Otero Mesa is a unique ecosystem. North America once had vast grasslands supporting a biodiversity unique in the world. The huge numbers of bison and pronghorns that once roamed our grasslands were part of the American dream.

During the past 150 years, much of that grassland has been used by agriculture and ranching to support our growing population. It is one of the main reasons that our country is so prosperous and great today. But, some grasslands have been used to the point of no return and reclaiming them may be impossible.

One of those grasslands is in the Southwest — the Chihuahuan desert grasslands. Through a combination of overgrazing and drought, the grasses that were once so plentiful have turned into desert scrub creosote and mesquite dunes, never to be returned to the grasslands so productive as they once were for agriculture and wildlife.

Otero Mesa represents one of New Mexico’s top 10 most important bird areas, according to the Audubon Society, and is the largest and wildest Chihuahuan desert grassland remaining on public lands in the United States. Today, we have a unique opportunity to save a significant portion of the plentiful widespread grassland in the Otero Mesa.

With more than one million acres of wide-open black grama grass, it is truly awe-inspiring. The wildlife and livestock that live there thrive on these grasses and give us a glimpse of what it was like in the 19th century.

Across North America, many avian species live year-round in special places like Otero Mesa, and many more birds use the grasslands as stopovers for their annual migrations north and south. In fact, the mesa is home to more than 200 species of migratory songbirds.

But, during the past several years Audubon and many other organizations and universities have surveyed our grassland birds and noticed a dramatic drop in species. Birds in peril include the black-throat sparrow, Cassin’s sparrow and the loggerhead shrike, all of which are native to the Southwest, and the sage sparrow and Savannah sparrows that winter in the grasslands.

These small sparrows are important not only unto themselves, but also to the raptors that, in some cases, prey upon them. When the prey species are gone, the hawks, eagles and falcons will disappear with them.

One special species of falcon, the Aplomado falcon, once thrived on the Chihuahuan desert grassland. As of the 1950s, this falcon was no longer found in the United States, although populations are still found in Mexico and further south. This falcon, through the Peregrine Foundation, has been reintroduced in Texas and New Mexico, but their survival will depend on keeping their habitat, like Otero Mesa, intact.

Once you have seen a mating pair of Aplomado falcons hunt as a team, you will never forget the awesome acrobatic flying as they work together to catch their prey. This is a unique behavior to birds of prey and one of the many reasons to protect these important grasslands.

The grasslands of Otero Mesa provide more than just critical habitat for awe-inspiring birds and other wildlife; they also represent an important economic asset to local communities and the state. According to a report by the nonprofit Outdoor Industry Association, each year New Mexico’s fish, wildlife and habitats contribute $3.8 billion to the state’s economy through hunting, fishing, wildlife watching and other outdoor recreation.

These activities sustain 47,000 jobs (more than farming and forestry combined) and generate more than $184 million in yearly sales tax revenue.

Unfortunately, Otero Mesa’s unique grasslands are facing an uncertain future as oil and gas exploration and hard-rock mining threaten to fragment the grasslands and reduce even further the wildlife species that make their home on the Otero Mesa.

As we approach the end of the year, let us take time to think about what is really important in the long term. What is it we want to leave to our children — a legacy of polluted lands and irreparable damage to rare species and precious habitat, or a natural heritage that has been protected so that our children can glimpse those same pristine lands that their great-grandparents did?

The choice is clear.

After all, Otero Mesa’s real value lies in the uniqueness of its landscape, not in what we can extract from it in the short term. And by making this choice we are also protecting our long-term economic interests as conservation has shown to pay dividends both now and in the future by creating jobs, protecting the region’s environmental assets, improving our quality of life and attracting new businesses.

We can save this one last grassland. This is our history, our heritage and a special place truly worth protecting.

Stacy Stevens is a community and policy manager for Audubon New Mexico and a third generation New Mexican who loves the outdoors. This column is part of an ongoing series that the Alamogordo Daily News publishes every Wednesday regarding the protection of Otero Mesa. The column is provided by the Coalition for Otero Mesa and its stable of writers who are concerned about public lands and their protection. Views and opinions expressed in the columns are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Daily News or its staff. For more information, visit www.oteromesa.org.