One step closer
If federal defense bill passes, White Sands could be a national park
White Sands National Monument is expected to move one step closer to becoming a national park with a vote in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.
The designation is included in the National Defense Authorization Act — the defense spending bill — which passed the House last week after a final version was agreed to in conference committee.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign the measure into law following passage in the Senate, the White House announced last week.
About 2,826 acres of land within the monument’s current boundaries would be transferred from the Army’s management to that of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service through the legislation.
Another 5,766 acres of “new additions” would also be added to NPS management in White Sands National Park.
In exchange, about 3,737 acres of land previously managed by the DOI, would be transferred to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of the Army.
The boundary of White Sands Missile Range would be altered to reflect the land swap.
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said the deal’s first inception was in the 1970s, and he, other lawmakers and stakeholders began working to make it a reality over the past five years.
“We’ve really been making sure both sides were treated equitably, that the land swap makes sense, that it protects the resources and values of the park,
while at the same time facilitating the mission of White Sands Missile Range and the Department of the Army,” he said.
Organizations in Otero and Doña Ana counties worked with Heinrich’s office to place the re-designation into the bill.
White Sands National Monument Superintendent Marie Sauter said she supported the re-branding and hoped it would increase visitation.
“It’s legislation that Sen. (Martin) Heinrich and others have supported and the National Parks Service does support the name change legislation,” Sauter said. “I think it would be tremendously exciting.”
For the state of New Mexico, Heinrich said the move would boost the growing outdoor recreation industry, as New Mexico recently established its Office of Outdoor Recreation and offered funding to support local businesses in that sector.
Also included in the defense spending bill are provisions addressing firefighting foam contamination at military bases, such as Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo and Cannon Air Force Base near Clovis, and housing problems at military bases around the country. It also includes a 3.1% pay increase for all service members and funding for such projects as a combat mission helicopter simulator to enhance Kirtland Air Force Base training operations.