Latino Conservation Week: National monument vital in public lands management work
As the morning sun rises each day above the peaks surrounding our desert community, I am reminded of how blessed we are to live among awe-inspiring public lands in southern New Mexico.
Today I am pausing a little longer as I gaze at the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument gracing our city’s outskirts. It is Latino Conservation Week and I can’t help but think how these rugged lands have long been the backbone for recreation and economic opportunities for Latino families and how vital they will be for future generations.
It has been nearly 10 years since the designation of our national monument, which spurred increased visibility and interest both locally and nationally. The monument designation and the years of efforts to increase equitable access to places like the Organ Mountains has presented community leaders, including myself, a range of options we can build from to strengthen not only how the lands are managed, but how we as a community can shape programs and activities that will get more people outside.
Our county commission has a role to play in identifying ways to support access to the outdoors as well as bringing in much needed funding through state and federal programs that have been established. Thanks to some of our own Latino leaders, including Rep. Angelica Rubio and Congressman Gabe Vasquez, we are beginning to reap the benefits of these programs, including the Outdoor Recreation Division and the outdoor equity grants the department administers.
Local organizations like the Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks have used this fund to connect our youth to outdoor activities in our area through programs like Moving Montañas. Doña Ana County has also been working to start more outdoor engagement through our community centers and at places like Shalem Colony Park. The funds are critical to the success of local initiatives, but are also only one piece of the pie.
There is still much work to be done, and while funding is a big part of it, how our local elected officials are communicating and collaborating with advocates and local groups to further the mission is also critically important. Here are simple ways we can do this and find consensus.
We can start with the Resource Management Plan for Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument that the Bureau of Land Management is working on. Get involved by sharing your own suggestions on how the agency can best manage trails and other activities on monument lands. The agency has an official comment period open right now and they need to hear from you. Our county commission will certainly play a key role in providing the agency input on our community’s vision, and we need your voice as part of that too.
Second, spend some time outdoors this summer. Especially during Latino Conservation Week, let’s remind ourselves how fortunate we are to live near such spectacular places that provide so much opportunity. Take a friend and a family member along. Take someone who may have never spent time on public lands and share with them how important these places are.
On top of that, let’s start having conversations about the future. Let’s talk about the places in need of better protections and the places that our families go for recreation or quiet solitude that may not have garnered national fame. Let’s work to find ways that we can increase access to outdoor recreation spaces. Start sharing your ideas with the commission and your neighbors and friends.
Let us not just celebrate Latino Conservation Week, but think about how we can bring all of the pieces together so that each of us, and those yet to come, benefit from a network of public lands, recreation, and equitable access that are built around community-driven ideas. The best ideas may have yet to be heard, and as your county commissioner I want to work with you to keep Doña Ana County and our public lands economy thriving.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: National monument, collaboration vital in public lands management work
