Written by Mike Osborn, Wilderness Defender
Ode to Dave Foreman
. . . Nonetheless, our (Dave) is dead.
“Keep it Wild” is what he pled,
“No compromise” were words he said.
So now it’s up to us instead.~ Uncle Ramon, in Wildeor:
The Wild Life and Living Legacy Of Dave Foreman
On the morning of the first of March, twenty-eight (yes, you read that right, 28!) volunteers in the Dave Foreman Wilderness Defender Program met at the US Forest Service Office in Cuba. Led by our able organizer Akashia Allen, these intrepid folks were there to prepare for an adventure with a purpose: to explore Ceja Pelon Mesa, an area where the BLM has proposed oil and gas lease sales.
Out in the vastness of northwest New Mexico, in almost every direction from the world-class ruins of Ancestral Puebloan Chaco Canyon National Historical Park, are badland jewels like Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah, Bisti/De-Na-Zin, and Ojito Wilderness Areas. But largely unknown to most are the BLM areas west of Cuba, whose highly eroded trailless ravines and mesa tops conceal an exotic otherworldly zone of fossils, hoodoos, and petrified wood, all interspersed with sweet spots of pinon/juniper and scattered Ponderosa pine forests.
Ceja Pelon Mesa is one of these remote island mesas that rise over 7,000 feet, some 1,500 feet above a surrounding sea of sere, Mars-like badlands. It hides spectacular hoodoo galleries and is home to the largest collection of petrified wood in New Mexico. There are times when, hiking along the base of the mesa, it is nearly impossible to avoid stepping on remnants of stone logs, some of them several feet in diameter. It also contains the 6,000+ acres Torreon Fossil Fauna Areas of Critical Environmental Concern. These two sections, East and West, are managed to protect rare plant fossils and other geologic and paleontological resources.
Our primary task was to split up, cover as much territory as possible while using the Field Maps app to document our findings. When the comment period for the draft environmental assessment for lease sales is issued by BLM, this information will be shared with the agency to assist in decision-making about oil and gas exploration in the area.
In a time of “drill, baby, drill,” our day-long outing was an act of determination and hopefulness. It seemed that most of us were there to do what we could, something tangible, to struggle against the sadness and frustration of these strange times. Also, of course, to have an adventure with kindred spirits in the backcountry wilds of New Mexico’s scenic hinterlands, to ‘worship’ in the church of the Blue Dome, and to let those spring breezes blow through us to clear out some of the collective cobwebs of daily living.
In so many ways, our day on Ceja Pelon was a huge success. Valuable connections were made, information was gathered to be shared and used, and I had a fabulous time. These NM Wild outings are vital in creating more possibilities for hope, and in helping to preserve and protect our wildlands…and even our sanity!
“Give what you can, but do not burn yourself out – or break your heart. Let us save at least half of our lives for the enjoyment of this wonderful world that still exists.”
~ Ed Abbey
