Despite public support, Zinke recommends changes to NM’s national monuments

National media outlets released a leaked copy of the national monument review submitted by U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to the White House in August. Screenshots of the document, labeled as “Draft Deliberative – Not for Distribution,” were released Sunday night. The 19-page report Zinke sent to President Trump includes recommendations about […]

Despite public support, Zinke recommends changes to NM’s national monuments

National media outlets released a leaked copy of the national monument review submitted by U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to the White House in August.

Screenshots of the document, labeled as “Draft Deliberative – Not for Distribution,” were released Sunday night.

The 19-page report Zinke sent to President Trump includes recommendations about the two national monuments up for review in New Mexico, Rio Grande del Norte near Taos and Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument near Las Cruces.

Sign up for our weekly environmental email here.

Widely expected to recommend changes to Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, Zinke’s review also calls for “amendments” to Rio Grande del Norte.

His review doesn’t include specific details or boundary changes to either monument. Rather, the half-page recommendations for each of New Mexico’s monuments include boilerplate bullet points about prioritizing “public access” and revising the area’s resource management plan to continue to protect traditional use, tribal use and hunting and fishing rights.

In his recommendations for Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, Zinke also directs the Interior Department to work with the Department of Homeland Security to “assess border safety risks associated with the Portrillos Mountains Complex” and the U.S. Department of Defense to “assess operational readiness of nearby military installations.”

Of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, the secretary writes: “Grazing is a significant traditional use in RGDNNM. However, road closures due to monument restrictions have left many grazing permittees choosing not to renew permits.” But he does not offer specific changes to the president.

Zinke also recommends that Trump request congressional authority to enable tribal management of designated cultural areas at both monuments.

Republican Rep. Steve Pearce, the lone congressional delegate from New Mexico to support Zinke’s review process, issued a statement Monday morning saying the secretary’s recommendation “fails to provide the solutions New Mexico needs.”

According to Pearce:

This decision blatantly ignores local businesses, Border Patrol agents, and outdoorsmen to protect sites that should not be protected under the Antiquities Act. The Secretary even mentioned the WWII bombing craters in his summary as one of the more egregious examples of an over-expansive monuments – yet he left these ranges in the Monument. Even as a former Air Force pilot, I fail to see any value protecting this land over supporting historical ranching and economic growth. The Antiquities Act makes it clear that protected sites must be of historic or scientific interest, yet the OMDP is home to hundreds of thousands of acres without legitimate purpose.

In New Mexico, supporters of the monuments included conservationists, sportsmen and recreationists, local governments and businesses in both northern and and southern New Mexico and traditional and tribal communities.

Related: Park Service group to feds: ‘Pendulum is swinging too far to the side of development’

More than 2.4 million people submitted comments to the department during Zinke’s review of the 27 monuments nationwide.

According to Zinke’s report to Trump, public comment could be divided into two groups. He offered this synopsis of arguments in support of protecting the boundaries of the monuments:

Proponents tended to promote monument designation as a mechanism to prevent the sale or transfer of public land. This narrative is false and has no basis in fact. Public lands within a monument are federally owned and managed regardless of monument designation under the Act. Proponents also point to the economic benefits from increased tourism from monument recognition. On this point, monument status has a potential economic benefit of increased visitation, particularly to service related industries, outdoor recreation industries, and other businesses dependent or supported by tourism. Increased visitation also places an additional burden and responsibility on the Federal Government to provide additional resources and manpower to maintain these lands to better support increased visitation and recreational activities.

Zinke then reiterated language similar to that in the one-and-a-half page summary released publicly last month, writing that comments in favor of preserving the monuments “demonstrated a well-orchestrated national campaign organized by multiple organizations.”

Presidents have the authority to create national monuments under the federal Antiquities Act. Signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, the law gave presidents the authority to bypass Congress and protect federal lands that contain archaeological or historical sites or are scientifically significant. In the last 110 years, sixteen presidents, including eight Republicans and eight Democrats, have used the act to designate national monuments.

In April, President Trump signed an executive order directing Zinke to review monuments presidents had designated under the act since 1996 that are larger than 100,000acres.

Trump said he was signing the order “to end these abuses and to return control to the people, the people of Utah, the people of all the states, the people of the United States.”

As we reported in August, during the four month review, Zinke visited eight national monuments in six states, including New Mexico. His office said the review included more than 60 meetings, “tours of monuments conducted over air, foot, car and horseback” and a “thorough review” of more than 2.4 million public comments that had been submitted to the department.

More than 90 percent of comments submitted from New Mexicans supported protecting monuments, including the two under review here in the state, Rio Grande del Norte near Taos and Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in southern New Mexico.

NM Political Report will have follow-up coverage on the issue later in the week.

We're ad free

That means that we rely on support from readers like you. Help us keep reporting on the most important New Mexico Stories by donating today.

Related

Judge rules that congressional map is not an unlawful gerrymander

Judge rules that congressional map is not an unlawful gerrymander

A judge upheld the congressional maps that Republicans alleged included illegal gerrymandering, particularly in the case of the state’s 2nd Congressional District. Ninth Judicial…
Challenger announces she’ll run for Ivey-Soto Senate seat

Challenger announces she’ll run for Ivey-Soto Senate seat

Former New Mexico House Democratic Campaign Committee finance director Heather Berghmans announced her run for state senate District 15 on Thursday. She is running…
New law leads to confusion over IPRA while some inmate hearings hang in the balance

New law leads to confusion over IPRA while some inmate hearings hang in the balance

A new law that provides opportunity for adults who were sentenced as children to decades in prison to have a parole hearing after a…
U.S. reports record oil exports

U.S. reports record oil exports

The U.S. exported a record amount of oil during the first half of the year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. During that…
State senator will look at geothermal legislation

State senator will look at geothermal legislation

After the governor vetoed legislation to support geothermal energy that received limited opposition from lawmakers during the legislative session was vetoed, Sen. Gerald Ortiz…
Legislation would end mineral leasing in the Upper Pecos watershed

Legislation would end mineral leasing in the Upper Pecos watershed

U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján introduced legislation that seeks to withdraw portions of the Pecos River watershed in northern New Mexico…
More learning time, free meals coming to students this school year

More learning time, free meals coming to students this school year

As children prepare to return to school for the new public school year, they will see some changes after legislation passed in the 2023…
Legislature hears about post-COVID impacts on education

Legislature hears about post-COVID impacts on education

Public education is still recovering from the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns. The state Legislative Finance Committee’s Public Education Subcommittee released a report Wednesday detailing…
ECECD hosts baby showers to let parents know about resources

ECECD hosts baby showers to let parents know about resources

Friday afternoon, a line of people formed outside a room in the Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum in Albuquerque.  The line was made…
Gov. Lujan Grisham tests positive for COVID

Gov. Lujan Grisham tests positive for COVID

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham tested positive for COVID-19 for a third time. The governor’s office said that Lujan Grisham is experiencing mild symptoms and…
Study: New Mexico had highest increase in abortion since 2020

Study: New Mexico had highest increase in abortion since 2020

Between January 2020 and June 2023, New Mexico saw a larger increase in abortion than any other state, according to a new report. The…
Doctors encourage vaccinations for respiratory illnesses, including COVID

Doctors encourage vaccinations for respiratory illnesses, including COVID

Health officials from hospitals throughout the state encouraged New Mexicans to get vaccinated against three respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. After the U.S. Food and…
US Supreme Court expected to hear the abortion medication case this term

US Supreme Court expected to hear the abortion medication case this term

Two upcoming U.S. Supreme Court cases  this term could impact abortion rights and victims of domestic violence. The high court has not set a…
Indigenous Women Rising: Abortion fund budget has doubled since Dobbs

Indigenous Women Rising: Abortion fund budget has doubled since Dobbs

Representatives from the abortion fund provider Indigenous Women Rising told members of the Interim Indian Affairs Committee on Monday that their monthly abortion fund…
Study: New Mexico had highest increase in abortion since 2020

Study: New Mexico had highest increase in abortion since 2020

Between January 2020 and June 2023, New Mexico saw a larger increase in abortion than any other state, according to a new report. The…
Indigenous Women Rising: Abortion fund budget has doubled since Dobbs

Indigenous Women Rising: Abortion fund budget has doubled since Dobbs

Representatives from the abortion fund provider Indigenous Women Rising told members of the Interim Indian Affairs Committee on Monday that their monthly abortion fund…
Study: New Mexico had highest increase in abortion since 2020

Study: New Mexico had highest increase in abortion since 2020

Between January 2020 and June 2023, New Mexico saw a larger increase in abortion than any other state, according to a new report. The…
A human donor milk repository in Albuquerque needs to expand

A human donor milk repository in Albuquerque needs to expand

A human donor milk repository in Albuquerque has a growing demand and, with a need to expand, is exploring a private-public partnership to do…
Voter education campaign begins as voting begins in local elections

Voter education campaign begins as voting begins in local elections

Tuesday marked the beginning of early voting for local elections throughout the state. It also marked the beginning of a voter education public service…
Judge rules that congressional map is not an unlawful gerrymander

Judge rules that congressional map is not an unlawful gerrymander

A judge upheld the congressional maps that Republicans alleged included illegal gerrymandering, particularly in the case of the state’s 2nd Congressional District. Ninth Judicial…
State treasurer fined by State Ethics Commission for campaign finance violations

State treasurer fined by State Ethics Commission for campaign finance violations

The State Ethics Commission ruled that State Treasurer Laura Montoya, a Democrat, violated the state Campaign Reporting Act while she was a candidate in…
State supreme court upholds congressional map

State supreme court upholds congressional map

In issuing this ruling, the state Supreme Court upheld a district court decision and denied an appeal by the Republican Party of New Mexico.
Experts tell legislators about ‘black box’ AI

Experts tell legislators about ‘black box’ AI

The Interim Legislative Science, Technology and Telecommunication Committee discussed how to build transparency into artificial intelligence programming regarding public resources and services at their…
How price impacts individuals buying menstrual products

How price impacts individuals buying menstrual products

Merrill said she started Free Flow New Mexico during the early part of the pandemic because she saw a need.  “I was wondering where…

GET INVOLVED

© 2023 New Mexico Political Report