Measure Protects 2nd Wilderness Area in New Mexico in Last 20 Years
Washington, D.C.—The United States House of Representatives today passed by a vote of 285 to 140,  legislation to protect the Sabinoso Wilderness Area, as part of a large public lands bill. At 16,000 acres, Sabinoso is one of the finest intact Great-Plains ecosystems left [...]

Controlling Off-Road Vehicle Abuse
The off road vehicle problem: Since the 1970’s, off-road vehicle (ORV – machines like ATVs, dirt bikes, and jeeps) use has been an increasing problem on our public lands. Along with the environmental degradation comes user conflicts. The noise, dust, and fumes of ORVs are inherently at odds with quiet recreationists and [...]

The Roadless Area Conservation rule protects 58.5 million acres of national forest lands from most commercial logging and road-building, and is the most sweeping land conservation measures in a generation.

- UPDATE SUMMER 2010: COMMENT BEFORE SEPTEMBER 30 ON SANTA FE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT DEIS. CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR CAMPAIGN PAGE!
Overwhelming Benefits

Source of recreation for nature lovers [...]

1872 Mining Law:
Drowning in the Nineteenth Century
By Nathan Newcomer
Associate Director
It’s hard to imagine what the American landscape would look like today without Stewart Udall, the legendary interior secretary who recently passed away after a lifetime of championing conservation. Well before the modern environmental movement came of age, Udall was responsible for scores of new [...]

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Update:
We are closer than ever to the long-worked for El Rio Grande Del Norte Conservation Area!
Congress is primed to pass an Omnibus Lands Bill in late 2010. This NCA will be a keystone of the legislation.
For the latest status review, download: El Rio Grande Del Norte Update [...]

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Debunking Doña Ana County Rancher Myths
Citizens Wilderness Proposal vs. Rancher-Off Road Vehicle Proposal

When working to protect wild places in New Mexico, one need only look south to see large tracts of wild public lands that have the potential to be put [...]

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Grasslands, Gas and Government
By Nathan Newcomer
www.oteromesa.org
Vast desert grasslands, wilderness characteristics, abundant wildlife and a fresh water aquifer are colliding with the Bush-Cheney energy policy in New Mexico’s Otero Mesa. A debate that has been on going since 1997, when Harvey E. Yates Company (HEYCO) first [...]

Chaco Culture is one of the most spectacular areas in New Mexico. Its combination of natural beauty and outstanding cultural significance justify its World Heritage Site status and has made it beloved by visitors the world over. However, several developments are threatening this jewel of New Mexican heritage.
For several years there has existed the potential [...]

What is Wilderness?
Wilderness FAQ’s

A Wilderness Legacy
When Spanish settlers first arrived in New Mexico four hundred years ago, they described rolling hills of auburn grass and cacti that came up to the stirrups of mounted horsemen. Later, Aldo Leopold, “the father of Wilderness”, wrote of this land of unparalleled biological diversity that the “…oak-dotted hills, …pine [...]

The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance launches its 1,075,191-acreEl Malpais National Monument proposal for wilderness in our New Mexico and Trans-Pecos National Parks. Through on-the-ground surveys and GIS analysis, New Mexico Wilderness Alliance found over one million road-free acres in the seven National Parks that lie in our two-state regions.White Sands National Monument
These include: Chaco Canyon [...]