Today, we need your help in keeping grassroots pressure on Washington to ensure that two cultural and ecological jewels of the Southwest—the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and Rio Grande del Norte—stay on top of Obama’s list for permanent protection. Both of these diverse and wild landscapes are rich with New Mexico history and culture.

The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument proposal protects a New Mexico legacy spanning Pre-American, New Mexican, and American history that includes training sites for the Apollo Space Mission, the Butterfield Stagecoach Trail, Billy the Kid’s Outlaw Rock, Geronimo’s Cave and thousands of Native American petroglyph’s and pictographs.

The Río Grande Del Norte National Monument proposal safeguards thousands of archaeological sites that are associated with a diverse range of cultural traditions that span at least 11,000 years of human occupation. This area was revered as a sacred site to its prehistoric residents.

With just an executive signature, we can protect our unique cultural heritage for generations to come, but we need your support to keep these monuments at the forefront of the administration’s priorities.

Your donations not only help us continue vital outreach to decision makers but also support our work with archaeologists, historians, geologists, anthropologists, geographers and the culturally diverse communities of New Mexico—all of which demonstrate the breadth of support for both of these national monuments.

Please join us in protecting these important archaeological sites that hold the key to our past—and our future. Give your tax-deductible year end contribution now.

Sincerely,

NM Wild Campaign Team

As Traditional Community Organizer, Olivas represents traditional communities in northern New Mexico focusing his conservation work with grazing permittees, land grant members and Acequia Mayordomos and Parciantes. In addition to his role as traditional community organizer for NM Wild, Olivas is chairman of the Mora County Commission.

Southern NM Director Jeff Steinborn also serves as a newly elected state representative—he served in the same role from 2006-2010. He is a former aide to Senator Jeff Bingaman for southwest New Mexico, and a former legislative assistant to Congressman Bill Richardson.

Small is a third generation New Mexican, avid outdoorsman and horseman. In addition to serving as NM Wild’s wilderness protection coordinator, Small represents District 4 on the Las Cruces City Council. He was re-elected to a second four-year term in November 2011.