Spring/Summer 2019 the Semi-Annual Publication of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance WILD!
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New Mexico Spring/Summer 2019 The Semi-annual Publication of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance WILD! CELEBRATING OUR NEW WILDERNESS ALSO INSIDE: A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM SENATOR HEINRICH Mount Riley Wilderness in Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument New Mexico LET’S CELEBRATE OUR NEW WILDERNESS! WILD! BY MARK ALLISON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Semiannual Publication of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance t is with immense excitement, VOLUME 16, NUMBER 1 gratitude and pride for New Mex- SPRING 2019 ico that I share this latest edition of our newsletter and celebrate Isome historic news with you. On March Inside 12, the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conser- This Issue: vation, Management, and Recreation Act was signed into law. This package of public lands legislation established From the Executive Director ...............................................2-3 13 NEW WILDERNESS areas and ex- Chaco Update .......................................................................4 panded another in New Mexico total- Bisti and Ah-shi-sle-pah Updates ..........................................4 ing approximately 272,586 acres. It’s Petroglyph Clean-Up Day .....................................................5 not every day that we get to celebrate something like this – it’s not even every Wilderness Celebrations ......................................................5 decade. This represents the most new New Gray Wolf at the BioPark ..............................................6 acreage of Wilderness designated in New Mexico in a single year Wolf Update ........................................................................6 in over a generation, going all the way back to 1980. (Think the in- troduction of the fax machine, Pac-Man, the Empire Strikes Back Cerro de la Olla ....................................................................7 and ABBA. If you prefer not to think of ABBA, that is fine too.) Rio Grande del Norte Update ..............................................7 Silver City to Host Outdoor Economics Conference .............8 As New Mexico Wild supporters know, Wilderness area designation is the conservation gold standard and the highest level of protection for federal pub- Gila Wild and Scenic Update ...............................................9 lic lands. It literally takes an act of Congress to create “Big W” Wilderness. Kid-Friendly Activities ........................................................10 Not an easy thing to do at any time, let alone in today’s political environment. Climate Change .................................................................11 Yet, this legislation passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 92-8 and the House by OMDP Wilderness ........................................................12-13 a count of 363-62. This was a bipartisan and bicameral effort. This is where people found literal and common ground and perhaps provides us with a Federal and State Legislation Roundup .............................14 model for a path forward for other important issues. And all with the re- New Mexico’s Women Leading on Conservation ...............15 cent backdrop of the longest government shutdown during an administration Historic Legislation for Our Public Lands ...........................16 which has directed the largest rollback of federal land protections ever. It is truly remarkable. Welcome New Staff ...........................................................17 Wilderness FAQs ...............................................................18 These designations bring the total amount of protected Wilderness in New Conservation in the West Poll ...........................................19 Mexico to approximately 1,972,507 acres, or about 2.5 percent of our total land area. Farewell Nathan Small ......................................................19 Congratulations Wolf Stamp Artist ................................... 20 But this isn’t really about the number of acres. It’s about these very particu- UNM Wilderness Alliance .................................................21 lar wild and special places that are now permanently protected from roads, Events ...............................................................................24 mineral extraction and development. Not just today, but for forever. It’s also about the story of New Mexicans from every walk of life coming together New Mexico Spring/Summer 2019 and working shoulder to shoulder for years, building a groundswell of sup- The Semi-annual Publication of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance port based on their love of these places that simply, respectfully, demanded WILD! action. Our collective persistence practically guaranteed success. After all, when would you stop fighting for something you loved? At the same time, this couldn’t have happened without the farsightedness, perseverance and legislative talent of our federal congressional delegation. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich co-sponsored the Organ Mountains- CELEBRATING Desert Peaks National Conservation Act, which was absorbed into the public OUR NEW lands package. Legislation to safeguard the Wilderness in Doña Ana County WILDERNESS was first introduced by former Sen. Jeff Bingaman in 2009. And Udall and Heinrich sponsored the Cerros del Norte Conservation Act to protect Wil- ALSO INSIDE: derness in Taos County. The original version of this legislation was also first A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM SENATOR HEINRICH introduced by Sen. Bingaman in 2009. All three of the currently serving New Mexico representatives, Ben Ray Mount Riley Wilderness in Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument Lujan, Deb Haaland and Xochitl Torres Small supported the bill. Assistant ON THE COVER: Speaker Lujan sponsored the Rio Grande del Norte companion legislation in The newly designated Mount Riley Wilderness within Organ the House in the last congress (with former representative and current gov- Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. Just 45 minutes ernor Michelle Lujan Grisham cosponsoring). from El Paso and Las Cruces, it is one of the largest relatively undisturbed stretches of Chihuahuan Desert landscape in the state. Photo: David Soules 2 New Mexico WILD! www.nmwild.org Spring/Summer 2019 LET’S CELEBRATE OUR NEW WILDERNESS! New Mexico Wilderness Alliance ALBUQUERQUE OFFICE 505-843-8696 | [email protected] | www.nmwild.org 317 Commercial Avenue NE, Suite 300 | Albuquerque, NM 87102 SANTA FE FIELD OFFICE Altogether, this legislation created 10 new Wilderness areas in Doña Ana 341 E. Alameda St. County and two new Wilderness areas in Taos County. It also created the Santa Fe, NM 87501 505-216-9719 Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness Area and expanded the existing Bisti/De-Na-Zin LAS CRUCES FIELD OFFICE Wilderness Area, both near the Chaco Culture National Historical Park. All 275 N. Downtown Mall of these new Wilderness areas are managed by the Bureau of Land Manage- Las Cruces, NM 88001 ment. (Interesting note – the Bisti was the first ever BLM Wilderness area.) 505-843-8696 We’ve highlighted all these areas within this newsletter, including maps and MISSION STATEMENT photographs. Of course, to really appreciate their beauty, wildness and eco- The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance is dedicated to the logical importance, you should experience them for yourself. This newsletter, protection, restoration, and continued respect of New Mexico’s our other publications and our website will help you do this. (Along with wildlands and Wilderness areas. helpful tips – such as midday in summer is perhaps not the best time to visit NEW MEXICO WILDERNESS ALLIANCE STAFF the southern areas!) Albuquerque Office Mark Allison, Executive Director The legislation also reauthorized the Land and Water Conservation Fund Tisha Broska, Deputy Director Judy Calman, Staff Attorney (LWCF), which has provided funding for public lands and open spaces in all Logan Glasenapp, Staff Attorney 33 New Mexico counties since its creation. Sens. Udall and Heinrich have Joey Keefe, Communications Coordinator been two of the fund’s most ardent supporters. Lois Manno, Grants Manager Kerry Renshaw, Administrative Assistant Will Ribbans, Wilderness Stewardship & Outreach Manager Our partners in this journey are too numerous to mention though The Wil- Suzanne Soto, Office Manager derness Society and New Mexico Wildlife Federation deserve special rec- Northern New Mexico ognition. And while everything we do here at New Mexico Wild we do as a John Olivas, Traditional Community Organizer team, special praise is due to Jeff Steinborn, our southern director; Nathan Las Cruces Office Jeff Steinborn, Southern NM Director Small (who was until December our “conservation wrangler”); and board Grecia Nuñez, Public Lands Fellow member David Soules; who together led the way for the southern Wilderness Gila Region areas. Our traditional community organizer John Olivas and former board Nathan Newcomer, Grassroots Coordinator member (and former mayor of Questa) Esther Garcia were critical leaders Simon Sotelo, Grassroots Community Organizer Wilderness Rangers for the Taos County wilderness areas. Thanks to everyone who played a part Andrew Reville, Brennan Davis, Zack Bumgarner, large and small, and especially to those who came before us with the vision James Lautzenheiser, Doug Campbell, Becky Fitzpatrick, that now is reality. Thanks particularly to those of you who make up our thou- Tobias Nickel, Jesse Furr, Irene Owsley sands of members and supporters, for your generosity, patience, encourage- BOARD OF DIRECTORS ment and inspiration. Raise a glass – you deserve