Teddy Roosevelt’s conservation legacy
On June 8, we celebrate the 112th anniversary of the Antiquities Act, signed into law by Theodore Roosevelt to protect public places of historic and scientific significance from imminent harm.
The Antiquities Act has been especially kind to New Mexico. Places such as Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, whose spectacular cone-shaped rock formations are considered a must-see by visitors from all over the world; White Sands National Monument, with its miles of breathtakingly beautiful white gypsum dunes; and Bandelier National Monument’s preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings that are a window to life 500 years ago have all been protected for the learning and enjoyment of generations to come.
New Mexico’s newest national monuments are equally impressive. Outside of Taos, Río Grande del Norte contains part of the spectacular Rio Grande Gorge in which recreationists can fish or raft on the “wild and scenic” Rio Grande and enjoy unsurpassed trails with views of bighorn sheep and surrounding high mesas. This 5-year-old monument is one of New Mexico’s “hidden gems.”
Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks outside of Las Cruces includes five mountain ranges that rise above the Chihuahua Desert. Established in 2014, Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks is steeped in Native American and Southwestern history, and the popular hike to see the ruins at Dripping Springs is flush with desert scenery and wildlife.
As with all of New Mexico’s outdoor treasures, these new monuments double as potent economic engines. At Río Grande del Norte, visitation is near 180,000 people annually, up 45 percent since its designation. Visitation to Organ MountainsDesert Peaks increased by 152 percent from 2014 to 2016. This has translated into millions of dollars in new spending that creates jobs and benefits our state’s economy.
Unfortunately, President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke have been dismantling Roosevelt’s Antiquities Act legacy by enacting the largest rollback of public lands protections in U.S. history. After a questionable “monument review” in 2017 by Zinke, Trump took the legally dubious action, now being challenged in the courts, of shrinking Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah by 2 million acres. Zinke also recommended reductions to two other Western monuments.
While Zinke has given assurances that he won’t tamper with the boundaries of Organ MountainsDesert Peaks and Río Grande del Norte national monuments, he has stated publicly that he will rewrite their proclamations. This is concerning, because both monument proclamations emanated from a great deal of local community and tribal input to ensure the protection of important archaeological and cultural sites, avoid irreversible harm to lands and wildlife, and ensure traditional land uses would not be curtailed.
Even though 82 percent of New Mexicans want to keep our national monuments intact, according to a Colorado College poll, it appears that this administration may yet be looking to open the door to energy exploration, development and other interests not aligned with the protection of unique public lands.
By ignoring veterans, tribes, Hispanic groups, sportsmen, small-business owners, local elected officials and even his own supporters telling him to leave our national monument protections alone, Trump’s willful agenda to unravel Theodore Roosevelt’s conservation legacy leaves New Mexico’s newest national monuments at risk.
As we celebrate the anniversary of the Antiquities Act and all of the places in our nation protected through its use, we urge Zinke to announce without further delay that there will be no changes to the boundaries or proclamations of Río Grande del Norte and Organ MountainsDesert Peaks National Monuments. If Zinke wants to truly help ensure the greatness of America, he will follow Roosevelt’s blueprint for conservation instead of only providing it lip service.