By BEN NEARY
NMWF Conservation Director
The New Mexico State Land Office is committed to expanding public access to state trust lands under its outdoor recreation program, agency officials said Wednesday during a briefing about a proposal to access landlocked portions of the Coronado National Forest.
Stephanie Garcia Richard, NM commissioner of Public Lands, and Craig Johnson, outdoor recreation program manager for the land office, briefed the Hidalgo County Commission on the proposal to reach currently landlocked Forest Service lands in the Peloncillo Mountains, in the southwestern corner of the state.
Rancher Seth Hadley, whose family owns the sprawling Diamond A Ranch, has agreed to construct a road on the northern side of the ranch to the national forest boundary. He proposes to construct a parking lot at the boundary to allow public access for people to enter the forest on foot or horseback in the Deer Creek area.
The new road segment would tie into Horse Camp Road, and would cross about four-tenths of a mile of state trust land to reach the Diamond A Ranch.
The New Mexico Wildlife Federation has been working to gain access to the Coronado National Forest in the area for years. The federation strongly supports the Diamond A proposal.
Explaining the project, Garcia Richard told commissioners, “It is to provide access into the Peloncillo Mountains, and Coronado area, for sportsperson access.”
Garcia Richard and Johnson said the State Land Office hasn’t made a final decision on the Diamond A application. They said the land office expects to hold a public meeting on the proposal soon.
“We do have multi-use in this area, folks that do lease this area for grazing,” Garcia Richard said. “So we would like to look at these uses and see whether they are compatible.”
Johnson told commissioners, “We are very committed to expanding public access on trust lands as part of our outdoor recreation program.”
Johnson said the office received an application from the Diamond A seeking an easement across the state land for the proposed 20-foot-wide road.
“We’re trying to provide sportspeople and recreationists access to an area of the Coronado that is currently inaccessible,” Johnson said. “And our mission is to raise revenue for our beneficiaries, which is primarily the public schools. So when we increase revenues on public land, we generate revenue for the public schools and other beneficiaries. We create economic development opportunities for local communities, and of course hopefully provide some healthy recreation opportunities.”
Several other area ranchers whose properties border national forest lands in the area said they had concerns about the prospect of opening the road to public access.
Meira Gault, whose family has a nearby ranch, noted that Diamond A had put forth an earlier proposal that didn’t call for crossing state land.
“Why not build the original proposal?” Gault said. “Why does the state need the headache of going through their state land when it’s permitted to another person. This section of land is not permitted to the Diamond A.”
Johnson responded, “As far as why the applicant chose to go this versus some other route, those are decisions that they made. The land office is processing this right of way, and our intention is to execute it if we can be assured that this is accomplishing the goal that we seek to accomplish, which is increased public access to the Coronado.”
The Diamond A in recent years has floated the idea of allowing public access to the forest in exchange for county road closures elsewhere on the ranch. But Garcia Richard said there are no such stipulations on the ranch’s current offer to build the road.
Levi Klump, owner of the Horse Camp Canyon Ranch, holds a lease on the state section that would be crossed by the proposed road.
“I want to be very upfront initially, I am for multiple use, I am a proponent of multiple use,” Klump told Land Office officials. “I am not opposed to going and getting access to the Coronado.”
However, Klump said he’s concerned about how changes to the state land parcel it would affect his operation. He said he intends to monitor the proposal.
Judy Keeler, whose family owns a ranch in the area, expressed concern that the new road would be prone to flooding. She said building the new road is not a sound proposal, “and will only serve to burden its neighboring ranchers.”
Ray Trejo, southern New Mexico outreach coordinator for the NMWF, addressed the commission.
“We think that this is a monumental step in the right direction for equitable access, including all hunters, and hikers and bikers and birders,” Trejo said. “I think it’s going to be an economic driver for your county. And again, I’m just hoping that this is the beginning of something that’s really going to snowball, in a positive way obviously. I would just like to thank the State Land Office, Madam commissioner, her staff, her team, as well as the Diamond A.”