The United States Air Force’s proposal to expand low-elevation combat training across southern Arizona and southwest New Mexico has sparked significant controversy and rightful concern among local communities, environmental groups, and Native American tribes. This plan, part of their Special Use Optimization Strategy, aims to modify ten existing Military Operations Areas (MOAs), potentially transforming the landscape and soundscape of this vast, ecologically diverse region.
At the heart of the debate lies a clash between military training needs and the preservation of Wilderness, rural communities, and tribal lands. The proposed changes would dramatically increase the number of low-elevation fighter jet maneuvers and supersonic flights, bringing with them a host of potential impacts including increased noise pollution, environmental degradation, and disruption to wildlife and human communities alike.
At a recent public hearing, Luke Koenig, Gila Grassroots Organizer for New Mexico Wild, delivered a passionate oral comment, highlighting the unique character of the affected areas and the potential consequences of the Air Force’s proposal. Here’s what he had to say:
“I’m Luke Koenig and I’m a Wilderness advocate. If you’ve ever spent any time in the Gila wilderness, you’ll know as I do that there’s something different about the Gila, something, as hard as it may be to pin down in words, that sets it apart, even from other wild places. Something in the murmur of the cool, perennial trout streams. Something in the sudden roar of a waterfall hidden around the bend. Something whispering on the leaves of the quaking aspen trees, and echoing in the alien yodels of coyotes in an endless ponderosa forest. Something in the raucous cackle of Mexican Jays under an ancient oak, and in the howl of a wolf in the mountain twilight.
There’s something in the piercing silence that reigns over each day—day after day after day, just like it has for millennia. Interrupted only, by the soft crunch under my boots and the subtle chatter of our still wild world. Now tell me, does this sound like an appropriate place for sonic booms?
Today, wilderness makes up a mere 2% of the land in New Mexico. And true quietude, perhaps our most vanishing natural resource, is at the heart of what makes these areas worth protecting.
There are places that are appropriate for military combat training, and there are places that simply are not.
Though the Air Force makes the ludicrous claim that the noise generated by these low-altitude sonic booms is suitable for all land uses—listen up: it’s not.”
Luke’s testimony raises important questions about the balance between national security interests and environmental conservation, as well as the rights and well-being of local and indigenous communities.
As this issue continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the Air Force will respond to these concerns and whether a compromise can be reached that satisfies all stakeholders involved. Learn more and take action at peacefulgilaskies.com.
