The Chronicles Of Grant County
David Turning produced this photograph that won the 2020 Picture That Pass Photo Contest of the Las Cruces District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). According to the BLM, "Turning's winning photo captured the iconic Organ Mountains and its desert flora during an active lightning storm." (The photograph was provided courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management, December 30, 2019.)
Do you enjoy taking photographs of nature? If so, a contest sponsored by the Las Cruces District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) might be of interest to you.
The Las Cruces District of this Federal agency includes all of public lands managed by the BLM in Grant County as well as a number of other counties in southwestern New Mexico. Substantial portions of Grant County are controlled by the BLM.
Throughout this district, the BLM indicated that it "…manages 5.4 million acres of public land and…[more than] 10 million acres of Federal mineral estate from the western side of the Guadalupe Mountains to the Arizona border, and from Sierra County and the southern edge of the Gila National Forest to the Mexican border. These public lands include majestic, scenic mountain ranges jutting from the desert floor, and towering over the surrounding desert. The confluence of the Chihuahuan desert, Rocky Mountains, great plains, Sonoran desert, and Sierra Madre make the area the most biologically and recreationally diverse region of New Mexico."
People are encouraged to submit photographs of the landscape in the region or plants, animals, or other objects that are located on public land in Grant County or one of the other counties within the Las Cruces District. Entries are accepted now and through October 1, 2022.
"The grand prize winner will receive a 2023 Las Cruces District Office Annual Pass valued at $30, which will feature their photograph," according to a news release issued by the BLM. "The pass will allow the winner to visit and enjoy BLM's Dripping Springs Natural Area, Aguirre Spring Campground and Three Rivers Petroglyph Site."
Contest rules, according to the BLM, include the following items:
Photos must be taken within BLM Las Cruces District public lands.
Photographs must be in color and the highest quality no smaller than 4x6 inches at 300 dpi.
Cropped photos are eligible. Digitally or otherwise enhanced or altered photos will not be accepted. However, minor adjustments, including spotting, dodging and burning, sharpening, contrast, and slight color adjustment or the digital equivalents, are acceptable.
Participants retain the rights to their photograph. However, by entering the contest, participants grant the BLM a royalty-free, world-wide, perpetual, non-exclusive license to publicly display, distribute, reproduce, and create derivative works of the entries, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or later developed. Any photograph reproduced will include a photographer's credit, as feasible.
For photographs that include a recognizable person under 18 years of age, the photographer must provide written permission from a parent/guardian before the entry deadline.
Objectionable or inappropriate content is ineligible for this contest and will be discarded.
Images are limited to jpeg files only and should include subject, location, photographer's name (e.g., deerDrippingSpringsJohnDoe.jpg).
All photos must be taken by the contest participant.
If you post your photos to social media and you would like to tag [the BLM, please do so]…
Entries will be judged based on creativity, quality, and their overall impact. The grand prize winner will be selected by a panel of BLM Las Cruces employees. No more than three photographs per person can be submitted to blm_nm_lcdo_mail@blm.gov.
A photograph description and location are required. However, the BLM will not disclose the locations of the photographs or any personal information about the photographers.
Individuals that would like additional information can contact the Las Cruces District Office of the BLM.
Marian Willing was the most recent winner of the photograph contest of the Las Cruces District Recreation Areas of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Her winning photo was used in the 2022 Local Pass for the Las Cruces District Recreation Areas of the BLM. (The photograph was provided courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management, January 31, 2022.)
Do you have questions about communities in Grant County?
A street name? A building?
Your questions may be used in a future news column.
Contact Richard McDonough at chroniclesofgrantcounty@mail.com.
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© 2022 Richard McDonough