The Guadalupe County Commission is set to vote Thursday., Nov. 17, on a proposal from a local ranch to abandon a county road that leads to large parcels of state trust land near Santa Rosa that locals use as traditional hunting grounds.
The Moise Ranch has asked the county commission to abandon Guadalupe Road 4A. The road heads southwest from I-40 a few miles west of Santa Rosa into a network of state trust lands.
Local hunter Patrick Salazar has been working to drum up public awareness of the proposal. He says he’s been hunting on state lands there since he was in high school.
“Around here already there are a bunch of gates that are locked,” Salazar said. “So we’re losing access every day. This is a big chunk and it’s right here, five minutes from the town. A lot of people not only from town, but from around New Mexico and Albuquerque come and hunt this. I’ve been talking a lot today and everyone’s pretty upset with the whole deal.
“Me and my high school football teammates, we used to hunt out there when we were in high school a lot,” Salazar said. “So everyone still comes out and hunts over there.” If the county commission votes to abandon the road, Salazar said, “it’s just another section that will be closed, and we lose out.”
The New Mexico Wildlife Federation has written to county commissioners, State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Director Michael Sloane expressing opposition to the proposed road closure.
In its letter, the federation noted that the game department has a $1-million annual easement with the land office to make state trust lands available for hunting and fishing. Closing the county road would reduce the amount of state trust land available for public use under the lease, the federation stated.
Jesse Deubel, executive director of the NMWF, encouraged hunters and others who cherish public access to public lands in the state to contact Guadalupe County commissioners and voice opposition to the proposed road closure.
“The federation has been fighting this sort of thing across New Mexico,” Deubel said. “We’re seeing private landowners petition county commissions to abandon roads that lead to public lands. If the commissioners agree, the result is that the public loses access to public lands that have been traditional hunting and fishing areas.”
Deubel noted that New Mexico is putting millions into trying to grow its outdoor recreation economy. “We need to cherish our public lands and our public access,” he said. “Future generations of New Mexicans need to be able to reach these lands as part of their birthright.”
County Commissioners may be reached at the following email addresses:
_ Albert E. Campos, Jr. – acampos@guadco.us
_ James E. Moncayo – jmoncayo@guadco.us
_ Ernest E. Chavez – echavez@guadco.us
The Guadalupe County Commission meeting is scheduled to start at 9 a.m., Thursday at the Pecos Theatre, at 219 S. 4th. St., Santa Rosa, NM, 8843