Back Country Horsemen of America and Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico Applaud Designation of Organ Mountain-Desert Peaks National Monument
 |
“The Back Country Horsemen of America (BCHA) applauds President Barack Obama’s designation of the Organ Mountain-Desert Peaks National Monument utilizing his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906, said Oscar Simpson – New Mexico Back Country Horsemen of America, National Director. “This culminates nearly ten (10) years of hard work and collaboration by members of the Lower Rio Grande Chapter of the Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico (BCHNM), myself and other local coalition partners that include elected officials, business owners, historians, tribal governments, sportsmen, conservationists and thousands of citizens in New Mexico and across the Nation.”
“This designation will protect some 495,000 acres of New Mexico’s very unique and majestic Chihuahuan Desert public land and landscapes located in the Organ, Doña Ana, Uvas, Potrilloand Robledo mountains in southern New Mexico,” said Pat Buls with the Lower Rio Grande Chapter of BCHNM. “For present and future generations, this new monument will also protect important archaeological, geological, and historical sites including the historic Butterfield Stagecoach Trail, thousands of Native American petroglyphs and rare unique plants and animals.
It will also preserve the much-needed wide-open spaces necessary for the survival and well-being of many species, including humans.”
“Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico also applauds the work of New Mexico Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, for their efforts to pass Federal legislation (S. 1805) which would designate the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks area as a National Monument,” said Debbie Spickermann, State Chair of the Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico (BCHNM). “With a gridlocked and divided Congress, our members and supporters of the monument were glad to see President Obama follow through on his promise to protect more public land if Congress failed to act.”
Recent research found that National Monuments added millions of dollars to the economies of communities close to them, and supported hundreds of new jobs in addition to increasing per capita income. A recent report produced this year confirmed that designating the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Area as a National Monument will have a will direct annual economic benefit estimated to be as much as $ 7.4 million a year and add 88 additional jobs. (click here to read more about it)
For more information please Contact:
Oscar Simpson, Back Country Horsemen of America – National Director and member of Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico: (505) 917-2134 cell
Pat Buls, Founding member & Past President of the Lower Rio Grande Chapter of Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico: (575) 650-9583 cell
Leave a Reply