New Mexico Wild has submitted comments on the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) draft Resource Management Plan Amendment and Environmental Assessment (RMPA/EA) for the Río Grande del Norte National Monument (RGDN) on behalf of a coalition comprised of several environmental organizations. While we support the BLM’s efforts to develop a Monument-specific management plan that prioritizes the protection and restoration of RGDN’s objects and values, as described in the 2013 Presidential Proclamation establishing the Monument, we have concerns about certain aspects of the draft plan.
Our primary concerns revolve around the BLM’s proposal to designate new and expanded rights-of-way (ROWs) within the Monument, including a 600-foot corridor across the Río Grande gorge. We strongly encourage the BLM to reconsider these proposed ROWs to avoid significant impacts on the Wild and Scenic River Corridor and the unique resources the Monument was established to protect.
Additionally, we urge the BLM to strengthen the draft plan by choosing a modified version of Alternative B1 that would designate the Cerro de la Olla area as a Wilderness Study Area (WSA) under Section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and expand the proposed WSA from 5,120 acres to approximately 13,000 acres. Protecting the wilderness characteristics of this area is critical, as it currently lacks the robust and permanent protections afforded to other congressionally designated areas within the Monument.
While commending the BLM for proposing a draft plan that generally prioritizes the protection of RGDN’s remarkable resources, New Mexico Wild calls for these key improvements to ensure the final Monument Management Plan fully upholds the conservation vision and mandate outlined in the Monument’s establishing proclamation.
