Preserve our wilderness areas
March 12, 2010
We are heir to the beautiful heritage of the Organ Mountains. Each one of us in Dona Ana County must do his or her part to preserve them for future generations. That is why it is so important for us to support the outstanding and well-crafted Organ Mountains – Desert Peaks Wilderness Act drafted by Senators Bingaman and Udall. The words of rancher Theodore Roosevelt can describe the Organs: “There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy, and its charm.”
A few ranchers and developers oppose this legislation for dubious reasons and offer no compromise. First they moan about the restrictive aspects of the Wilderness Act of 1964 and 1980. Both pieces of legislation were largely written under the supervision of the powerful ranching interests. The Wilderness Act of 1980 entrenches livestock grazing interests in our national wilderness preservation system. The ranching industry even pressured the Bureau of Land Management to lower the federal grazing fee to only $1.35 per animal unit per month- the lowest amount in years. It must be remembered that taxpayers are subsidizing federal grazing. The federal government spends at least $144 million each year managing the private livestock grazing but collects only $21 million in grazing fees. This is for only 23,600 public land ranchers all over the country and 258 million acres of public land.
As President Harry Truman said the battle of conservation is “like liberty itself. Public lands and parks,… are subject to many destructive influences…. by those who would selfishly exploit our common heritage for their private gain. … They are attempts to take from all the people for the benefit of a few.” Now is time to preserve our Wilderness areas in Dona Ana County for all Americans.
Greg Lennes
Las Cruces
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