Land protection key to cultural heritage

Guest Commentary by DeAnza M. Valencia, who was born and raised in Northern New Mexico, is pursuing a law degree at the University of New Mexico School of Law. Valencia serves as president of the Latino Sustainability Institute, a nonprofit whose mission is to support Latino land¬and water-based organizations and com¬munities.

Land protection key to cultural heritageW e are so fortunate. The landscape of Northern New Mexico contains one of the most distinctive enclaves of culture and tradition within the United States. Just like many of our forefathers who ran cattle and herded sheep, our cultural heritage is defined by this unique relationship to the land. Our traditional land use practices like hunting, farming and ranching coupled with our cultural values and customs, have informed this rare rural cultural ecology. This land­based Indo-Hispano culture has per­sisted and evolved to remain a defining presence here in Taos County. However, if we desire to pass this culture on to our future generations, we have a duty to protect the land in a vigorous way and ensure it remains in public, communal hands.

Already, too much of Taos County has seen the negative effects of unman­aged growth and destructive land use practices. In a once vibrant agricultural economy, we now suffer from traffic con­gestion and are threatened by the specter of oil and gas development. This type of future is not inevitable. With a plan for the future, we can avoid the pitfalls and threats to our precious landscape. Land protection is the first step in protecting our heritage and with it, our traditional agricultural uses, ranching practices andacequia systems. This is why I support U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman's recent efforts to preserve the natural wild character of over 303,000 acres in northern Taos County. The permanent Congressional protection of these beautiful grasslands, mountains and valleys is critical for the sustainabil­ity of our culture and way of life. These wildlands nurture the rural lifestyles of the people of Taos County and pro­vide the foundation for the current and future economic vitality of this region.

We must be the ones to take the lead in protecting our natural areas. From our long history of relying on the land, we have a bond with the landscape.

Senator Jeff Bingaman's legislation promotes collaborative stewardship of the land and protects traditional and existing uses of the area, such as ranch­ing, hunting, fishing and rafting. The establishment of the proposed National Conservation Area designation will provide for future generations of New Mexicans to continue to recreate, hunt, fish, observe wildlife, and experience our unique homeland.

We know that more people are mov­ing to Taos every year. Unfortunately, not everyone understands or appreci­ates our traditional land-based culture.

With a growing population there will be new demands on land, water and other resources that we have depended on to maintain our traditional lifestyles.

Senator Bingaman's proposal will make certain that grazing and hunting will con­tinue uninterrupted for generations to come. This will ensure that we are able to pass our cultural practices on to our children and grandchildren.

Twenty years ago, a similar proposal for a National Conservation Area in Taos County encompassed over 600,000 acres.

It stretched from the Colorado border to Ojo Caliente. Unfortunately, short-sight­edness shot it down. Since that time, nearly half of that public land has been sold off to private interests and has been taken out of our communal use.

We need to act now in order to halt the further loss of public land. We may not have another chance. Please join me and others in planning for the future, preserv­ing our heritage and ensuring a public voice in the future of our land.