Deming, New Mexico - December 21- More than 90 persons gathered for a standing room only meeting called to learn more about the proposed Mimbres Peaks National Monument.
New Mexico House member Jennifer Jones called the meeting after attending a secret rally organized by Luna County Commissioner, Ray Trejo with help from Senator Hamblen who is the President of the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce. Representative Jones said she learned of the December 6 invitation only gathering through talk circulating in the community.
The proponents are calling on President Biden to make the 245,00-acre monument proclamation under the Antiquities Act of 1906. The areas proposed are the Florida Mountains, Cooks Range, Tres Hermanas, and the Good Sight Mountains.
Rancher Russell Johnson expressed concerns that his operation would be compromised with restrictions imposed by the monument on border enforcement in the Tres Hermanas.
Richard Myklebust from Las Cruces, NM described how the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks Monument had ended his hunting access. He said that when the nomination was sent up from the region to Washington, D.C. it called on the southern area to be designated a wilderness study area. When the designation was passed by Congress and signed into law the area was declared to be a fully protected Wilderness. Richard stated, "I lost access to the lands in the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks Monument, and you will lose access if these areas are designated."
Howard Hutchinson spoke about the origin of the initiative to remove or limit access and use of resources. This started with United Nations Agenda 21 and subsequent Global Biological Assessment that calls for protection and preservation of 50% of the earth's surface area. Hutchinson stated, "Wilderness, adjacent buffers and interconnecting corridors with no or restricted human use will require populations being moved to islands of human habitation. In other words, moved to concentrated urban zones.
State Representative Luis Terrazas asked, "why weren't the local residents and elected officials invited to the announcement event?" He answered his question with, "because they want to stop any opposition and create the illusion that there is overwhelming public support. He described how wild and scenic river proponents in Grant County secured resolutions from local communities and businesses before they were presented with all the potential negative impacts. His suggestion was to bring pressure on the Deming City Council and Luna County Commission to pass resolutions in opposition to the designation.
Bronson Corn, President of the New Mexico Cattle Growers, wrote in a release, "The proposal to designate the Florida Mountains as a national monument calls for hard evidence, not hand-waving promises. What we haven't seen yet is evidence of the costs and benefits from a national monument designation.
"As far as costs are concerned, actual, past experience shows several things we know and can count on now or down the road:
"Luna County will forever lose any measure of control or influence over these resources. You will lose all influence to faceless bureaucrats in far-away places who have no connection to the land. Those bureaucrats have no accountability to local people.
"Despite promises or even express terms in the enabling language for a national monument designation, traditional uses will be shut down now or in the future."