By BEN NEARY
NMWF Conservation Director
DEMING, N.M. – A coalition of Luna County elected officials and others kicked off a campaign on Wednesday to designate a new national monument to conserve the Florida Mountains and other area peaks.
Supporters of the proposed Mimbres Peaks National Monument say it would conserve indigenous and cultural resources on nearly a quarter-million acres of federal lands administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
The monument designation would draw tourists seeking outdoor recreation opportunities to the area, supporters said. They said traditional uses such as hunting, grazing and regulated OHV use would continue.
Deming Mayor Benny Jasso said he expects the monument designation would “make Deming a destination, not just a pit stop.”
“One of the things that we would love to do and ensure is we’re going to protect this mountain range here,” Jasso said, speaking with the Florida Mountains as a backdrop.
Supporters have modeled their proposal after the success of the 2014 designation of the Organ Mountain Desert Peaks National Monument on the outskirts of Las Cruces.
Annual visitation to a Mimbres Peaks National Monument could reach between 122,500 and 220,500 visitors over the next five to ten years, according to an economic analysis of the proposal. The analysis was drafted by Denver consultants BBC Research and Consulting for the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce.
The report estimates that combined annual direct operational spending by the BLM together with annual non-local visitor expenditures would yield a combined annual direct economic impact of between $7.8 million and $13.6 million, depending on the visitation scenario. The report projects a median impact of 88 local jobs,
In addition to the Florida Mountains, the proposal calls for conserving the Cookes Range, Good Sight Mountains, and Tres Hermanas.
“It’s a really big day for Southern New Mexico,” said Luna County Commissioner Ray Trejo. “The lands surrounding Deming hold stories and a history that have shaped our community for generations.”
Trejo said the experience of other local communities makes it clear that protecting public lands is good for local economies and residents.
“That’s why over the past year the city and county have been looking at the opportunities, the process, and the concept of a new national monument,” Trejo said. “This hard work has culminated in today’s announcement which opens the door for everyone to get involved and help shape the future of public lands in Luna County,” Trejo said.
Christopher Toya, tribal historic preservation officer at Jemez Pueblo, said his people have historic ties to the Mimbres people, who used to live in the Luna County area. “It’s homeland to you as well,” he told the crowd. “This is our homeland.”
Wes Light, President of the Friends of the Floridas, said it’s rewarding to see the community come together to find a long term solution for protection of the area.
“The future holds incredible uncertainty for these lands and the wildlife that inhabit them,” Light said. “Establishing a national monument will hopefully put an end to disagreements over the best uses of these lands while also creating new opportunities for visitors and our local businesses.”
Creating a national monument also would result in the area becoming a recognized destination for outdoor recreation, Light said.
State Sen. Carrie Hamblen, D-Doña Ana, introduced the speakers at the announcement ceremony, held at Rockhound State Park at the foot of the Florida Mountains. She is chief executive officer at the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce.
Kyla Navarro, policy and community coordinator with the Friends of the Organ Mountains group, said her group supports the new national monument proposal, “because we understand firsthand the importance of protecting land as a community.”
The groups intend to hold community meetings in the future to refine their monument proposal. The coalition intends to ask tribes, local leaders and New Mexico’s congressional delegation to work with President Joe Biden to protect the area as a national monument. A new website, www.protectmimbrespeaks.org, has information about the proposal.