El Paso City Councilors unanimously approved a resolution on Tuesday calling for President Barack Obama to designate the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.
El Paso City Councilor Susie Byrd, who sponsored the resolution, said: “The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument is an exciting regional preservation opportunity that brings together history, culture, and land in a way that our community is very excited about. El Paso andDoña Ana County are linked not only by the historic Butterfield Stagecoach Trail and our Native American ancestry but also the tourism, economic development, and quality of life that this new National Monument will bring.”
Troy Ainsworth, Former Historic Preservation Officer for the City of El Paso, focused on the benefits of historic preservation in the new Monument. “Our diverse culture and history are what makes Las Cruces and the Mesilla Valley such a special place to live and visit. The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Monument will showcase this rich history in ancient petroglyphs on canyon walls, remnants of the Camino Real and Butterfield Stagecoach Trails, and in the literally thousands of archeological sites within its proposed border.” He also noted that El Paso joined the City of Las Cruces, the Town of Mesilla, and the Doña Ana County Commission in unanimously supporting the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.
Citizens applauded the Council’s unanimous support. “As a business leader, I believe the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument will help create jobs by attracting more tourists, families, and businesses to our region. Multiple economic studies have shown that communities benefit from a National Monument designation, and I applaud the El City Council for their strong leadership today,” said Renee Frank, Realtor® and President of the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce.
Fernando Clemente, a local sportsman and small business owner, spoke about the need to protect the region’s unique environment. “The new Organ Mountains- Desert Peaks National Monument will protect the diverse and rich environment of the Chihuahuan Desert. This protection will help wildlife, sportsmen, outdoor enthusiasts, and those that love the land and culture, and want to see it protected.”
Within the passed Resolution, the El Paso City Council spoke directly to the President, “[The City of El Paso] respectfully requests that the President of United States use his authority under the 1906 Antiquities Act to establish the Organ Mountains-Deseret Peaks National Monument as a public legacy…”