The controversy around a National Monument in Dona Ana
County has moved from local to national input. Secretary of the Interior
Sally Jewell came to Las Cruces a few weeks ago for a listening session on the
500,000 acre Organ Mts-Desert Peaks National Monument. The environmental
supporters had ample time to get notices out to rally support for the large national
monument. Supporters of a smaller national monument for just the Organ
Mountains had only 2 days to notify the local citizens of the meeting.
The Sun News did not report about the meeting until the day of the
meeting. Buses were used to bring supporters from Santa Fe, Albuquerque,
Silver City and El Paso. Consequently, the room was packed to over capacity
with monument supporters and the Secretary may have left with a false
impression that the majority of the local people were in favor of a large
national monument.
I have been skeptical of on line petitions until I received
two from Senator Tom Udall, one asking for my signature on his petition in
support of his bill S 1805 and the other on climate change. He will be
using an online petition to generate support for his bill and or recommending
to Secretary Jewell and President Obama he sign a Presidential Proclamation
designating one fourth of Dona Ana County as a National Monument.
I have developed an online petition for those opposed to a
large national monument to make it known to the President, Secretary Jewell and
as well as Senators Udall and Heinrich that there is not a consensus in favor
of the 500,000 acre national monument.
You can find the petition at the following link. http://www.change.org/petitions/opposition-of-national-monument-in-dona-ana-county
It is important that you sign the petition and pass the link
on to your contacts for their signature. Together, we can stop this major
land grab.
Jerry G.
Schickedanz, Chairman
Western Heritage Alliance
5 comments:
Dr. Jerry Schickedanz is an outspoken critic of wilderness. He wrongly and sarcastically described the typical visitor to the Organ Mountain as " a white male in the upper-income bracket. This typical wilderness visitor has the time,the means and the energy to pack into or have some outfitter haul their gear from spot to spot so they can sit and contemplate the wonder of it all." His arguments about the ranchers, border security and flood control are without merit in his opposition to the National Monument. This petition is bogus!
Go, Jerry, Go! You've got Greg very upset.
I have said in the past that the "typical wilderness visitor..." The Organ Mountains are not and never will be Wilderness, they are just a pretty place.
Our open spaces attract many people and businesses to the area that contribute a lot to our local economy. Anti-National Monument people would have us develop like Phoenix where there is sprawl all over the place. Just look at the Phoenix aerial photo. President Obama needs to establish the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. We don't want to become another Phoenix in the future.Ranching would be dead as a doornail.
Preserve our open spaces from unnecessary development.
http://3scape.com/photo/6130/Aerial-view-of-Phoenix-urban-sprawl.jpg
How can you describe the BLM land as a land grab just because it is going to be a National Monument - no logic.
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