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'El Norte' Protection Rises Again in DC

from the New Mexico News Connection - A statewide news service for New Mexico
Taos - A bill that would close some "gaps" in New Mexico's wild lands has hit Washington D.C.  'El Norte' is back... in Congress. A bill to protect wild lands in northern New Mexico near the Rio Grande was reintroduced this week by retiring Senator Jeff Bingaman.

The Rio Grande del Norte National Conservation Area Establishment Act mirrors a previous bill. Local outfitter and a Mora County Commissioner John Olivas says it would fill a gap in protection for an area around Taos that has become the epicenter of New Mexico's growing ecotourism industry,   "There's a chain of protected areas like the Valle Vidal, Latir Wilderness, Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Study Area, the Pecos Wilderness. This would just be one more jewel in northern New Mexico that helps protect public land."

The bill would protect about 236-thousand acres of public land in Taos and Rio Arriba counties, and preserve traditional uses of the land that are part of the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. The Senate bill is co-sponsored by Senator Udall. Representatives Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan have introduced a companion bill in the House.

Oscar Simpson is vice chair of the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers in New Mexico. He says preserving key areas for wildlife and recreation is a vital part of the local economic base, "Wildlife viewing, recreation, and hunting and fishing. They all tie in with making sure that we've got a sustainable ecosystem, but also have an economic engine that supports the local economy." Simpson also noted that the areas that would be protected include some critical habitat for elk, deer and antelope.

Eric Mack reporting, nmnc@newsservice.org

Time Runs Out on Proposed White's Peak Trade

from the New Mexico News Connection - A statewide news service for New Mexico
New Mexico Sportsmen Remain Opposed

Springer, NM - There's just one day left until the deadline on a deal that has New Mexico sportsmen up in arms. A proposed land exchange between the State Land Office and two large, private ranches could take thousands of acres of popular hunting ground in northern New Mexico out of public use.

There's just one day left until the clock runs out on a deal that - as it stands now - could leave New Mexico sportsmen holding the short end of the stick. That's the view from the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, which opposes a proposed land exchange involving public lands around White's Peak, west of Springer, that are popular with hunters. The trade involves transferring thousands of acres of mountainous public trust land to a few large private ranches in exchange for thousands of acres of lower, mostly grasslands. Ed Olona is president of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and a long-time resident of the area. Olona says about the porposed trade, "For good prime deer, bear, turkey hunting country they are trading prairie, prairie country."

The State Land Office says the White's Peak lands have been hard to manage due to issues with access, vandalism and illegal off-road vehicle use - and the exchange would solve those problems. But Olona says those are issues that can be solved without trading away the land, and he complains that the deal has been done largely out of the view of the public eye. A map of the proposed exchange was only recently posted on the State Land Office web site. If no one else bids or offers an exchange for the White's Peak lands by November 24th at 5 p.m. the deal can then move forward. The land is managed by the State Land Office.

Olona says the exchange would unfairly impact local hunters who can't afford to pay exorbitant fees to hunt on private lands,  "If they give it away to the wealthy, rich ranchers, the people of the state of New Mexico are going to suffer - they don't have a place to hunt anymore - and this is the reason why we're protecting these lands for the poor."

A map of the area is here: http://www.nmstatelands.org/uploads/News/2009/2009_1120WhitesPeakFacts.pdf