FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2024
Contacts:
Bjorn Fredrickson, Conservation Director, bjorn@nmwild.org, 206-372-5608
Mark Allison, Executive Director, mark@nmwild.org, 505-239-0906
DEMING, N.M. — New Mexico Wild today expressed strong opposition to a proposal before the Luna County Board of Commissioners that would allocate taxpayer dollars to support radical efforts aimed at turning public lands over to states. The Board is scheduled to vote this Thursday, December 5th on whether to provide funding to American Stewards of Liberty, an organization supporting Utah’s Supreme Court lawsuit seeking to force the disposal of federally managed public lands.
“This proposed misuse of Luna County taxpayer money represents a direct threat to New Mexico’s outdoor heritage and our public lands,” said Bjorn Fredrickson, Conservation Director of New Mexico Wild. “These lands belong to all Americans and provide invaluable benefits to our local communities, from outdoor recreation opportunities to wildlife habitat protection.”
The vote comes as Utah pursues legal action that could potentially impact more than 210 million acres of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) across the Western United States. States do not have the resources, staff, capacity, or expertise to manage what are now public lands belonging to all Americans. State managed lands are not managed for multiple uses like public lands are, that include public access, recreation, and traditional practices, but are instead mandated to maximize revenue for institutional beneficiaries.
If successful, this lawsuit could ultimately lead to the privatization of nearly all public lands in Luna County, by selling them off to out of state billionaires and China, ending public’s rights for hunting, hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities that New Mexico families have enjoyed for generations.
The economic implications for Luna County would be severe. Public lands drive tourism, support local businesses, and contribute significantly to the outdoor recreation economy. Some state lands in the West, for example, charge twenty times as much as BLM for grazing permits, putting local ranching interests at risk. Using taxpayer money to support efforts that would eliminate public access to their lands goes against the interests of the very citizens the Commission was elected to serve.
New Mexico Wild calls on Luna County residents to attend Thursday’s Board of Commissioners meeting at 10:00 AM at the Luna County Courthouse to voice their opposition to this proposal. Public lands are a cornerstone of New Mexico’s heritage and way of life, providing critical spaces for traditional and cultural practices, wildlife conservation, and outdoor recreation.
