Organ Mountains. Photo by Nathan Small, New Mexico Wilderness Alliance

Doña Ana County, located in southern New Mexico, is beautiful, wild country with abundant unspoiled public lands. However, the county is also facing unprecedented growth.

A strong community coalition of diverse citizens including conservationists, sportsmen, business leaders, horseback riders, hikers, elected officials and families are working to protect these wildlands by putting together the proposed Doña Ana County Citizens’ Wilderness and National Conservation Area (NCA). These proposals seek to permanently protect the Organ Mountains, Doña Ana Mountains, and Tortugas “A” Mountain as a National Conservation Area, as well as to protect certain

roadless areas from development by designating them as wilderness, including Broad Canyon, the East Potrillo Mountains, and eight Wilderness Study Areas (WSA) recommended by the BLM.

The eight WSAs anchor the county’s natural treasures, including the majestic spires of the Organ Mountains, the deep canyons in the Robledo Mountains and the grassland mesas of the Sierra de Las Uvas. The West Potrillo Mountains contain unbroken cholla forests, while Broad Canyon sustains an incredible diversity of plant and animal life, holding water long after it rains underneath sheer cliffs where raptors roost.

Unfortunately, local off-road vehicle user groups will stop at nothing to prevent protection for Broad Canyon and these other special places. Working with local “hobby ranchers,” they are determined to oppose wilderness protection, and even advocate stripping wilderness-like protection from the current WSAs.

Community support remains strong. Over 400 people attended a November public meeting supporting wilderness protection. Every incorporated community in Doña Ana County has passed resolutions supporting the Citizen’s Proposed Wilderness and NCA. However, a few loud voices backed by the Paragon Foundation and Blue Ribbon Coalition, among other anti-environment groups, are digging in.

As the local community rallies to protect its natural treasures, Great Old Broads can lend their voice to the thousands who want to see Broad Canyon remain wild—not degraded as an ORV playground. —For more info visit: www.DonaAnaWild.org.

Doña Ana Broadwalk
Dates: October 11-15, 2007
Location: Las Cruces, NM
Cost: $110
Another classic Broadwalk, this time in southern New Mexico in support of the The Doña Ana County Citizens' Proposed Wilderness and National Conservation Area which is a plan by conservationists, sportsmen, and community leaders to designate wilderness in Broad Canyon and the East Potrillo Mountains, as well as for the existing eight WSAs in Doña Ana County. The Citizens’ Proposal also proposes the establishment of a National Conservation Area (NCA) that protects the entire Organ/Franklin Mountain Recreation Area, and specifically protects parts of the Organ, Tortugas, San Andres, and Doña Ana Mountains from development. We are camping in a group campsite at the BLM’s Aquirre Springs Campground near San Augustine Pass (elevation 5700’). Warm days and cool nights should make for perfect camping weather. We’ll have a variety of knowledgeable speakers from the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, BLM, and local communities tell us about the wilderness efforts. We plan on a BLM service project as well.

There will be a variety of hikes into proposed wilderness areas led by local advocates.  Especially compelling is the fact that one of the contentious areas in this proposal is a beautiful canyon called Broad Canyon that ORV enthusiasts like to rock crawl up. Broads advocating for protection of Broad Canyon should get the media’s attention. Come add your voice to those calling for wilderness designation of this area.

To register click here.