The Sky Islands
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Call of the Wild The Newsletter of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance Vol. VI No. 4 Winter 2002 TheThe SkySky IslandsIslands New Mexico Wilderness Alliance Winter 2002 1 New Mexico A Note from the Chair aving just returned from Australia, I am reminded Wilderness Alliance how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place. Main Office Though I am fascinated with the grander and 505/843-8696 fax 505/843-8697 biodiversity of the Northern Territory and Kimberly [email protected] www.nmwild.org Houtback, they have nothing to surpass what we often take for granted in the Land of Enchantment. This P.O. Box 25464 acknowledgment furthers my resolve to protect the Albuquerque, NM 87125 wildlands I am part of. 202 Central Avenue, SE Suite 101 With the sun shinning low through the window, I am Albuquerque, NM 87102 reminded that another year has passed and so much has happened within the New Mexico Wilderness Alli- Las Cruces Field Office ance (NMWA). My last report to you spoke of Edward 101 N. Alameda #8G Sullivans decision to leave NMWA and follow the call Las Cruces, NM 88005 of the wild to South America. This was the genesis for a 505/527-9962 major effort by the board to find a worthy replacement, which we have in Jessica Pope. I am glad to say that Mission Statement Jess has exceeded all of our expectations. She is a The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance is dynamic lady who meets every task and challenge dedicated to the protection, restoration, and with the determination of a climber trying to ascend continued enjoyment of New Mexicos wild lands Cookes Peak before lunch! Thank you Jess, your efforts and Wilderness areas. are appreciated. Jess inherited difficult times but quickly rose to the NMWA Staff challenge and is making great progress. As you know, Greta Balderrama, Grassroots Organizer the economy took a dramatic turn downward in Las Cruces Office response to world events. With this economic change, Tisha Broska, Membership Coordinator Steve Capra, Director of Wilderness Campaigns many of the foundations upon which NMWA and Greg Magee, Southern Field Coordinator other non-profit organizations depend have reduced or Roxanne Pacheco, Finance Manager even eliminated their grants. This required that conser- Jessica Pope, Executive Director vation groups, including NMWA, take a very hard look Randy Gray, Chairman of the Board Michael Robinson, Director of Wilderness at budgets, priorities, and staffing. To ensure that Protection of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance Sean Saville, Grassroots Organizer Albuquerque Office NMWA can aggressively work toward Wilderness and Michael Scialdone, Northern Field Coordinator wildlands protection, the Board of Directors very reluctantly let some of NMWAs family go. In August, Board of Directors Garrick Delzell, Matt Clark, Jim Scanlon, and Kathy Randall Gray, Chair Lake Valley, NM Table of Contents Wimmers positions were eliminated to re-size NMWA Todd Schulke, V. Chair Silver City, NM Wilderness Updates 3 Dave Parsons, Treasurer Albuquerque, NM for our new budget dictated by world events. This was Nancy Morton, Secretary Albuquerque, NM Otero Mesa an emotional event for all, because staff and board Jim Baca Albuquerque, NM Wilderness Spotlight 4 share a common vision for New Mexicos wildlands Pam Eaton Denver, CO Florida MountainsA NM Sky Island and have spent much time together celebrating our Dave Foreman Albuquerque, NM victories and planning our future. This decision was Bob Howard Santa Fe, NM Perspectives 5 especially difficult, because each one of these indi- Wes Leonard El Paso, TX Life In Oil CountryA New Reality viduals contributed so much hard work, enthusiasm, Arian Pregenzer Albuquerque, NM ideas, and dedication to the goals of NMWA. I and the Bob Tafanelli Las Cruces, NM Inventory Update 6 rest of the board want to use this forum to say Thank Jim Scarantino Albuquerque, NM Explorations In the Big Burro Mountains You Garrick, Matt, Jim and Kathy; you are missed more Steve West Carlsbad, NM Wild Science 7 than you realize. Your absence is felt not only in our Tom Wootten Cortaro, AZ Landscape Linkages hearts but on the front line of wildlands conservation Key to Connectivity in the Sky Islands Newsletter where challenges continue to grow. Tisha Broska, Managing Editor Feature 8-9 I want to assure you, our members and supporters, What Are Sky Islands? Marty Peale, Editor, Design & Layout that NMWA is strong and moving forward. We are The Peloncillos adjusting to the new economic conditions and are The Artists: Cover photo of Big Hatchets by D. Fore- Sky Islands Wildlands Network exploring opportunities to diversify our funding, since man; p. 2 photo of Randy Gray by N. Winkler; p. 3 il- Links Landscapes, People foundations will be limited in how much they can lustration by E. Cantor, p. 4 photos by G. Magee; p. 5 help. So now, we must look to you, our membership, photo of Roy Dearing by S. Capra; p. 6 photo of Gila Wilderness News 10 Lower Box by G. Magee; p. 7 illustrations by E. Cantor; Sandia Mnt. Settlement Awaits Senate OK for continued support. If you can, please give even p. 8 photo of Big Hatchets by M. Berman; p. 9 photog- Oil and Gas vs. Gila Lower Box, Robledos, more generously. We are looking into a variety of rapher unknown; p. 10 photo of Sandias by J. Willis; p. Boardwell Canyon events and activities that will generate income to sup- port our programs that protect wildlands and Wilder- 13 photos by S. Saville; p. 14 illustration by E. Cantor; Flora and Fauna 11 p. 16 photo by M. Berman. NM Life ZonesFrom Chihuahuan to Tundra ness. If you have ideas to help meet these objectives, please contact us. We are all in this together, because Get Involved 12 we all love the enchanted landscape we come Reiterate Support for a Wild Otero Mesa home to. A Call For Hope Enjoy this issue of our newsletter, which is dedicated Wilderness Gettin Out There 13 to the Sky Islands region. When I first hiked these areas The Wilderness Act of 1964 established the Jemez High School Goes to Cabezon of high biological diversity more than 30 years ago, National Wilderness Preservation System to preserve these gems of evolution became the genesis and core the last remaining wild lands in America. The Coalition Update 14 of my commitment to the protection of biodiversity Wilderness Act, as federal policy, secures an enduring Cabezon Working Group to Help and wildlands. No matter where my career and life resource of wilderness for the people. Wilderness is New Businesses have taken me, the Sky Islands have been my beacon defined as an area that has primarily been affected by Brochure Promotes Coalition the forces of nature with the imprint of humans for coming home. The New Mexico Wilderness Alli- substantially unnoticeable. It is an area that offers Staff/Volunteer Profiles 15 ance, Sky Island Alliance, Wildlands Project, and oth- outstanding opportunity for solitude or a primitive or Board Salutes Sullivans Contributions ers have made the Sky Islands a priority for protection unconfined type of recreation, and an area that NMWA Seeks Community Liaisons and rewilding. Learn about them, visit their remote contains ecological, geological, or other features of Youre InvitedNMWAs Annual Holiday Party canyons and mountain tops, share your hikes with scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value. unique plants and animals, and help us keep them Printed on Recycled Paper wild and beautiful. Randy Gray, Chairman of the Board 2 Winter 2002 New Mexico Wilderness Alliance Wilderness Updates Your Support Is Otero Mesas Only Line of Defense Now ocated in southern New Mexico, wenty-five years ago, the BLM under more than 520,000 acres of the Greater that there is no correlation between the Greater Otero Mesa Area is took a Wilderness inventory of the Otero Mesa Area qualify for Wilderness Otero Mesa and the fundraisers with considered to be the nations wildest T1.2 million acre Greater Otero Mesa designation. Nevertheless, BLM is Dick Cheney. The obvious is all too and largest Chihuahuan Desert grass- Area. From records we have obtained, attempting to accelerate development, clear, however, and HEYCO is not only Lland remaining on our public lands. we can see that: without reinventorying the area. mounting more money to fight to This rare network of grasslands, moun- a considerable portion of this develop Otero Mesa, but is also gaining tains, serpentine canyons, and rolling inventory was based on aerial he lead company that wants to more political muscle. hills represents the only intact corridor photos, supplemented with limited exploit Otero Mesa is Harvey E. Yates The Wilderness potential of the between the Guadalupe and Sacra- on-site Wilderness reviews and TCompany (HEYCO), based out of Greater Otero Mesa Area is in serious mento Mountains for many species of inventories; and Roswell, New Mexico. George Yates, jeopardy. BLM: concern, including the States healthiest the review covered only about the president of HEYCO, recently spon- continues to ignore calls for a new herd of pronghorn antelopewhich, 15,000 acres of the 1.2 million sored two $1,000-a-plate fundraisers in Wilderness inventory, and unlike other herds throughout New that comprise the area. southern New Mexico for Vice-Presi- continues to neglect conducting Mexico, is native to the area and has When the BLM completed this cursory dent Dick Cheney. Yates has long been comprehensive scientific surveys never needed reintroduction. More than review, it recommended a mere 11,000 an enemy of conservation. He remains that could proveor notthat oil 1,000 native wildlife speciesinclud- acres for intensive Wilderness evalua- on the board of the Mountain States and gas development can occur ing black-tailed prairie dogs, mule deer, tionand then decided that none Legal Foundation (a group devoted to responsibly.