White Sands’ likely status boost a boon

When it comes to New Mexico’s tourism economy, it literally pays to get the word out.

That’s why the progress of a federal bill that would transform the gypsum dunes at White Sands National Monument into a national park, putting it on more travelers’ radar, is such welcome news.

As U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small pointed out in an Oct. 14 story by Journal reporter Scott Turner, the change in designation, which is tucked away in both the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act, would mean more resources and more staffing options for the 275-acre monument in southeast New Mexico — and all without raising entrance fees or limiting access.

The upgrade would be a long-term investment worthy of White Sands’ renowned beauty, streamline management for the Army and park service via a land swap, and deliver economic boosts to nearby Alamogordo and Las Cruces, as well. The monument already has seen more visitors than any other National Park Service site in New Mexico the past two decades, according to Sen. Martin Heinrich’s office. The park service says in 2017 alone, more than 600,000 people (98% non-locals) visited and poured $31.7 million into the local economies.

What a boon to developing the tourism industry in a part of the state that has given so much via oil and gas revenue.

Thanks to Heinrich and Torres Small for their work on this, and to the leadership at White Sands Missile Range for the military’s crucial support. In just a few weeks, this spending package could be signed, sealed and delivered — perhaps in time for a full-moon stroll across the dunes.