Commentary: New Mexicans are calling on Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to recommend no modifications to Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks or Río Grande del Norte national monuments to President Trump.
“After reviewing the reasoning behind Secretary Zinke’s decision to recommend that five national monuments on his list not be altered, it is clear that Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and Rio Grande del Norte hold many or all of the same values,” said Doña Ana County Commissioner Billy Garrett. “Our communities came together over many years to preserve the cultural, historical and natural values within our national monuments, and I hope Secretary Zinke saw that when he came to New Mexico.”
The text below outlines a sampling of the shared significance between the “released” national monuments and Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and Río Grande del Norte. The acreage is notable, as many of the national monuments releases are larger than the New Mexico national monuments under review:
Access
Hanford Reach National Monument, Washington (Roughly 195,000 acres)
- Text from Sec. Zinke’s statement: “Sportsmen and women from all over the country go to Hanford Reach for some of the best fishing and bird hunting around.”
- Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks: Long used by local hunters, the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks contains important habitat and provides outstanding hunting for bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, desert mule deer,javelina, and quail.
- Río Grande del Norte: The national monument has rich and essential wildlife habitat for elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, trout, pike and smallmouth bass, and birds of prey, and encompasses a critical wildlife migration corridor. Hunters and anglers come from near and far, often using local outfitters which help boost the local economy.
“I hunt in Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and fish in Río Grande del Norte. These places represent the best New Mexico has to offer to sportsmen,” said Garrett VeneKlasen of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. “Hunters and Anglers come from near and far to continue their time-tested traditions in these national monuments. As a fellow sportsman, I hope Secretary Zinke listens to the voices of New Mexico sportsmen and conserves critical wildlife habitat for future generations.”
“I learned how to fly fish on this river, and the river or access hasn’t changed,” said Nick Streit, owner of Taos Fly Shop. “I sleep well at night knowing that Río Grande del Norte National Monument is protected, so my business can continue.”
Archaeological Significance
Canyons of the Ancients, Colorado (Roughly 164,000 acres)
- Text from Sec. Zinke’s statement: “Canyons of the Ancients is gorgeous land, but its monument status as the most high-density Native American archeological sites in the Nation is clear. The history at this site spans thousands of years, and the federal protection of these objects and history will help us preserve this site for a thousand more years.”
Sand to Snow National Monument, California (Roughly 154,000 acres)
- Text from Sec. Zinke’s statement: “The land of Sand to Snow National Monument is some of the most diverse terrain in the West, and the monument is home to incredible geographic, biologic, and archaeological history of our nation.”
- Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks: Archaeologically rich, the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks area features hundreds of artifacts, rock art, dwellings, and other evidence of the Native peoples of the area. Three of the many rock art areas are in the Las Valles Canyon in the Sierra de las Uvas, the Providence Cone area in the Potrillo Mountains, and the Doña Ana Mountains. Scattered Paleo Indian artifacts, including those from the Folsom and Clovis cultures, represent the first people who lived in southern New Mexico and have been found in the Robledo and Potrillo Mountains as well as the Las Uvas Valley.
- Río Grande del Norte: The national monument is home to innumerable sacred cultural tribal sites, including petroglyphs and religious shrines from Taos Pueblo, Apache, Comanche, and Ute tribes. Additionally, there are invaluable cultural sites for the local Spanish community that has utilized this magnificent landscape for over 400 years, such as the Old Spanish National Historic trail, which served as a historic trade route.
“For thousands of years, the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks area has been a source of wonder and excitement, enchanting families, explorers, travelers, and archaeologists,” said Angel Peña, a Southwest Archaeologist. “The cultural and archaeological resources within Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument tell crucial parts of our shared history. I urge Secretary. Zinke, to listen to Doña Ana County and keep this national monument intact.”
Geological Significance
Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho (Roughly 661,287 acres)
- Text from Sec. Zinke’s statement: “Craters of the Moon is a living timeline of the geologic history of our land on the Great Rift.”
Grand Canyon-Parashant, Arizona (Roughly 1,014,000 acres)
- Text from Sec. Zinke’s statement: “The land has some of the most pristine and undeformed geological formations in North America, which show the scientific history of our earth while containing thousands of years of human relics and fossils.”
- Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks: Geological features can be found throughout the Sierra de Las Uvas, Potrillo, Robledo, and Organ Mountains. Lava flows and volcanic rock are present throughout the national monument, including a 6,500-foot-high lava dome called Magdalena Peak in the Sierra de las Uvas. The Potrillo volcanic field contains over 100 cinder cones, ranging in age from 20,000 to one million years old. The Aden Lava Flow area is characterized by lava tubes, steep-walled depressions, and pressure ridges that memorialize the flow of lava that created this unique landscape.
- Río Grande del Norte: The Río Grande Rift, one of the world's major rift systems, holds a 70 million year tectonic history. Composed of Servilleta lava basalts and rhyolites, the Taos Plateau has long been a center of research in geology and volcanology. Rising in stark contrast from the plateau's broad expanse, Cerro de la Olla, Cerro San Antonio, and other volcanic cones provide visible reminders of the area's volatile past.
Mescalero Apache Tribal Vice President, Gabriel Aguilar said, “Our history and culture are woven into the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. This is the land our ancestors roamed, and we have a strong connection to where they walked. I hope Secretary Zinke honors these sacred sites and leaves our national monument as it is today for our children and grandchildren.”
Historical Significance
Upper Missouri River Breaks, Montana (Roughly 377,346 acres)
- Text from Sec. Zinke’s statement: “The monument is one of the only free-flowing areas of the Missouri that remains as Lewis and Clark saw it more than 200 years ago."
- Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks: There are parts of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument that have not changed for hundreds of years. . For example, today people can see the same viewsheds as past generations saw 400 years ago.
- Río Grande del Norte: Ranchers have been grazing on the lands within the Río Grande del Norte before New Mexico became a state. Ranching families still graze there today.
“The natural history embedded in Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and Río Grande del Norte National Monuments should remain protected, said Rafael Gomez, Tribal Councilman from the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo.. “ These places tell the story of what New Mexico looked like thousands of years ago, and help us understand how our ancestors survived.”
Secretary Ryan Zinke is expected to give his final recommendations to President Trump on the national monuments under review – including Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and Río Grande del Norte—by August 24, 2017.