Congressman Vasquez out of touch on Luna County land grab
Another day, another example of Gabe Vasquez turning his back on the people of southern New Mexico. This time, Congressman Vasquez has been pressuring local mayors and city councils from expressing opposition to a proposal to lock up a vast swath of land in Luna County, without the support of local residents and that puts local businesses at risk.
Radical environmental organizations, largely from outside of Luna County, are pushing to designate over 245,000 acres around the Florida Mountains, Cooke’s Range, the Good Sight Mountains, and Tres Hermanas peaks as a national monument. This decision would not require a vote by local elected officials in Luna County, the state Legislature, or even Congress. To make this area a national monument, President Biden would simply issue a proclamation under the Antiquities Act.
What would this proposal mean for the residents of Luna County who rely on this area for their livelihood? To put it simply, it means Luna County will lose any say on the future of how this part of their county will be managed moving forward. Seventy percent of Luna County’s land area is publicly owned, like the areas being considered under this monument designation, meaning these lands are integral to economic prosperity and future of the county.
The Antiquities Act has the effect of shutting down almost every activity, without any public process, on the lands designated as a national monument. This includes cattle and livestock grazing, as well as mining on federal lands, two important industries to the Luna County economy.
What I also find alarming is this is being replicated across the West as a part of President Biden’s radical agenda to lock up federal lands from public access. So far during his presidency, President Biden has exercised this authority under the Antiquities Act at least six times, mainly for the purpose of adding large swaths of land to the federal estate.
President Biden utilized the Antiquities Act to designate five new national monuments, including: Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument in Colorado — 53,804 acres, the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Nevada — 506,814 acres, and the Castner Range National Monument in Texas — 6,672 acres. The largest of them all, however, is the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument in Arizona. This vast swath of land spans nearly 1 million acres, which is a larger land area than the state of Rhode Island.
This stands in stark contrast to the Trump administration, when it was only utilized a total of four times, including utilizing the tool to reduce the size and scope of existing national monuments.
There is another path forward, a path where local voices are heard and listened to. Instead of following the lead of those who do not have the best interests of their constituents in mind, our elected leaders should be fighting to protect their way of life.
Unfortunately, once again, it appears Gabe Vasquez stands shoulder to shoulder with radical forces outside of southern New Mexico who wish to harm our way of life.