains acres of wilderness within the area. The Scenic Area of Critical Environmental Organ Mountains CRMR that was just Concern (ACEC) was designated. In 1987 completed, consolidates the multiplicity of a Habitat Management Plan (HMP) was previous designations and management prepared for the Sneed's pincushion plans into one, single comprehensive cactus, which is Federally-listed as endan­ document. gered. The HMP covered the Bishop's Cap 2 LAND EXCHANGES A scattered, multi-ownership land pattern protecting this ecologically important and has contributed to management problems strikingly beautiful area. TNC will remain an in the area. BLM has taken on that chal­ active partner in helping BLM manage the lenge. In cooperation with the New Mexico Cox Ranch property. Land acquisition State Land Office, all (approximately 6,600 efforts are continuing, with about 7,700 acres) State trust land has been acquired acres of private land and 2,100 acres of through exchange in the last 3 years. In property owned by New Mexico State 1988, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) University (NMSU) to be acquired. A land acquired the 2,800-acre A.B. Cox Ranch. exchange with NMSU should be completed BLM then acquired the property through a in 1989, along with several private complicated land exchange with TNC, thus exchanges. Illustration courtesy of Sara Hopkins 3 KEY FEATURES OF THE NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA Once designated, the Organ Mountains recreation, cultural and scientific resources would be BLM's sixth National Conservation in the Organ and Franklin Mountains for the Area. The NCA would be established to benefit and enjoyment of present and future protect and maintain unique and nationally generations. Some of the special features significant ecological, scenic, wilderness, of the area include: 4 Photo courtesy of Rio Grande Historical Collection New Mexico State University Library CULTURAL VALUES: The area exhibits ical sites ranging from historic mining- evidence of human occupation since related sites to the well-known Van Patten's approximately 9,500 B.C. The greatest Mountain Resort in the Dripping Springs numbers of prehistoric sites date from the area. Van Patten, a Confederate Colonel, Jornada Mogollon cultural period, approx­ opened the resort in the late 1870s. It imately A.D. 200 to A.D. 1400. Midden became one of the most prominent retreats deposits at the Pena Blanca and La Cueva in southern New Mexico. It later became a rockshelters are representative of this tuberculosis sanatorium operated by Dr. period. The Pena Blanca Site has produced Nathan Boyd in the early 1900s. The CRMP the earliest cultivated corn in the United calls for partial restoration, stabilization, and States. The area has a wealth of archeolog- interpretation of this site. 5 RECREATIONAL VALUES: The Organ and Franklin Mountains currently receive about 150,000 recreation visits per year, most of which is attributable to the Aguirre Spring campground and immediate area. Developed camping and trails, in a mountain setting, are extremely limited in south-central New Mexico. This area provides the closest recre­ ation opportunities of this type for the Las Cruces-EI Paso area. Other areas on the Gila and Lincoln National Forests are another 11/2 to 2 hours further by car. As includes a large group site that is fully such the Organs and Franklins are to Las handicap accessible. Two National Recre­ Cruces and El Paso as the Sandias are to ation Trails also start at trailheads located Albuquerque. The Aguirre Spring Camp­ within the campground. The 6-mile Baylor ground lies on the east side of the Organ Pass Trail traverses the Organ Mountains Mountains. This 55-unit campground also from east to west. The 41/2 mile Pine Tree Trail is a loop beginning and ending at the campground. There is a small 6-unit picnic area near La Cueva that was developed by the Cox family. The CRMP calls for upgrading this facility to a 55-unit day-use area. The CRMP also calls for establishment of the A.B. Cox Visitor Center, utilizing the existing ranch house. The Visitor Center will become a cornerstone for BLM/TNC inter­ pretive programs in the area. The Visitor Center complex will also consist of a parking area, 10-unit picnic area, day camp facili­ ties, and a maintenance center utilizing existing outbuildings. The CRMP also calls for developing roughly 40 miles of hiking, horseback and bicycle trails, including a trail to link the Organ Mountains with the Franklin Mountains State Park in Texas. The Organ Mountains also provide nationally significant technical rock climbing on quartz monzonite. 6 ECOLOGICAL VALUES: The Organ Moun­ tains rise over 5,000 feet above the Mesilla Valley and encompass 3 major life zones. Their elevation, geology, and geographic position contribute to tremendous biological diversity. The area supports approximately 250 species of birds, 70 species of mammals, and 60 species of reptiles and amphibians. The Organ Mountains contain one of the highest concentrations of threat­ ened and endangered (T&E) plant species found anywhere in New Mexico. There are 24 known State-listed or T&E plant species that occur within the area, many of which are found on or near the Cox Ranch prop­ erty. These include the Organ Mountain evening primrose and Sneed's pincushion cactus. There are also up to seven species of State-listed endangered birds and two State-listed mammals that occur in the area. Sneed's Pincushion Cactus 7 BLM'S MANAGEMENT TASK Key management direction from the CRMR tions to form a Friends of the which will constitute the initial plan for the Mountains group for implementa­ NCA, directs BLM to: tion of the CRMP. • Maintain ecological integrity as • Develop a Visitor Center, day-use well as the quality scenic, wilder­ facilities, trails, and interpretive ness, recreation, and natural program. values of this unique area. • Inventory and protect significant cultural resources and popula­ • Acquire remaining private and tions of T&E plants and animals in NMSU lands within the area the area. through purchase or exchange. • Partially restore, stabilize, and inter­ • Develop a Cooperative Manage­ pret the historic ruins at Dripping ment Agreement with the U.S. Springs. Army at Fort Bliss for joint management of the area. • Implement grazing systems, rangeland improvements, and • Develop a Cooperative Manage­ water developments to benefit ment Agreement with local wildlife, riparian, and watershed governments and private institu­ values. 8 WORKLOAD AND BUDGETING The workload and budgeting needs for 1 PFT Project Leader implementing the Organ Mountain CRMP 1 PFT Law Enforcement Ranger can be grouped into three categories: (1) 1 PFT Maintenance Worker implementation (initial development costs), 3 Temp Maintenance Workers (2) field operations (operations and main­ 1 Temp Interpretive Specialist tenance costs), and (3) land acquisition. 4 Full-Time Volunteers Each of these categories are discussed below. Other miscellaneous volunteers IMPLEMENTATION: These are the costs of TNC will also be stationing a full-time Natu­ survey/design and construction of facilities ralist at the A.B. Cox Visitor Center. It is such as the Visitor Center, picnic areas, planned that this person will also function trails, cost of resource inventories, etc. They as a BLM volunteer. are one-time costs as opposed to recurring costs such as operations and maintenance. LAND ACQUISITION: The emphasis for land acquisition will be on exchanges. Costs FIELD OPERATIONS: In order to provide reflect the approximate average value of all on-the-ground management of the inholdings if purchased. The value of proposed NCA, BLM's operations and specific parcels will vary greatly. A separate maintenance activities will need to be appraisal will be performed to determine the expanded. The current staff consists of one fair market value of individual parcels for Permanent Full-Time (PFT)