Commissioners discussed the need for a comprehensive outdoor recreation plan

[Editor's Note: This is part 2 of a multi-part series of articles on the County Commission work session of June 11, 2019 and regular meeting of June 13, 2019.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

Commissioners Ponce, Billings, Salas, Edwards and Browne present certificate of commendation too Sgt. Manny MaldonadoThe first presentation at the Grant County Commission meeting of June 13, 2019, was brought by Commissioner Alicia Edwards. "On behalf of the Grant County Commission, we are honored to present a commendation to Sgt. Manny Maldonado for his outstanding heroic activities in saving a woman's life in Las Cruces, when he was off-duty. It's a great credit to our Sheriff's Department. We don't often enough take the opportunity to recognize the actions of law enforcement. It is my great honor to present this certificate to Sgt. Maldonado."

Elected officials gave reports, with Sheriff Frank Gomez being the first to speak. "We have hired two deputies, both certified, and two not yet certified. We are in process with eight candidates, one of whom has certification. We continue to offer maintenance and advanced training, including on voice stress analysis, advanced child abuse investigation technology and crisis intervention management." He listed others.

"We continue to look for other advanced trainings that are reimbursed by state or federal funds to enhance our deputies' skills as they advance in their careers," Gomez said. "We are using Stonegarden funding in Hachita. We are also working in collaboration with the Forest Service. Our deputies continue traffic safety and are gearing up for the summer programs to improve impaired-driver enforcement. We will continue with the D.A.R.E. program. We have a memorandum of understanding with Luna County to be cross-commissioned. We are in the process with Hidalgo County and are also working with Doña Ana County for Border Counties."

Commissioner Billy Billings said he continues to hear from the deputies that the department has a high level of morale, even when they are understaffed. "Thank you for what you are doing."

Treasurer Steve Armendariz said his office has collected 90.73% of 2018 property taxes. "We are waiting for the Taylor Grazing Allotment and PILT (payment in lieu of taxes from the federal government). We expect $20,000 to $30,000 from Taylor Grazing."

Edwards asked when it would come in. Armendariz said it usually comes in May through the state from the federal government.

Assessor Raul Turrieta said he had just gotten off the radio from interviewing the Rodeo clown for the Wild, Wild West Pro Rodeo. He reported his office had just been evaluated by the Property Tax Division. "I am the only elected official in a county that gets evaluated. It's a grueling two-day process. It ends with a 30-page document. We got dinged on one of the reviews, because I didn't have the annual report done, which I usually do in June. We will be 28 days late because the state sent it out late. The deadline has been extended. We are still in the middle of protests, with 170 this year. It's the only time I can put on the books what a property is worth. I am going to the New Mexico Counties conference in Clovis. I sit on the board."

During public input, several people addressed the trails presentation that would come under new business.

Jeff Boyd said he wanted to show support for the Comprehensive Master Trails Plan. "Four of our neighboring states promote outdoor recreation—Colorado, Utah, Arizona and California. We have the Continental Divide Trail and the Gila National Forest. The CDT is not as busy as the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail. The CDT needs work. The Master Trails plan will help economic development. A Rhodes scholar made two trips to Silver City, each in a week. That the tip of the iceberg. We could bring many more."

Carmen Gonzales addressed a different topic. "I have lived here since 1968. I am concerned about the hospital. I hear in the newspaper that you hire someone to do something good, and then you do not support them. I talk to Ms. (Taffy) Arias (Gila Regional Medical Center chief executive officer) about things at the hospital. I see things improving. You need to go and see the good changes. I still hear that it is in your minds to sell the hospital. The community owns it. You have the opportunity to help. I go to the CEO and tell her the problems. We have a beautiful community and a lot of the community members are embarrassed to speak to you, so I come and speak. Go visit the hospital and help it."

Carol Martin, said, although she is not officially representing the Continental Divide Trail Coalition and the Gateway Cities, she supports the efforts of the organizations. "I also thank you for chipsealing Red Rock and Mangas Valley roads. I support the trails plan. My concern is that the CDT runs along the Little Burro Mountains. The coalition approached the mine for trail access, but it was refused because it is too close to the mine and is a safety risk. The trail is less than a mile west of Highway 180. It would come into Silver City on Little Walnut Road. Silver City is the first gateway city, but hikers must road walk 20 miles from Saddle Rock to Silver City. This year, 350 hikers have registered as through hikers. At this point there seems to be no solution to this problem of having to road hike instead of trail hike."

Ron Troy of the New Mexico Land Conservancy said he has been working with the Gila Trails and Open Space Coalition. "We were a bit befuddled by the refusal of Freeport-McMoRan. We ask your help. I encourage the commission to approve this plan. Putting this group together, you can pull the community together to put the mapping together." He commended Turrieta's office staff for helping with the process. "I also thank (County Manager Charlene) Webb and (Community Development Planner Michael "Mischa") Larisch for their help on the grants. Our group is 70 members from the community. I am hopeful that you will include and work with this coalition on the plan. I also thank commissioners (Harry) Browne and Edwards for being part of the group going out on the trails and to outdoor conferences in Boulder and Las Cruces."

Martyn Pearson of Gila Hike and Bike said he is a member of the Silver City Open Spaces group and the Silver City Cycling Group. "Many people are traveling to Arizona, Colorado and Utah for bicycle trips. They haven't gotten there without working on plans like this. We ask that you work with this group to develop the plan. We are also out regularly working on trails."

The first item of new business was written on the agenda as Grant County Trail Priority Interest expressed by selected community, business leaders and user groups, with Marcy DeMillion of the National Parks Service as the presenter.

Larisch said he and Demillion put together a slide show, with support from the Gila Trails and Open Spaces Coalition.

"We requested a technical assistance grant and were awarded one year of assistance," Larisch said. "The focus is very broad, so it led to a qualitative survey, which helped to determine the trail planning needs. A lot is also going on with the Forest Collaborative, the Silver City Trails Committee, the Better Cities group that has a trail aspect and the Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments, which helped with the survey methodology."

He said the groups wanted to include all outdoor recreation, including dirt bikes, ATVs and UTVs, conservationists, equestrians, trail maintenance and more.

"We are working together to make it happen," Larisch said. "We have business leaders, representatives from the hospital, Western New Mexico University, the Chamber of Commerce, Gila Hike and Bike, among others."

DeMillion said for the survey, they did qualitative interviews. "We contacted 40 individuals from different groups and did 28 interviews out of the 33 who responded. The interviews were from 1 to 1½ hours. We asked eight questions, but I will only cover two of them today. One of the questions asked was: What three things could the community do to make outdoor recreation better? We've seen a lot of solo efforts going on, but groups are not working together. It is really critical for Grant County to decide what type of community it wants to be. I watched Moab (Utah) going through the growing pains. I know what happens when the economy is not diversified. You have amazing resources here that are found nowhere else in the country. I see a lot of energy, but it's territorial. The Gila Trails and Open Spaces group has great energy. We can harness it for planning. By the end of the first day of interviews, I knew there was a need for collaboration. The county needs to help there. You have plans on the shelf that should be used for future planning. There is also a need for the state and federal governments to recognize the opportunities in this area. We need to have trails and maps of the trails. We need to include the needs of all users, and we need to develop different skill levels."

She said it was common in Moab, and she apologized for always talking about Moab, but it was the project she was most familiar with, to see one family want to do motorized outdoor recreation and another family preferring non-motorized. "That's why there is a need for funding for planning and implementation. I've seen a lot of support from the county and the city to collaborate."

DeMillion presented her recommendations, with the top three things that needed to be done.

1) The county needs to provide the leadership and allow someone to work with, at a minimum, to coordinate among the trails' groups. "There is not a lot of focus among the groups, so they need leadership at the county-level."
2) Specifically, the county must approve a trails committee to be the liaison with Silver City groups and a liaison to the Gila Trails and Open Spaces Coalition.
3) The geographic scope has not been defined, except for the Silver City trails. "You need to connect the Mining District among each municipality and to Silver City."

"We work statewide," Demillion said. "We can renew this assistance, but a new refined agreement is required by the end of the month, as well as a refined timeline and the roles of the committee members. Mischa and I can answer questions."

Browne said he supported the idea of the county providing the leadership. "How many hours a week would we need to add to someone else's hours?"

Demillion said it depended. "I have worked with managers or planners like Mischa. I estimate that meetings are needed no more than every other month, but probably five to seven hours per week would be sufficient."

Browne asked about facilitation.

"Most successful facilitators are communicators," DeMillion said. "You need someone bringing together the groups, someone to facilitate and another to take minutes. This plan, given its complexity, I believe would take about 1½ years, with a specific staff person reporting to the county."

Browne said he saw a difference between the current coalition and what DeMillion was proposing.

"This project has a lot of complexity," DeMillion said. "I've never seen so much going on. The Southwest Forest Collaborative is working well. There is a big difference between a user-driven process and a county-funded or managed process. There is a need for trail maintenance, although many have been doing an amazing job here. It often falls to a county to provide the leadership. The coalition and the committees should come together."

Browne said right now maintenance should be part of the plan. "The Forest Collaborative, as I see it, has almost nothing in its plans to be part of this. The focus is on individual desires and requires the county to coordinate the needs."

Demillion said another process could be a consultant process if the county could come up with $100,000. "El Paso brought in a consultant. Now they need us to help prioritize their efforts. In my meeting with the Forest Service staff, they were anxious to be a big partner in building trails. They need help deciding which trails are the priority. The coalition can do trail maintenance."

Desiré Liska of the Gila coalition spoke: "We understand this application is too broad. I wouldn't speak for all stakeholders, but we want to preserve, build and prioritize."

Troy said maintenance is but one small segment of the coalition's efforts. "In order to combine all the efforts together, we need a plan. As a group we put all our needs on a board and determine the No. 1 need. As I see it, our No. 1 need is facilitation, and the No. 2 need is a comprehensive trails and open spaces plan. We drew in the National Park Service to help with the geographic scope and prioritization. Motorized is part of what we want to do, but it can be divisive. We are altruistic and know motorized has to be part of the plan. But we also have to deal with water issues and noxious weeds. We don't want another committee to distract."

DeMillion said her group has not been successful with only user groups. "You need a third party, such as government. You need a structure that the government entity would help define."

Commissioner Javier Salas said he had talked to Silver City town councilors. "UTVs are here to stay. Instead of being divisive, they could be incorporated into the plan. They have great potential to bring people in."

"A full-time position is best," DeMillion said. "It's generally a lot more successful."

Edwards said she came to the position of supporting the idea of a comprehensive outdoor recreation plan with a great deal of interest. "Taking into consideration a lot of different users without a plan would be a lot of disconnected efforts. We still don't have any basis by which to make a decision. The comprehensive plan is an essential part. Take the motorized part of the community, if we don't have a plan, it may become only motorized or no motors."

She continued and said: "It's not just Silver City and the Mining District. It's the entire county. Silver City has the amenities; the county has the trails. My goal is to hire a professional coordinator/facilitator who understands trail usage, but by motoring users and the non-motoring population. It has to be a plan to benefit the entire county and to diversify economic development. I don't think anyone currently in the county understands all the issues or can bring together all the interests. Yes to a consultant, but that isn't to say no to a county committee. I really appreciate the effort, especially the interviews. I'm not sure what we have at this moment as a way forward. How are we going to move forward? We need to be on the front edge of this, not just keep talking. We have to figure out what we're doing."

Browne asked the other commissioners: "Do you see it as muddy as we do?"

Commission Chairman Chris Ponce said: "I think we're on pretty much the same track. I see this including Bataan Park. We need to condense it. When can we hire someone with a recreation and outdoor background?"

Salas agreed with Edwards. "No one here has the capacity or expertise. It's time to take action on this as soon as possible. Create a Parks and Recreation Committee, as part of us or of the county."

Webb said she sees the need to diversify with outdoor recreation. "We have the perfect opportunity. I agree that the tails piece is muddy. This technical assistance grant is the first step. I've gotten some direction from it, and I do completely understand the need for diversity. The Southwest Forest Collaborative is 90 percent around trails and open spaces. How do we put the siloes together? I understand it will take $100,000. How do we get the money? I am actively working on this. Why not diversify when we have it in our backyard? I want to make this work."

"I think I heard from you that you think we need a professional consultant," Browne said.

"I think we need the expertise," Webb said. "We have to decide who takes on this role. It's a work in progress from my chair and Mischa's. We are willing to take the leadership role and include all stakeholders. I completely think it is important. As the city manager, we need to diversify, because I don't want to lay off 40 percent of our workforce. I'm passionate about making this work."

Billings said it's about much more than just trails. "I've hiked on trails in four states over the past month. I use an app. We have a huge number of trails in Grant County, a very high number as compared to other places. I agree with Alicia that we need expertise, but where is the money coming from? Diversifying the economy means different things to different people. I haven't seen the numbers I need to see. Grant County needs to be favorable to business. I want to see recreation-economy numbers. If diversifying means removing some industries, I'm concerned about that. I am supportive of moving forward."

Edwards said she had a couple of reports of data. "Outdoor recreation is the fastest growing industry. When I say diversify, it's not at the expense of anything already existing in our economy."

Billings said: "Some people think pulling beef off the forest is diversifying. If we are being inclusive, I'm on board."

DeMillion said she can provide statistics from the Gila National Forest and the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, as well as information on Moab during its conversion to promoting outdoor recreation.

"If you decide to go with a contract with a consultant, I can help with that process, including strong RFPs (requests for proposal) and help with grants," DeMillion said.

Webb said she just did some quick research. "I pulled up $887 billion in consumer spending on outdoor recreation annually nationwide, 7.6 million jobs, $63.5 billion in federal tax revenue, and $59.2 billion in state and local tax revenue."

Browne said one of the recommendations was a county-appointed committee. "I'm not sold on that. I have a couple of questions. What does the timeline look like? And why would that be better than what we have now?"

DeMillion replied that right now there is no visioning or goals for the groups to work together in a collaborative manner. "In Moab, hiring a consultant and pulling together, they implemented it within three years, which is lightning speed. The county and I worked on the RFP. A county committee helped save money by contributing staff time. The Forest Service would have to be included."

The next article will address the regular meeting agenda, including review and discussion at the work session and the decisions made at the regular meeting.