{FMWC} E-Newsletter – March 2009
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS COALITION
http://www.franklinmountains.org/
Annual Meeting: March 25, 2009
It has been a number of years since the Coalition has put on an annual meeting. So much has happened this past year, especially the 30th anniversary of FMWC, that it’s time to get together and celebrate. Consequently, the March meeting will be a time to honor our past and look to our future. We are inviting founding members of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition to attend so all may celebrate their early work to save the mountains.
The event will take place at Jaxon’s Restaurant on Airway Blvd. There will be a no-host bar. Dinner will be a fajita buffet costing $16.00 per person. We will need to have a final count by Monday, March 16 so please make your reservation by then. Unfortunately, no tickets will be available at the door. You’re welcome to attend even if you don’t plan to eat.
When: March 25, 2009
6:00 PM Meet and Greet
6:30 PM Dinner
7:30 PM Meeting
Place: Jaxon’s Restaurant, 1135 Airway Blvd.
Please contact Scott Cutler at 915-581-6071 to make reservations.
“Those Were the Days, My Friends”
by Kathy Kennedy McConaghie
Way back when I attended UTEP (1972 – 1976) a crazy little thing called Crazy Cat happened to the Franklin Mountains. Many of my fellow students and some faculty members joined together in a petition drive to try to stop the planned residential development on the tail end of our beautiful mountains. I remember innocently bopping into Chicano Brown Beret, Vietnam Vets Against the War, American Friends Service Committee and other group “headquarters” and asking for help gathering signatures on our petitions to stop the City of El Paso from allowing the development. Some of the conversations were along the lines of: “If you will take some of these petitions and get them signed, we will march alongside you in your endeavors.” This led to some pretty interesting collaborations and we spent hours accosting potential signers outside of drugstores, grocery stores, and nightclubs; getting our siblings and parents to take petitions to work; walking door to door in our neighborhoods. We talked ourselves hoarse and we gathered thousands of signatures.
When the petitions were invalidated by the city “fathers” due to technicalities (well, we were young and naïve), I grew so disgusted with local politics and my hometown that I left, pretty much in a huff, to pursue graduate studies back east (I thought happiness was El Paso, Texas in my rearview mirror). Crazy Cat happened and that piece of our beloved mountains was gone.
I lived far away from the rugged Franklins for over two decades. There were tears of joy and relief every time I drove home to visit – blasting down that long last stretch on the Carlsbad Highway or War Highway or, in later years, whisking in on I-10 – when those familiar peaks rose up from the desert and I knew that I was almost home.
The point of this personal recollection is that some people stayed here, founded a Coalition, and became sentinels dedicated to protecting the Franklin Mountains from further encroachment. Their efforts were successful beyond my wildest dreams: an entire mountain range became a state park in the middle of a desert city! Thank you, founding members of FMWC and all those who have continued the good fight to this day. Hope to see you at Jaxon’s on the 25th!
Trail Building Crews Needed!
by Dave Wilson, BMBA President
The Borderland Mountain Bike Association, a non-profit dedicated to improving mountain biking in El Paso, is seeking volunteers and new members to help build trails in both the Franklin Mountain State Park and in several city parks.
The city park’s department wants to build a complete mountain bike center at the Westside Recreation Center off High Ridge. There are plans for beginner level single track trails and a skills park with ladders, bridges, teeter-totters, pump track, table tops, and much more. Trail builders and flagging crews are needed for this project. There is potential to put in more than 10 miles of high quality single track at the park. No experience is necessary.
Club rides take place the first Sunday of every month with the next ride (April 5th) meeting at 9 am in the upper parking lot of the Tom Mays Unit of the FMSP. Food is served around noon. Club membership is $25 per year.
For more information, contact the BMBA at bmbaelpaso@hotmail.com, or check the club’s website at www.bmba.wordpress.com .
HEY, FOLKS, TAKE A LOOK AT RICK LOBELLO’S COOL BLOG AT http://iloveparks.blogspot.com/
Why Should We Care About Saving The Poppies and the Castner Range?
by Rick LoBello (from his blog, with permission)
Posted on March 2, 2009
For me this is an easy question to answer. Prior to moving to El Paso I spent seventeen years working at Big Bend National Park, the world’s largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert. It was there working as a park ranger and on a variety of research projects that I came to know this desert ecosystem so well. Today I am very concerned about its future and the threats of development that endanger the desert on both sides of the border. Since the first day I put on a park ranger badge in 1975 I have dedicated my life to helping people connect with and understand this amazing land.
We need the poppies and the adjoining Castner Range like we need water flowing into our homes and food in our stomachs. Nature is life and without it we simply cannot survive. Imagine what our world would be like if all we knew were buildings, super highways and concrete. Ever try eating a rock? Do you think you could live very long without water? All of the natural resources that we need to survive are limited. Unfortunately for our children and their children’s children many if not most of the decision makers approving plans for urban sprawl, one of the main threats to the desert, have little understanding of why keeping the desert ecosystem intact is so important to our future. Still others have some understanding, but do not know how to stop the wave of development currently underway. As a result thousands of species of animals and plants here and around the world have gone extinct or are on the road to extinction.
Most of the animals that live in the Castner Range are valuable in helping to maintain the desert’s complex biodiversity. For example, the foraging behavior of mule deer, small mammals and birds helps to disperse seeds of numerous plants important to their own survival and the survival of countless other species. Writing for the US Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Bulletin, Jim Lyzer brings this important understanding into focus: “We are destroying or wiping out species before we know what their value might be. That in itself should justify the time and expense that it takes to help them avert extinction. Beyond that we have an ethical obligation to all the species that share this planet. When we lose anything, we’re really losing a figurative encyclopedia. And we might be losing a page with enormous benefits to mankind. Unfortunately, today most people around the world either are unaware or unconcerned about the consequences that will surely affect the survival of our own species in the near future.”
Looking at the “big picture for El Paso’s future” the most valuable resource we have is not anything we have built or we are about to build, it is the people who live here and the natural ecosystem with its complex biodiversity. The Castner Range helps to protect that biodiversity and the last thing we need to do is to allow the current threat of urban sprawl to spread any further into the Franklins. Already we can see that we are about to lose the magnificent wilderness vistas on the west side to the developers who have recently announced the coming of their army of bulldozers to begin another chapter of destruction along Trans Mountain Road.
The Castners offer hope for our community and the Chihuahuan Desert is this part of North America. Can’t we learn to share the earth with native animals and plants?
I encourage you to learn more about efforts to protect the Castner Range by attending the Poppies Celebration, visiting franklinmountains.org and by becoming a member of the Franklin Mountains Coalition.
Our thanks to you, Rick, for all your help!
Castner Range History Project
by Scott Cutler
The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition would like to gather information about the history of Castner Range from its beginnings in the 1920’s until it closed in the 1960s. Much information may be available in the older editions of the El Paso Times and the Herald Post, both archived on microfilm.
We would like to ask people to volunteer to go through a few years worth of these older records and make note of articles mentioning Castner Range. If you have time to help with this project, please contact Scott Cutler at 581-6071 to find out which years still need to be reviewed and details about what to look for. Thanks.
Poppies Celebration on Saturday,
March 14
FREE Event with Free Parking and shuttle at Cohen Stadium
The Franklin Mountains Poppies Celebration on Castner Range is being planned again this year on Saturday March 14 from 10 am to 6 pm at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Transmountain Road. The day's activities will include nature talks, wildlife displays, educational exhibits, demonstrations, crafts, music and refreshments. Educational Speakers will be in the Gazebo from 10 am to 3 pm and there will be music, entertainment and tequila tasting from 3 - 6 pm. Please note that even if the poppies do not bloom this year, we celebrate the only place in El Paso where poppies can bloom.
Speakers at the Gazebo
10am - John Kiseda, Birds of the Franklin Mountains
11am - John White, Plants of the Franklin Mountains
Noon - Rick LoBello, Mammals of the Franklin Mountains
1pm - Sal Quintanilla, Venomous Animals of the Desert
2pm - Leon Metz, History of El Paso
The Celebration will also include Leyton Cougar with Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in Ramah, New Mexico and a socialized live wolf, videos by local documentarian and producer Jackson Polk, puppet shows, a magician, and raffle prizes. Everyone is welcome to come out and enjoy the beauty of the mountains and the poppies during this FREE Family Fun event.
Capstone Productions Inc. will show many of their El Paso Gold Heritage TV series films FOR FREE at this year's Poppy Festival in the auditorium at the Museum of Archaeology. It is called Poppy Fest Film Fest and will feature ten years of videos that El Paso TV producer Jackson Polk has produced about the history and heritage of the El Paso area.
Poppy Film Festival schedule of films for March 14, 2009 at the Museum of Archaeology
10:00am El Paso’s Magoffin Home Update 2008
11:00am El Paso’s Historic Sites and MarkersNoon Mexican Revolution Sites in El Paso
1:00pm Legends of El Paso’s Mountains
2:00pm Gunfights of the Old West
2:45pm El Paso’s Mount Cristo Rey
3:45pm Ghost Stories of El Paso Vol.1
The Poppy Film Fest ENDS at 5:00pm
Sponsored by The El Paso Times, Cohen Stadium, REDCo and Project Amistad, LULAC
Organizing Sponsors include El Paso Archaeological Society, http://epas.com/ , El Paso Museum of Archeology, http://www.elpasotexas.gov/arch_museum/ , Franklin Mountains State Park, http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/franklin/ , and Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition, http://franklinmountains.org/
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS STATE PARK NEWS
For the latest news and information about the Park, visit their great website:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/franklin/
Lone Star Legacy
You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to "Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation" can be sent to: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Attention: Lone Star Legacy, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.
FMWC In Cyberspace
This is the electronic version of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter. To be added to or removed from the distribution list, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
Borderland Mountain Bike Association • Border Toasters, Toastmasters International • Bordersenses • Celebration Of Our Mountains • Centro San Vicente • Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition • Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue • Eco-Club EPCC • El Paso Archaeological Society • El Paso Cactus And Rock Club • El Paso County Master Gardeners • El Paso Native Plant Society • El Paso Regional Group Of The Sierra Club • El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society • El Paso Youth Symphony • El Paso Zoo • Environmental Advocates at UTEP • Friends of the Arroyo • Friends Of The Rio Bosque • Jolly Elders • League Of Women Voters Of El Paso • Mesilla Valley Audubon Society • Mountain Park Community Association • Photography Enthusiasts Of El Paso • Southern New Mexico Group Of The Sierra Club • Southwest Environmental Center • Skyline Optimist Club Of El Paso • Trans Pecos Chapter Of The Texas Master Naturalists • Vista Hills Rotary Club • Voter Education Project, Inc •
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
January 2009
{FMWC} E-Newsletter – January 2009
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS COALITION
http://www.franklinmountains.org/
Next Meeting: January 21, 2009
New Time: 6:30 PM
New Place: Centennial Museum, UTEP Campus, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX (located at the corner of University Ave. and Wiggns Road)
Agenda will include discussing a new place for future meetings. If you have questions please contact Scott Cutler at 581-6071.
Dues are Due
We begin 2009 looking forward to continuing our support of the Franklin Mountains State Park; spreading the word to new organizations and the general public about the work we do to protect the Franklins; and working to insure that Castner Range remains in its natural state.
The New Year also means it is time to renew your membership with the Coalition. Your dues and additional contributions allow us to remain vigilant and effective in our conservation efforts.
Individual membership is open to all who share our goal of preserving the scenic beauty and wilderness character of the Franklin Mountains. Dues are $10.00 per year and are due in January each year.
Membership applications are on our website, http://franklinmountains.org/ under How To Join. Please complete the membership form and mail it, along with your check to:
Scott Cutler, Treasurer
Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
112 Colina Alta Dr.
El Paso, TX 79912
Thank you for your generous support.
A Major Donation in 2008
Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition received a very generous donation in 2008. A member who wishes to remain anonymous but has supported FMWC for many years made a remarkable $20,000 gift. It will be used to further efforts to protect the mountains and to see that Castner Range is protected as open space.
The Coalition greatly appreciates the generosity of the donor and the vote of confidence in the work we do.
Annual Meeting
It has been a number of years since the Coalition has put on an annual meeting. So much has happened this past year, especially the 30th anniversary of FMWC, that it’s time to get together and celebrate. Consequently, the March meeting will be a time to honor our past and look to our future. We are inviting founding members of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition to attend so all may celebrate their early work to save the mountains.
The event will take place at Jaxon’s Restaurant on Airway Blvd. There will be a no-host bar. Dinner will be a fajita buffet costing $16.00 per person. We will need to have a final count by Monday, March 16 so please make your reservation by then. Unfortunately, no tickets will be available at the door. You’re welcome to attend even if you don’t plan to eat.
When: March 25, 2009
Time: 6 PM Meet and Greet
6:30 PM Dinner
7:30 PM Meeting
Place: Jaxon’s Restaurant, 1135 Airway Blvd.
Please contact Scott Cutler to make reservations.
Poppies Celebration
March 14, 2009
The third annual Franklin Mountains Poppies Celebration at Castner Range is coming soon so save the date: March 14, 2009 10 AM – 6 PM at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Transmountain Rd. This should prove to be a bigger event than previous years with more exhibitors, speakers and craft vendors as well as music and food. Please plan to come out and support our efforts to protect Castner Range and the magnificent poppy displays that occur there.
The program includes nature talks, wildlife displays, educational exhibits, and demonstrations. Educational speakers will be in the Gazebo from 10 AM – 2 PM and there will be music, entertainment and tequila tasting from 2 – 6 PM. The Celebration will also include videos by local documentarian and producer, Jackson Polk, puppet shows, a magician, and raffle prizes all day.
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is an invited honored guest to whom we’ll present hundreds of scenic Castner Range postcards, each personalized with written sentiments about the Range by El Pasoans and visitors and asking her assistance to preserve the Range as open space, in its natural state.
Many thanks to Judy Ackerman of FMWC, the staff of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology at Wilderness Park, Franklin Mountains State Park, Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition, the El Paso Archaeological Society and others for helping organize this event. Don’t miss it!
More Castner Range News
For three years, FMWC tried unsuccessfully to meet with Fort Bliss Garrison Commander Col. Robert Burns. Now Bob Burns is the Vice President Business Development – Defense, for El Paso Regional Economic Development Corporation (REDCo http://www.elpasoredco.com/ ). He met with FMWC members Scott Cutler, John Moses and judy Ackerman for over an hour on January 7th and invited his boss, Bob Cook, REDCo president, to join us.
We presented information on a conservation conveyance of Castner Range, invited REDCo to join FMWC and mentioned our upcoming Poppies Celebration.
Col. (Ret) Burns assured us that Fort Bliss is too busy with war and expansion issues to even consider doing anything with Castner Range before 2015. Bob Cook confirmed that pressure to develop Castner Range will only increase in the future. They both feel that Fort Bliss, El Paso City leadership, and El Paso citizens “get it” that there should be NO development on Castner. However, the corporate memory is short.
They suggest building a partnership with the Environmental Department at Fort Bliss and work to build a strategic plan with a timeline that will preserve Castner as natural open space. Ecotourism is a growing business in El Paso and may have links to Castner. If FMWC could find funding for cleaning the unexploded ordnance on Castner, that would sweeten any deal for the Army to transfer Castner to conservancy or the Franklin Mountains State Park.
Do you want to participate in strategy meetings on how to preserve Castner Range? If so, contact Scott Cutler or judy Ackerman.
Franklin Mountains State Park News
To create an easier and safer climb at the “Window” section of the FMSP Ron Coleman Trail, a chain route will be installed to aid hikers’ climb up/down this 40 ft. limestone wall. After several trips to the “Window” by park staff to assess, test the rock and analyze the best locations for the chains, stainless steel bolts and hangers were installed on January 13, 2009. Staff will be working on the chain installation during the upcoming weeks and expect to have the project completed by the end of this month.
For more of the latest news and information about the Park, visit their great website: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/franklin/
Lone Star Legacy
You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to "Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation" can be sent to: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Attention: Lone Star Legacy, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.
The El Paso Museum of Archaeology Presents:
The Hero Twins Saga: From Mesoamerica to Mimbres
January 25, 2009 at 2 PM
Professor Marc Thompson
Professor Thompson explores the Hero Twins Saga in the first program in his Southwest Iconography Explored Series. Twin culture heroes and their adventures are described in the 16th-century Maya book Popol Vuh, depicted on 1,500-year-old Maya pottery, 1,000-year-old Mimbres bowls, and 15th- century kiva murals in New Mexico.
This program is the first in a series to explore the connections between ancient Mexico and the Southwest. Marc Thompson, Director of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, is your host for these presentations.
All programs are free and are held from 2 to 3 pm on the following Sundays: 25 January, 22 February, 1 March, 26 April, and 17 May in the auditorium at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Transmountain Road in El Paso.
For further information contact Marilyn Guida at 915-755-4332 or guidamr@elpasotexas.gov . http://www.elpasotexas.gov/arch_museum/
Preserve Alberta Park, Colorado
“Texas billionaire developer Billy "Red" McCombs seeks to construct a city of up to 10,000 people just below the Continental Divide at Wolf Creek Ski Area, one of the snowiest spots in Colorado. The “Village” at Wolf Creek would destroy lush meadows, alpine creeks, unspoiled backcountry recreation opportunities, and one of the most critical wildlife corridors in the Southern Rocky Mountains, harm already established businesses that service Wolf Creek visitors, and dramatically increase traffic on a snowy mountain pass.” (Friends of Wolf Creek, http://www.friendsofwolfcreek.org/)
Peter Miesler of Durango, Colorado brought this issue to our attention recently and is asking our help in a letter writing campaign to Mr. McCombs asking that he abandon the Village, return his parcel of Alberta Park to the Rio Grande National Forest and establish a wetland biological preserve. What does this have to do with our area?
Alberta Park currently functions as a key component in a vast nearly pristine watershed. A component that serves vital biological, life sustaining functions such as holding and filtering water used in countless ways by millions of down stream Rio Grande River stakeholders.
Please contact Kathy McConaghie (227-5330 or kmcconaghie@gmail.com) if you would like more information on this issue. Come on, folks, it only takes a few minutes to write a letter.
FMWC In Cyberspace
This is the electronic version of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter. To be added to or removed from the distribution list, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
Each year, in January, we send the paper version of this newsletter to all members, with a membership renewal form. If you do not receive a paper copy, I do not have your US postal address. Please send it to: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
Borderland Mountain Bike Association * Border Toasters, Toastmasters International * Celebration of Our Mountains * Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition * Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue * El Paso Archaeological Society * El Paso Cactus and Rock Club * El Paso Native Plant Society * El Paso Regional Group of the Sierra Club * El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society *El Paso Youth Symphony * Friends of the Rio Bosque *Jolly Elders * League of Women Voters of El Paso * Mesilla Valley Audubon Society * Mountain Park Community Association * Photography Enthusiasts of El Paso * Southern New Mexico Group of the Sierra Club * Southwestern Environmental Center * Skyline Optimist Club of El Paso * Trans Pecos Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists * Vista Hills Rotary Club
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS COALITION
http://www.franklinmountains.org/
Next Meeting: January 21, 2009
New Time: 6:30 PM
New Place: Centennial Museum, UTEP Campus, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX (located at the corner of University Ave. and Wiggns Road)
Agenda will include discussing a new place for future meetings. If you have questions please contact Scott Cutler at 581-6071.
Dues are Due
We begin 2009 looking forward to continuing our support of the Franklin Mountains State Park; spreading the word to new organizations and the general public about the work we do to protect the Franklins; and working to insure that Castner Range remains in its natural state.
The New Year also means it is time to renew your membership with the Coalition. Your dues and additional contributions allow us to remain vigilant and effective in our conservation efforts.
Individual membership is open to all who share our goal of preserving the scenic beauty and wilderness character of the Franklin Mountains. Dues are $10.00 per year and are due in January each year.
Membership applications are on our website, http://franklinmountains.org/ under How To Join. Please complete the membership form and mail it, along with your check to:
Scott Cutler, Treasurer
Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
112 Colina Alta Dr.
El Paso, TX 79912
Thank you for your generous support.
A Major Donation in 2008
Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition received a very generous donation in 2008. A member who wishes to remain anonymous but has supported FMWC for many years made a remarkable $20,000 gift. It will be used to further efforts to protect the mountains and to see that Castner Range is protected as open space.
The Coalition greatly appreciates the generosity of the donor and the vote of confidence in the work we do.
Annual Meeting
It has been a number of years since the Coalition has put on an annual meeting. So much has happened this past year, especially the 30th anniversary of FMWC, that it’s time to get together and celebrate. Consequently, the March meeting will be a time to honor our past and look to our future. We are inviting founding members of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition to attend so all may celebrate their early work to save the mountains.
The event will take place at Jaxon’s Restaurant on Airway Blvd. There will be a no-host bar. Dinner will be a fajita buffet costing $16.00 per person. We will need to have a final count by Monday, March 16 so please make your reservation by then. Unfortunately, no tickets will be available at the door. You’re welcome to attend even if you don’t plan to eat.
When: March 25, 2009
Time: 6 PM Meet and Greet
6:30 PM Dinner
7:30 PM Meeting
Place: Jaxon’s Restaurant, 1135 Airway Blvd.
Please contact Scott Cutler to make reservations.
Poppies Celebration
March 14, 2009
The third annual Franklin Mountains Poppies Celebration at Castner Range is coming soon so save the date: March 14, 2009 10 AM – 6 PM at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Transmountain Rd. This should prove to be a bigger event than previous years with more exhibitors, speakers and craft vendors as well as music and food. Please plan to come out and support our efforts to protect Castner Range and the magnificent poppy displays that occur there.
The program includes nature talks, wildlife displays, educational exhibits, and demonstrations. Educational speakers will be in the Gazebo from 10 AM – 2 PM and there will be music, entertainment and tequila tasting from 2 – 6 PM. The Celebration will also include videos by local documentarian and producer, Jackson Polk, puppet shows, a magician, and raffle prizes all day.
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is an invited honored guest to whom we’ll present hundreds of scenic Castner Range postcards, each personalized with written sentiments about the Range by El Pasoans and visitors and asking her assistance to preserve the Range as open space, in its natural state.
Many thanks to Judy Ackerman of FMWC, the staff of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology at Wilderness Park, Franklin Mountains State Park, Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition, the El Paso Archaeological Society and others for helping organize this event. Don’t miss it!
More Castner Range News
For three years, FMWC tried unsuccessfully to meet with Fort Bliss Garrison Commander Col. Robert Burns. Now Bob Burns is the Vice President Business Development – Defense, for El Paso Regional Economic Development Corporation (REDCo http://www.elpasoredco.com/ ). He met with FMWC members Scott Cutler, John Moses and judy Ackerman for over an hour on January 7th and invited his boss, Bob Cook, REDCo president, to join us.
We presented information on a conservation conveyance of Castner Range, invited REDCo to join FMWC and mentioned our upcoming Poppies Celebration.
Col. (Ret) Burns assured us that Fort Bliss is too busy with war and expansion issues to even consider doing anything with Castner Range before 2015. Bob Cook confirmed that pressure to develop Castner Range will only increase in the future. They both feel that Fort Bliss, El Paso City leadership, and El Paso citizens “get it” that there should be NO development on Castner. However, the corporate memory is short.
They suggest building a partnership with the Environmental Department at Fort Bliss and work to build a strategic plan with a timeline that will preserve Castner as natural open space. Ecotourism is a growing business in El Paso and may have links to Castner. If FMWC could find funding for cleaning the unexploded ordnance on Castner, that would sweeten any deal for the Army to transfer Castner to conservancy or the Franklin Mountains State Park.
Do you want to participate in strategy meetings on how to preserve Castner Range? If so, contact Scott Cutler or judy Ackerman.
Franklin Mountains State Park News
To create an easier and safer climb at the “Window” section of the FMSP Ron Coleman Trail, a chain route will be installed to aid hikers’ climb up/down this 40 ft. limestone wall. After several trips to the “Window” by park staff to assess, test the rock and analyze the best locations for the chains, stainless steel bolts and hangers were installed on January 13, 2009. Staff will be working on the chain installation during the upcoming weeks and expect to have the project completed by the end of this month.
For more of the latest news and information about the Park, visit their great website: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/franklin/
Lone Star Legacy
You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to "Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation" can be sent to: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Attention: Lone Star Legacy, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.
The El Paso Museum of Archaeology Presents:
The Hero Twins Saga: From Mesoamerica to Mimbres
January 25, 2009 at 2 PM
Professor Marc Thompson
Professor Thompson explores the Hero Twins Saga in the first program in his Southwest Iconography Explored Series. Twin culture heroes and their adventures are described in the 16th-century Maya book Popol Vuh, depicted on 1,500-year-old Maya pottery, 1,000-year-old Mimbres bowls, and 15th- century kiva murals in New Mexico.
This program is the first in a series to explore the connections between ancient Mexico and the Southwest. Marc Thompson, Director of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, is your host for these presentations.
All programs are free and are held from 2 to 3 pm on the following Sundays: 25 January, 22 February, 1 March, 26 April, and 17 May in the auditorium at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Transmountain Road in El Paso.
For further information contact Marilyn Guida at 915-755-4332 or guidamr@elpasotexas.gov . http://www.elpasotexas.gov/arch_museum/
Preserve Alberta Park, Colorado
“Texas billionaire developer Billy "Red" McCombs seeks to construct a city of up to 10,000 people just below the Continental Divide at Wolf Creek Ski Area, one of the snowiest spots in Colorado. The “Village” at Wolf Creek would destroy lush meadows, alpine creeks, unspoiled backcountry recreation opportunities, and one of the most critical wildlife corridors in the Southern Rocky Mountains, harm already established businesses that service Wolf Creek visitors, and dramatically increase traffic on a snowy mountain pass.” (Friends of Wolf Creek, http://www.friendsofwolfcreek.org/)
Peter Miesler of Durango, Colorado brought this issue to our attention recently and is asking our help in a letter writing campaign to Mr. McCombs asking that he abandon the Village, return his parcel of Alberta Park to the Rio Grande National Forest and establish a wetland biological preserve. What does this have to do with our area?
Alberta Park currently functions as a key component in a vast nearly pristine watershed. A component that serves vital biological, life sustaining functions such as holding and filtering water used in countless ways by millions of down stream Rio Grande River stakeholders.
Please contact Kathy McConaghie (227-5330 or kmcconaghie@gmail.com) if you would like more information on this issue. Come on, folks, it only takes a few minutes to write a letter.
FMWC In Cyberspace
This is the electronic version of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter. To be added to or removed from the distribution list, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
Each year, in January, we send the paper version of this newsletter to all members, with a membership renewal form. If you do not receive a paper copy, I do not have your US postal address. Please send it to: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
Borderland Mountain Bike Association * Border Toasters, Toastmasters International * Celebration of Our Mountains * Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition * Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue * El Paso Archaeological Society * El Paso Cactus and Rock Club * El Paso Native Plant Society * El Paso Regional Group of the Sierra Club * El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society *El Paso Youth Symphony * Friends of the Rio Bosque *Jolly Elders * League of Women Voters of El Paso * Mesilla Valley Audubon Society * Mountain Park Community Association * Photography Enthusiasts of El Paso * Southern New Mexico Group of the Sierra Club * Southwestern Environmental Center * Skyline Optimist Club of El Paso * Trans Pecos Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists * Vista Hills Rotary Club
Saturday, November 1, 2008
November 2008
{FMWC} E-Newsletter -- November 2008
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS COALITION
http://www.franklinmountains.org/
NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The next meeting of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition is Wednesday, November 14 at 7 p.m. The meeting takes place in Room 411 Burges Hall on the UTEP campus. Burges Hall is at the intersection of Sun Bowl Drive and University Ave. on the west side of campus. Please be prompt. The building entrance locks automatically in the evenings. If you arrive late and no one is at the door to let you in, call 861-4361 and someone will come to let you in. For more information, contact Scott Cutler (581-6071).
Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition at 30
by Scott Cutler, President
FMWC turned thirty this year. Quite a remarkable feat for a local organization whose beginnings were galvanized by the desire to preserve the natural grandeur of the Franklin Mountains and resulted in the formation of Franklin Mountains State Park.
Since its inception, the Coalition has been a strong supporter of the Park. We have provided financial support through donations to the Park's Lone Star Legacy endowment and have been staunch advocates for the preservation of Castner Range and its eventual inclusion in the park. These will remain the focus of FMWC in the years to come. Your continued support, both financially and through active participation in the group, will insure that the Franklin Mountains and the state park named for them remain vital open space.
In recognition of this thirty year milestone, what has been accomplished, what remains to be achieved, and to honor one of the original founders and longtime member, John Sproul, FMWC will be holding an Annual Meeting in January, 2009. The date, time and place are still to be arranged and will be announced as soon as possible. We hope you will be able to attend. Planning for this event, as well as other important topics, will be discussed at the upcoming general meeting on the 19th. Please try to attend.
If you have any questions, please call me at 581-6071. Hope to see you at the meeting...
Planning Poppies 2009
It's time to start planning for our 2009 Franklin Mountains Poppies Celebration on Castner Range March 14, 2009. We need your ideas and expertise. Please join us for our first planning meeting 9 AM, Thursday, December 4, 2008, at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Transmountain Rd. Their phone number is 915-755-4332.
Speaking of Castner Range...
by Judy Ackerman
The Fort Bliss Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) meetings often include interesting revelations, especially when Castner Range is on the Agenda. Add your name to the distribution list for RAB by contacting John Knopp at 915-568-1455 or john.p.knopp@us.army.mil with your information as follows: name, address, phone(s), email, elected office (if any), organization represented (if any). We strongly encourage FMWC members to take advantage of this opportunity to be in the RAB loop and on top of developments concerning the Range.
Castner Range is on the minds of many concerned citizens, including members of the Stormwater Committee. At the Stormwater Master Plan Community Advisory Committee meeting October 29, 2008, Rick French (Stormwater Master Plan Project Manager URS Corporation) explained the technical criteria for ranking alternative solutions. The example he used was the “Electric Ditch” in the northeast and the map of the alternatives centered on the intersection of 54 and Transmountain Rd. ALL the example alternatives included building sediment/debris retention basins on Castner Range. A committee member pointed out that proposed solutions “blew off” a major goal of the committee: leaving Castner undeveloped. Several committee members expressed concern about preserving Castner Range. Matt Carroll said that FMWC should have a seat on the committee and stated that FMWC, a coalition of many organizations, has a goal to keep Castner Range in its natural state. One committee member adroitly pointed out that an alternative to additional retention dams on Castner would be removal of existing residences west of 54 and construction of pumping stations, at huge expense. Discussion about the Range continued after the meeting adjourned, demonstrating that El Pasoans care deeply about this critical open space – the crown jewel in the heart of our Franklin Mountains.
Franklin Mountains State Park News
A recent agenda item for Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission concerned an addition to Franklin Mountains State Park. The El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board (PSB) has offered to sell TPWD a 1673.5 acre tract adjacent to the Park and TPWD plans to take the steps necessary to obtain the addition. For more information, including detailed maps showing the exact location of the acreage, please go to:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/feedback/meetings/2009/1106/agenda/item_15/
All the latest news and information about upcoming events at the Park are available at the Park’s great website. Check it out!!
Lone Star Legacy
You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to "Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation" can be sent to: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Attention: Lone Star Legacy, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.
Volunteers Needed for Mule Deer Surveys
Our friend, Lois Balin, TPWD Urban Wildlife Biologist is looking for volunteers to conduct mule deer surveys in the Franklin Mountains. Volunteers must be hearty enough to withstand very rough roads, cold weather and late nights.
The Franklin Mountains contain important deer habitat. Mule deer surveys provide important information about the number of deer occupying a range and the trends in deer numbers over a period of years. Deer surveys are conducted using helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft or spotlight surveys. TPWD usually uses helicopters to determine appropriate harvest intensity during hunting season. The mountainous terrain of FMSP, coupled with a desert climate present some survey challenges. Vehicle access is mainly limited to 4-wheel drive.
Surveys are conducted in the Franklin Mountains (even though hunting is prohibited there) to determine a reasonable scientific estimate of relative abundance, monitor population changes, estimate sex-ratios, evaluate impacts of habitat and land-use changes, obtain information on status and health, and to obtain incidental scientific estimation of fur-bearing animals (mountain lion, bobcat, gray fox, ringtail, etc.).
Volunteers will be involved in spotlight surveys sampling a portion of an area to produce an estimate of the deer density on the entire acreage of that land area. The route is driven after dark and involves counting deer from the bed of a pickup (or elevated seat) using spotlights. Two or more observers shine the lights from either side of the truck while the driver maintains a speed of 3 – 10 mph. Surveys are limited to 3 hours. Total numbers of observed deer are recorded while binoculars are used to identify bucks, does and fawns within 150-175 yards of the truck. Because of variability in deer movements, spotlight surveys are usually conducted on 3 separate nights to develop an average. The most effective time to conduct spotlight surveys is during September through early November, when bucks have hardened antlers and fawns are old enough to be following does. Spotlight surveys will be conducted for a minimum of 5 years.
If you are interested in assisting with this project please contact Lois Balin at 915-774-9603 or Lois.balin@tpwd.state.tx.us
Please Welcome Two New Organizational Members to FMWC!
EL PASO YOUTH SYMPHONY (2008), http://www.epsyos.org/
VISTA HILLS ROTARY CLUB (2008), http://rotary5520.org/index.html
If you know an organization that might join FMWC or that would like a speaker, contact judy Ackerman, 915-755-7371, j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
FMWC In Cyberspace
This is the electronic version of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter. To be added to or removed from the distribution list, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
Many of you also receive the paper version of this newsletter. If you wish to help us save paper and postage by receiving the e-newsletter only, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
Borderland Mountain Bike Association * Border Toasters, Toastmasters International * Celebration of Our Mountains * Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition * Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue * El Paso Archaeological Society * El Paso Cactus and Rock Club * El Paso Native Plant Society * El Paso Regional Group of the Sierra Club * El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society *El Paso Youth Symphony * Friends of the Rio Bosque *Jolly Elders * League of Women Voters of El Paso * Mesilla Valley Audubon Society * Mountain Park Community Association * Photography Enthusiasts of El Paso * Southern New Mexico Group of the Sierra Club * Southwestern Environmental Center * Skyline Optimist Club of El Paso * Trans Pecos Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists * Vista Hills Rotary Club
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS COALITION
http://www.franklinmountains.org/
NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The next meeting of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition is Wednesday, November 14 at 7 p.m. The meeting takes place in Room 411 Burges Hall on the UTEP campus. Burges Hall is at the intersection of Sun Bowl Drive and University Ave. on the west side of campus. Please be prompt. The building entrance locks automatically in the evenings. If you arrive late and no one is at the door to let you in, call 861-4361 and someone will come to let you in. For more information, contact Scott Cutler (581-6071).
Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition at 30
by Scott Cutler, President
FMWC turned thirty this year. Quite a remarkable feat for a local organization whose beginnings were galvanized by the desire to preserve the natural grandeur of the Franklin Mountains and resulted in the formation of Franklin Mountains State Park.
Since its inception, the Coalition has been a strong supporter of the Park. We have provided financial support through donations to the Park's Lone Star Legacy endowment and have been staunch advocates for the preservation of Castner Range and its eventual inclusion in the park. These will remain the focus of FMWC in the years to come. Your continued support, both financially and through active participation in the group, will insure that the Franklin Mountains and the state park named for them remain vital open space.
In recognition of this thirty year milestone, what has been accomplished, what remains to be achieved, and to honor one of the original founders and longtime member, John Sproul, FMWC will be holding an Annual Meeting in January, 2009. The date, time and place are still to be arranged and will be announced as soon as possible. We hope you will be able to attend. Planning for this event, as well as other important topics, will be discussed at the upcoming general meeting on the 19th. Please try to attend.
If you have any questions, please call me at 581-6071. Hope to see you at the meeting...
Planning Poppies 2009
It's time to start planning for our 2009 Franklin Mountains Poppies Celebration on Castner Range March 14, 2009. We need your ideas and expertise. Please join us for our first planning meeting 9 AM, Thursday, December 4, 2008, at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Transmountain Rd. Their phone number is 915-755-4332.
Speaking of Castner Range...
by Judy Ackerman
The Fort Bliss Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) meetings often include interesting revelations, especially when Castner Range is on the Agenda. Add your name to the distribution list for RAB by contacting John Knopp at 915-568-1455 or john.p.knopp@us.army.mil with your information as follows: name, address, phone(s), email, elected office (if any), organization represented (if any). We strongly encourage FMWC members to take advantage of this opportunity to be in the RAB loop and on top of developments concerning the Range.
Castner Range is on the minds of many concerned citizens, including members of the Stormwater Committee. At the Stormwater Master Plan Community Advisory Committee meeting October 29, 2008, Rick French (Stormwater Master Plan Project Manager URS Corporation) explained the technical criteria for ranking alternative solutions. The example he used was the “Electric Ditch” in the northeast and the map of the alternatives centered on the intersection of 54 and Transmountain Rd. ALL the example alternatives included building sediment/debris retention basins on Castner Range. A committee member pointed out that proposed solutions “blew off” a major goal of the committee: leaving Castner undeveloped. Several committee members expressed concern about preserving Castner Range. Matt Carroll said that FMWC should have a seat on the committee and stated that FMWC, a coalition of many organizations, has a goal to keep Castner Range in its natural state. One committee member adroitly pointed out that an alternative to additional retention dams on Castner would be removal of existing residences west of 54 and construction of pumping stations, at huge expense. Discussion about the Range continued after the meeting adjourned, demonstrating that El Pasoans care deeply about this critical open space – the crown jewel in the heart of our Franklin Mountains.
Franklin Mountains State Park News
A recent agenda item for Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission concerned an addition to Franklin Mountains State Park. The El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board (PSB) has offered to sell TPWD a 1673.5 acre tract adjacent to the Park and TPWD plans to take the steps necessary to obtain the addition. For more information, including detailed maps showing the exact location of the acreage, please go to:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/feedback/meetings/2009/1106/agenda/item_15/
All the latest news and information about upcoming events at the Park are available at the Park’s great website. Check it out!!
Lone Star Legacy
You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to "Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation" can be sent to: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Attention: Lone Star Legacy, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.
Volunteers Needed for Mule Deer Surveys
Our friend, Lois Balin, TPWD Urban Wildlife Biologist is looking for volunteers to conduct mule deer surveys in the Franklin Mountains. Volunteers must be hearty enough to withstand very rough roads, cold weather and late nights.
The Franklin Mountains contain important deer habitat. Mule deer surveys provide important information about the number of deer occupying a range and the trends in deer numbers over a period of years. Deer surveys are conducted using helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft or spotlight surveys. TPWD usually uses helicopters to determine appropriate harvest intensity during hunting season. The mountainous terrain of FMSP, coupled with a desert climate present some survey challenges. Vehicle access is mainly limited to 4-wheel drive.
Surveys are conducted in the Franklin Mountains (even though hunting is prohibited there) to determine a reasonable scientific estimate of relative abundance, monitor population changes, estimate sex-ratios, evaluate impacts of habitat and land-use changes, obtain information on status and health, and to obtain incidental scientific estimation of fur-bearing animals (mountain lion, bobcat, gray fox, ringtail, etc.).
Volunteers will be involved in spotlight surveys sampling a portion of an area to produce an estimate of the deer density on the entire acreage of that land area. The route is driven after dark and involves counting deer from the bed of a pickup (or elevated seat) using spotlights. Two or more observers shine the lights from either side of the truck while the driver maintains a speed of 3 – 10 mph. Surveys are limited to 3 hours. Total numbers of observed deer are recorded while binoculars are used to identify bucks, does and fawns within 150-175 yards of the truck. Because of variability in deer movements, spotlight surveys are usually conducted on 3 separate nights to develop an average. The most effective time to conduct spotlight surveys is during September through early November, when bucks have hardened antlers and fawns are old enough to be following does. Spotlight surveys will be conducted for a minimum of 5 years.
If you are interested in assisting with this project please contact Lois Balin at 915-774-9603 or Lois.balin@tpwd.state.tx.us
Please Welcome Two New Organizational Members to FMWC!
EL PASO YOUTH SYMPHONY (2008), http://www.epsyos.org/
VISTA HILLS ROTARY CLUB (2008), http://rotary5520.org/index.html
If you know an organization that might join FMWC or that would like a speaker, contact judy Ackerman, 915-755-7371, j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
FMWC In Cyberspace
This is the electronic version of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter. To be added to or removed from the distribution list, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
Many of you also receive the paper version of this newsletter. If you wish to help us save paper and postage by receiving the e-newsletter only, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
Borderland Mountain Bike Association * Border Toasters, Toastmasters International * Celebration of Our Mountains * Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition * Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue * El Paso Archaeological Society * El Paso Cactus and Rock Club * El Paso Native Plant Society * El Paso Regional Group of the Sierra Club * El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society *El Paso Youth Symphony * Friends of the Rio Bosque *Jolly Elders * League of Women Voters of El Paso * Mesilla Valley Audubon Society * Mountain Park Community Association * Photography Enthusiasts of El Paso * Southern New Mexico Group of the Sierra Club * Southwestern Environmental Center * Skyline Optimist Club of El Paso * Trans Pecos Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists * Vista Hills Rotary Club
Monday, September 1, 2008
September 2008
{FMWC} E-Newsletter -- September 2008
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS COALITION
http://www.franklinmountains.org/
NEXT MEETING: September 17, 2008
The next meeting of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition is Wednesday, 9/17 at 7 p.m. It takes place in Room 411, Burgess Hall on the UTEP campus. Burgess Hall is at the intersection of Sun Bowl Drive and University Ave. on the west side of the campus. Please be prompt. The building entrance locks automatically in the evenings. If you arrive late and no one is at the door, call 861-4361 and someone will come to let you in. For more information contact Scott Cutler (581-6071).
We are honored to have a guest speaker at Wednesday’s meeting: Shamori Rose Whitt, Open Space Coordinator of the City of El Paso Parks and Recreation Department. Her topic will be the department’s Carpe Viridus (Seize the Green) initiatives which are now in the conceptual stage.
The first initiative is geared towards informing the general public about the ratio of publicly owned vs. privately owned portions of the Franklin Mountains; formulating a strategy to acquire privately owned acreage, and generating revenue for possible purchases. This initiative will link to major projects currently in the planning stage: the Mountain to River Trail Corridor and the Scenic-Arroyo Park Extension.
The Green Infill initiative focuses on maximizing the recreational utility of existing properties such as utility corridors, drainage canals and detention ponds. The Healthy Risk-Taking initiative promotes the opportunity for citizens of El Paso to take healthy risks through physical challenges. This would include the “Mowad Outdoor Adventure Park” and development of a comprehensive natural surface trail system which would be built and maintained by a Parks and Recreation trail group. Please plan to “seize” the opportunity to hear more about these promising proposals and to provide feedback to Ms. Whitt. We hope to see you there!
4TH ANNUAL CHIHUAHUAN DESERT FIESTA
Saturday, September 20
9 AM – 3 PM
The Fiesta is a FREE community event at the end of the Loop (Site 38) in the Tom Mays section of Franklin Mountains State Park (western base of Transmountain Rd.) and part of the Celebration of the Franklin Mountains State Park Lone Star Legacy. Entrance fees to the park will be waived as part of the Celebration. Members of the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition will be on hand to offer free presentations and demonstrations introducing the wonders of our fascinating Northern Chihuahuan Desert: its plants and animals, terrain and geology. Informational booths of area organizations, such as FMWC, will be up and running along with an exciting program of guest speakers. Not to mention the First Annual Chili Cook-Off hosted by the Park; raffles for artwork; guided walks and wagon and horse rides, courtesy of the Serna Ranch. More details about this fantastic FREE event available at http://www.chihuahuandesert.org/. Make plans now to pack up family and friends for a day’s worth of fun, learning, catching up with old friends and making new ones on the awesome green-splashed, wildflower- dotted slopes of our own Franklin mountains.
IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN: THE ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF OUR MOUNTAINS, A MONTHLONG CORNUCOPIA OF ACTIVITIES AND FESTIVITIES: http://www.celebrationofourmountains.org/ FOR ALL THE EXCITING DETAILS!
HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU…
FMWC member organization, The Borderland Mountain Bike Association, is holding two days of trail building on October 18 and 25 to finish the new trail that passes west of Bowen’s Ranch on the east side of the mountain. Trailblazing sponsor is New Belgium Brewery and there will be a New Trail Celebration October 25 with free admission for all session participants. Please sign up to volunteer by October 1 (so lunch can be provided on the trail) by calling David Wilson at 471-9232; email bmbaelpaso@hotmail.com. Find the mountain bikers wonderful website at http://www.bmba.wordpress.com/.
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS STATE PARK NEWS
Great news from John Moses, General Superintendent, El Paso Parks, Texas Parks and Wildlife (Franklin Mountains State Park, Hueco Tanks State Historic Site and the Wyler Aerial Tramway), concerning the recent “deeding ceremony” of El Paso Electric Co. acreage to the Franklin Mountains State Park. John says that the ceremony, photographed by Cesar Mendez and Richard Love, was attended by County Commissioner Escobar, TV 14 and 7 and an El Paso Inc. reporter. The deed transfer effectively legalizes some of the existing trails and the park will be looking for volunteers to help Mike Olbrisch with a cleanup of the old right-of-way.
Excerpt from September 5th TPWD Press Release:
“Hikers and mountain bikers will have more of FMSP to explore thanks to a donation from El Paso Electric Co. to the TPWD. The donation of approximately 63 acres of the utility company’s 150-foot right-of-way, which crosses the width of the Franklin Mountains in the southernmost reaches of the state park, will create expanded recreational opportunities for park users. The donated land adds roughly 18,000 feet of trail to the 24,000-acre park’s more than 100 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails….El Paso Electric’s donation is in keeping with the company’s intent to work with the community when circumstances arise to improve the quality of life for El Pasoans. ‘FMSP is just one of the attractions that makes El Paso such a great place to live and work,’ said Frank Bates, EP Electric’s interim president and CEO. ‘With this donation, EP Electric is proud to make it easier for more people to enjoy this beautiful park.’ FMSP is the largest urban park in the continental U.S. and lies entirely within the El Paso city limits…At the recent El Paso Media Group’s Best of El Paso Awards ceremony, the state park received the award for the city’s Best Hiking Trail.”
A big West Texas sized thank you to El Paso Electric!
For more of the latest news and information about upcoming events at the Park, visit their great website:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/franklin/
EL PASO ZOO ADVENTURE PROGRAMS
Rick Lobello, EP Zoo Education Curator, writes to let us know that September kicks off EP Zoo Adventure Programs created by Zoo Education Specialists to provide a “perfect mix of animals, experiences and excitement…for every age group, from toddlers and schoolchildren to adults and seniors. Each program features an environment rich in discovery opportunities including special animal encounters. Some programs are seasonal while others are offered throughout the year.” From Adventure Teen Camps to Grandma or Grandpa Special Mornings to Teacher Workshops to Asia Sleepovers, Night Prowls and Toddler Treks, these programs offer fantastic opportunities for all of us “to discover the natural world we share with the rest of the planet.” For more information, program descriptions and fees or to register online visit http://www.elpasozoo.org/
EAGLES ROCK UPDATE
FMWC is a Stakeholder in the Eagles Rock Team, a group formed by Canutillo Independent School District to develop outdoors educational programs. Pauline Dow, Associate Superintendent at CISD, provided a recent update, paraphrased as follows:
Members of the Eagles Rock Team met with Coach Scott Johnson from the Saint Clements Outdoor Program (an original model for the programs being developed at CISD). Coach Johnson agreed to join the Team and to work with the core group (representatives from each CISD campus as well as other key district members) to develop training (perhaps in a wild retreat) to lead groups of kids in various outdoor experiences. Cate Bradley from NPS-RTCA is helping the Team explore a “Safe Routes to Schools” program and providing technical assistance from her project, the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program. Eagles Rock core group is working on the logistics for the training event with Coach Johnson; working on plans to launch Eagles Rock with one or two grade levels in Spring 2009; submitting grant applications to secure funding for program staff and operating expenses; and setting a date for the Stakeholder Team to meet in July of 2009 for a report on the launch and expansion of Eagles Rock.
FMWC is proud to participate in this innovative approach to educating public school students about “The Great Outdoors”. We hope that the Canutillo Eagles Rock program will provide inspiration and encouragement to other area school districts to include outdoor education and appreciation of natural area environments in everyday public school curriculum. This type of initiative bodes very well for future caretaking of our mountain, river, wetland, and desert habitats. For more information please contact Ms. Dow at 915-877-7475.
*************************************************************
A gentle reminder to Coalition members: FMWC dues should be paid each January. If you misplaced your membership application, you can find one on our website. Please get those dues in.
You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to "Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation" can be sent to: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Attention: Lone Star Legacy, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.
This is the electronic version of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter. To be added to or removed from the distribution list, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
Many of you also receive the paper version of this newsletter. If you wish to help us save paper and postage by receiving the e-newsletter only, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
Borderland Mountain Bike Association * Border Toasters of Toastmasters International * Celebration of Our Mountains * Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition * Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue * El Paso Archaeological Society * El Paso Cactus and Rock Club * El Paso Native Plant Society * El Paso Regional Group of the Sierra Club * El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society * Friends of the Rio Bosque * League of Women Voters of El Paso * Mesilla Valley Audubon Society * Mountain Park Community Association * Photography Enthusiasts of El Paso * Skyline Optimist Club of El Paso * Southern New Mexico Group of the Sierra Club * Southwest Environmental Center * Trans-Pecos Chapter, Texas Master Naturalists
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
July 2008
{FMWC} E-Newsletter -- July 2008
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS COALITION
http://www.franklinmountains.org/
NEWSLETTER JULY 2008
There will be no meeting this month.
TRANSMOUNTAIN ROAD
FMWC is custodian for cleaning a two-mile portion of Transmountain Road. Scott Cutler coordinated with the Master Gardeners and the Texas Master Naturalists (FMWC organization members) to assist us since their portion of Transmountain is nearly spotless.
Please join us for our clean-up on Saturday, August 9th. Meet at the entrance to the Tom Mays Park at 7:30 AM for the required safety briefing. We will work down the hill, on both sides of the road. The event usually lasts about 1.5 hours and it is fun to chat with new and old friends as we help beautify our mountain. Bring your own water, gloves, hat and sunscreen.
As an added treat, the Master Gardeners invite us to join their advanced training at the Museum of Archaeology, starting at 9:30 AM. Virginia Morris will give a presentation on the creation of the Research Center Cactus Garden. Susan Petty is coordinating this project. For more information, contact her at 915-525-7723, 915-857-0232 or suspetty@yahoo.com.
SAVE THE DATE!
The October 11, 2008 clean-up will be part of the Celebration of the Mountains. We plan to partner with other Adopt-A-Highway groups to clean the entire mountain (Both Sides! All 18 Miles!) We are in the process of contacting as many groups as possible to participate, including KFOX News, the El Paso Times and Keep El Paso Beautiful! If you belong to another organization, please invite them to participate!
EAGLES ROCK
Senator Elliott Shapleigh contacted FMWC in late June to ask for our participation in a new program called “Eagles Rock” which he is working on with the Canutillo Independent School District. Judy Ackerman agreed to attend the meeting on July 1. Following is her report.
“Eagles Rock is an innovative new Outdoor Program for the Canutillo Independent School District. Senator Shapleigh’s office is actively involved and he invited FMWC to participate as a stakeholder. I attended the second planning meeting on July 1 and was thoroughly impressed with the enthusiasm and dedication of the participants.
The Eagles Rock program will give students in grades 1 through 12 exciting outdoor experiences and link them to lessons in History, Natural Science, Social Studies and other subjects. In first grade they start with a hike in Tom Mays that focuses on natural surrounding plant life. Activities in other grades include Hueco Tanks Ranger Tour, Gran Quivara Overnight, Rock Climbing, McKittrick Canyon hike, Rafting the Rio, and trips to Big Bend, Lincoln County, White Sands, Bonita Lake and more.
Pam Padilla, Superintendent for CISD, stressed the importance not only of Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic, but the fourth R for Respect. Students need to respect themselves, respect their surroundings, and respect each other to be good citizens. School outdoor activities will improve fitness, encourage environmental stewardship, and link classroom lessons to practical applications.
Their love for learning and for their students was evident as teachers explained their plans and linked environmental activities to curriculum goals. Participants felt the excitement of the concept of educating our children about the natural environment and attendees eagerly added their ideas and suggested resources. In addition to CISD and Senator Shapleigh’s office, current stakeholders include: Texas Parks and Wildlife, National Parks Service, Sierra Club, AT&T El Paso, Fort Bliss, El Paso County Historical Commission, Groundworks and FMWC. If you or your organization would like to be included in the next meeting, contact CISD Associate Superintendent Pauline Dow, 915-877-7400 or pdow@canutillo-isd.org.
*************************************************************
A gentle reminder to Coalition members: FMWC dues should be paid each January. If you misplaced your membership application, you can find one on our website. Please get those dues in.
LONE STAR LEGACY
You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to "Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation" can be sent to: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Attention: Lone Star Legacy, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.
FMWC IN CYBERSPACE
This is the electronic version of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter. To be added to or removed from the distribution list, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
Many of you also receive the paper version of this newsletter. If you wish to help us save paper and postage by receiving the e-newsletter only, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
Borderland Mountain Bike Association * Border Toasters of Toastmasters International * Celebration of Our Mountains * Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition * Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue * El Paso Archaeological Society * El Paso Cactus and Rock Club * El Paso Native Plant Society * El Paso Regional Group of the Sierra Club * El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society * Friends of the Rio Bosque * League of Women Voters of El Paso * Mesilla Valley Audubon Society * Mountain Park Community Association * Photography Enthusiasts of El Paso * Skyline Optimist Club of El Paso * Southern New Mexico Group of the Sierra Club * Southwest Environmental Center * Trans-Pecos Chapter, Texas Master Naturalists
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS COALITION
http://www.franklinmountains.org/
NEWSLETTER JULY 2008
There will be no meeting this month.
TRANSMOUNTAIN ROAD
FMWC is custodian for cleaning a two-mile portion of Transmountain Road. Scott Cutler coordinated with the Master Gardeners and the Texas Master Naturalists (FMWC organization members) to assist us since their portion of Transmountain is nearly spotless.
Please join us for our clean-up on Saturday, August 9th. Meet at the entrance to the Tom Mays Park at 7:30 AM for the required safety briefing. We will work down the hill, on both sides of the road. The event usually lasts about 1.5 hours and it is fun to chat with new and old friends as we help beautify our mountain. Bring your own water, gloves, hat and sunscreen.
As an added treat, the Master Gardeners invite us to join their advanced training at the Museum of Archaeology, starting at 9:30 AM. Virginia Morris will give a presentation on the creation of the Research Center Cactus Garden. Susan Petty is coordinating this project. For more information, contact her at 915-525-7723, 915-857-0232 or suspetty@yahoo.com.
SAVE THE DATE!
The October 11, 2008 clean-up will be part of the Celebration of the Mountains. We plan to partner with other Adopt-A-Highway groups to clean the entire mountain (Both Sides! All 18 Miles!) We are in the process of contacting as many groups as possible to participate, including KFOX News, the El Paso Times and Keep El Paso Beautiful! If you belong to another organization, please invite them to participate!
EAGLES ROCK
Senator Elliott Shapleigh contacted FMWC in late June to ask for our participation in a new program called “Eagles Rock” which he is working on with the Canutillo Independent School District. Judy Ackerman agreed to attend the meeting on July 1. Following is her report.
“Eagles Rock is an innovative new Outdoor Program for the Canutillo Independent School District. Senator Shapleigh’s office is actively involved and he invited FMWC to participate as a stakeholder. I attended the second planning meeting on July 1 and was thoroughly impressed with the enthusiasm and dedication of the participants.
The Eagles Rock program will give students in grades 1 through 12 exciting outdoor experiences and link them to lessons in History, Natural Science, Social Studies and other subjects. In first grade they start with a hike in Tom Mays that focuses on natural surrounding plant life. Activities in other grades include Hueco Tanks Ranger Tour, Gran Quivara Overnight, Rock Climbing, McKittrick Canyon hike, Rafting the Rio, and trips to Big Bend, Lincoln County, White Sands, Bonita Lake and more.
Pam Padilla, Superintendent for CISD, stressed the importance not only of Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic, but the fourth R for Respect. Students need to respect themselves, respect their surroundings, and respect each other to be good citizens. School outdoor activities will improve fitness, encourage environmental stewardship, and link classroom lessons to practical applications.
Their love for learning and for their students was evident as teachers explained their plans and linked environmental activities to curriculum goals. Participants felt the excitement of the concept of educating our children about the natural environment and attendees eagerly added their ideas and suggested resources. In addition to CISD and Senator Shapleigh’s office, current stakeholders include: Texas Parks and Wildlife, National Parks Service, Sierra Club, AT&T El Paso, Fort Bliss, El Paso County Historical Commission, Groundworks and FMWC. If you or your organization would like to be included in the next meeting, contact CISD Associate Superintendent Pauline Dow, 915-877-7400 or pdow@canutillo-isd.org.
*************************************************************
A gentle reminder to Coalition members: FMWC dues should be paid each January. If you misplaced your membership application, you can find one on our website. Please get those dues in.
LONE STAR LEGACY
You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to "Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation" can be sent to: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Attention: Lone Star Legacy, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.
FMWC IN CYBERSPACE
This is the electronic version of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter. To be added to or removed from the distribution list, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
Many of you also receive the paper version of this newsletter. If you wish to help us save paper and postage by receiving the e-newsletter only, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
Borderland Mountain Bike Association * Border Toasters of Toastmasters International * Celebration of Our Mountains * Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition * Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue * El Paso Archaeological Society * El Paso Cactus and Rock Club * El Paso Native Plant Society * El Paso Regional Group of the Sierra Club * El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society * Friends of the Rio Bosque * League of Women Voters of El Paso * Mesilla Valley Audubon Society * Mountain Park Community Association * Photography Enthusiasts of El Paso * Skyline Optimist Club of El Paso * Southern New Mexico Group of the Sierra Club * Southwest Environmental Center * Trans-Pecos Chapter, Texas Master Naturalists
Thursday, May 1, 2008
May 2008
From: Sproul, John [jsproul@utep.edu]Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 8:17 AMSubject: {FMWC} E-Newsletter -- May 2008
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS COALITION
http://www.franklinmountains.org/
NEXT MEETING: May 21, 2008
The next meeting of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition is Wednesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. The meeting takes place in Room 411 Burges Hall on the UTEP campus. Burges Hall is at the intersection of Sun Bowl Drive and University Ave. on the west side of campus. Please be prompt. The building entrance locks automatically in the evenings. If you arrive late and no one is at the door to let you in, call 861-4361 and someone will come to let you in. For more information, contact Scott Cutler (581-6071).
OUTREACH ACTIVITIES UPDATE
Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition members have been meeting with our elected officials and key community leaders, including candidates for State Representative District 78 Dee Margo and Joseph Moody, Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissioner Robert Brown, and City Council Representative Rachel Quintana. Rachel joined FMWC as an individual member! All of our community leaders have been supportive of preserving Castner Range and ask us how they can help. These meetings are fun and informative. If you would like to attend, please let us know.
We enjoyed perfect weather for the Keystone Heritage Park’s Feather Fest where Nora Butler and judy Ackerman set up our FMWC display, sold postcards and T-shirts, distributed literature, and received great response from the public. The grand opening of El Paso Water Utilities’ new Carlos M. Ramirez TecH2O Water Resources Learning Center gave us another opportunity to talk about FMWC and make contacts for future outreach.
Our newest organizational member is the Jolly Elders, a non-denominational group that meets at Trinity First United Methodist Church. Judy Ackerman gave a presentation at their March meeting where she made many new friends, sold postcards and had a great lunch in the bargain.
We continue to look for venues to expand our membership and spread the word about preserving Castner Range. If you know of an organization that might be interested in a guest speaker, please contact judy Ackerman, 755-7371, j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
FORT BLISS RESTORATION ADVISORY BOARD
We had a wonderful show of public support to preserve Castner Range at the Fort Bliss Restoration Advisory Board meeting on 23 April 2008. About 50 people attended (maybe 10 Fort Bliss employees) – a GREAT turnout. Prioritization for cleaning Castner Range was the topic, and Travis R. McCoun gave a PowerPoint presentation on how Fort Bliss has applied the Munitions Response Site Prioritization Protocol (MRSPP), particularly at Castner Range. On a scale of 1 to 8 (1 is highest priority), Castner is a 3 priority for clean-up, and the 2007 report is available to the public. They expect to do a detailed Site Inventory in FY08 and a Remedial Investigation in FY10. They have 10,000 trespassers on Castner every year and plan to put up fences in response.
Travis mentioned $2 billion as possible cost for clean-up. There was a question on how to get the money for the clean-up and how to let Fort Bliss leadership know El Pasoans want Castner preserved. Answer: Contact Fort Bliss Public Affairs and your elected officials.
FMWC’s priority for Castner Range is FIRST to ensure preservation in its natural state with a Conservation Conveyance. Our end goal is for Castner Range to become part of Franklin Mountains State Park – which cannot happen until it is clean of unexploded ordnance. We appreciate your support for these efforts.
DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN/EIS RELEASED FOR GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
As large natural areas covering West Texas mountain ranges, Guadalupe Mountains National Park (GMNP) and Franklin Mountains State Park have much in common. The National Park Service recently released a Draft General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement for GMNP. Aimed at guiding management of GMNP for the next 15-20 years, the draft document looks at 4 different alternatives for future management and use of the park. You can download the document and submit comments on it at http://parkplanning.nps.gov. The 60-day comment period ends June 16.
The National Park Service has scheduled a series of public meetings to introduce the public to the planning process and the draft plan, to answer questions and to receive comments. One of these meetings will take place in El Paso on Thursday, May 22 at 6 p.m. at the Chamizal National Memorial, 800 S. San Marcial Street. Questions? Contact Park Superintendent John Lujan at 915-828-3251 or GUMO_Superintendent@nps.gov.
JUST SAY “NO!” TO THE BORDER FENCE
Adam Guss of FMWC member organization Southwest Environmental Center has provided us with an alert mailed to SWEC members concerning the proposed border fence. This may seem like a peripheral issue to our Franklin Mountains mission but there are compelling reasons to be wary of the fence -- the disastrous effect it will have on border wildlife and ecosystems and the extraordinary precedent being set by far-reaching waivers of environmental and public safety laws.
On April 1, for the 4th time in the past 2 years, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff waived more than 30 environmental laws (including the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, and Clean Water Act) to expedite building 370 miles worth of new fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, including 57 miles of continuous wire mesh fencing and 21 miles of high-powered lighting from El Paso downstream along the Rio Grande. DHS is hurriedly proceeding on this path despite growing and unexpectedly fierce opposition from private landowners, towns, cities and environmental organizations.
If DHS moves forward with fence construction before proper environmental analysis is completed, there will be serious impacts to wildlife and their habitats in the borderland region, including areas such as Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Rio Bosque Wetlands Park and the Rio Grande itself. Within these areas live a number of endangered and threatened species, including jaguar, ocelot, Gila monster, and Sonoran pronghorn. The Rio Grande is an extraordinarily important area for wildlife in the Chihuahuan Desert and an important migratory flyway for birds. The proposed fence will block wildlife access and passage, and the proposed lights could adversely affect migratory birds.
It would be ideal if DHS would come up with a comprehensive approach to border security that addresses root causes, is effective, and does not harm border wildlife and ecosystems. But a change in course by DHS or significant action by Congress in an election year do not seem likely to happen without significant outside pressure. Construction of a border fence is also a states’ rights issue. No matter how one feels about illegal immigration, it cannot hurt to slow down and properly assess the probable impact, in all its complexity, of this wall on our borderland. Contacting our governors is a crucial first step.
Please take the time to call your governor and urge him/her to call on Congress to implement a moratorium on additional fence building along the U.S./Mexico border until DHS conducts proper environmental analysis and allows for orderly public input.
NM Governor Bill Richardson at 505-476-2200
TX Governor Rick Perry at 512-463-1782
AZ Governor Janet Napolitano at 602-542-1318
CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at 916-445-2841
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS STATE PARK NEWS
All the latest news and information about upcoming events at the Park are available at the Park’s great website. Check it out!!
LONE STAR LEGACY
You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to "Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation" can be sent to: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Attention: Lone Star Legacy, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.
FMWC IN CYBERSPACE
This is the electronic version of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter. To be added to or removed from the distribution list, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
Many of you also receive the paper version of this newsletter. If you wish to help us save paper and postage by receiving the e-newsletter only, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
Borderland Mountain Bike Association * Border Toasters, Toastmasters International * Celebration of Our Mountains * Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition * Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue * El Paso Archaeological Society * El Paso Cactus and Rock Club * El Paso Native Plant Society * El Paso Regional Group of the Sierra Club * El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society * Friends of the Rio Bosque * Jolly Elders * League of Women Voters of El Paso * Mesilla Valley Audubon Society * Mountain Park Community Association * Photography Enthusiasts of El Paso * Skyline Optimist Club of El Paso * Southern New Mexico Group of the Sierra Club * Southwest Environmental Center * Trans-Pecos Chapter, Texas Master Naturalists
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS COALITION
http://www.franklinmountains.org/
NEXT MEETING: May 21, 2008
The next meeting of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition is Wednesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. The meeting takes place in Room 411 Burges Hall on the UTEP campus. Burges Hall is at the intersection of Sun Bowl Drive and University Ave. on the west side of campus. Please be prompt. The building entrance locks automatically in the evenings. If you arrive late and no one is at the door to let you in, call 861-4361 and someone will come to let you in. For more information, contact Scott Cutler (581-6071).
OUTREACH ACTIVITIES UPDATE
Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition members have been meeting with our elected officials and key community leaders, including candidates for State Representative District 78 Dee Margo and Joseph Moody, Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissioner Robert Brown, and City Council Representative Rachel Quintana. Rachel joined FMWC as an individual member! All of our community leaders have been supportive of preserving Castner Range and ask us how they can help. These meetings are fun and informative. If you would like to attend, please let us know.
We enjoyed perfect weather for the Keystone Heritage Park’s Feather Fest where Nora Butler and judy Ackerman set up our FMWC display, sold postcards and T-shirts, distributed literature, and received great response from the public. The grand opening of El Paso Water Utilities’ new Carlos M. Ramirez TecH2O Water Resources Learning Center gave us another opportunity to talk about FMWC and make contacts for future outreach.
Our newest organizational member is the Jolly Elders, a non-denominational group that meets at Trinity First United Methodist Church. Judy Ackerman gave a presentation at their March meeting where she made many new friends, sold postcards and had a great lunch in the bargain.
We continue to look for venues to expand our membership and spread the word about preserving Castner Range. If you know of an organization that might be interested in a guest speaker, please contact judy Ackerman, 755-7371, j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
FORT BLISS RESTORATION ADVISORY BOARD
We had a wonderful show of public support to preserve Castner Range at the Fort Bliss Restoration Advisory Board meeting on 23 April 2008. About 50 people attended (maybe 10 Fort Bliss employees) – a GREAT turnout. Prioritization for cleaning Castner Range was the topic, and Travis R. McCoun gave a PowerPoint presentation on how Fort Bliss has applied the Munitions Response Site Prioritization Protocol (MRSPP), particularly at Castner Range. On a scale of 1 to 8 (1 is highest priority), Castner is a 3 priority for clean-up, and the 2007 report is available to the public. They expect to do a detailed Site Inventory in FY08 and a Remedial Investigation in FY10. They have 10,000 trespassers on Castner every year and plan to put up fences in response.
Travis mentioned $2 billion as possible cost for clean-up. There was a question on how to get the money for the clean-up and how to let Fort Bliss leadership know El Pasoans want Castner preserved. Answer: Contact Fort Bliss Public Affairs and your elected officials.
FMWC’s priority for Castner Range is FIRST to ensure preservation in its natural state with a Conservation Conveyance. Our end goal is for Castner Range to become part of Franklin Mountains State Park – which cannot happen until it is clean of unexploded ordnance. We appreciate your support for these efforts.
DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN/EIS RELEASED FOR GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
As large natural areas covering West Texas mountain ranges, Guadalupe Mountains National Park (GMNP) and Franklin Mountains State Park have much in common. The National Park Service recently released a Draft General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement for GMNP. Aimed at guiding management of GMNP for the next 15-20 years, the draft document looks at 4 different alternatives for future management and use of the park. You can download the document and submit comments on it at http://parkplanning.nps.gov. The 60-day comment period ends June 16.
The National Park Service has scheduled a series of public meetings to introduce the public to the planning process and the draft plan, to answer questions and to receive comments. One of these meetings will take place in El Paso on Thursday, May 22 at 6 p.m. at the Chamizal National Memorial, 800 S. San Marcial Street. Questions? Contact Park Superintendent John Lujan at 915-828-3251 or GUMO_Superintendent@nps.gov.
JUST SAY “NO!” TO THE BORDER FENCE
Adam Guss of FMWC member organization Southwest Environmental Center has provided us with an alert mailed to SWEC members concerning the proposed border fence. This may seem like a peripheral issue to our Franklin Mountains mission but there are compelling reasons to be wary of the fence -- the disastrous effect it will have on border wildlife and ecosystems and the extraordinary precedent being set by far-reaching waivers of environmental and public safety laws.
On April 1, for the 4th time in the past 2 years, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff waived more than 30 environmental laws (including the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, and Clean Water Act) to expedite building 370 miles worth of new fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, including 57 miles of continuous wire mesh fencing and 21 miles of high-powered lighting from El Paso downstream along the Rio Grande. DHS is hurriedly proceeding on this path despite growing and unexpectedly fierce opposition from private landowners, towns, cities and environmental organizations.
If DHS moves forward with fence construction before proper environmental analysis is completed, there will be serious impacts to wildlife and their habitats in the borderland region, including areas such as Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Rio Bosque Wetlands Park and the Rio Grande itself. Within these areas live a number of endangered and threatened species, including jaguar, ocelot, Gila monster, and Sonoran pronghorn. The Rio Grande is an extraordinarily important area for wildlife in the Chihuahuan Desert and an important migratory flyway for birds. The proposed fence will block wildlife access and passage, and the proposed lights could adversely affect migratory birds.
It would be ideal if DHS would come up with a comprehensive approach to border security that addresses root causes, is effective, and does not harm border wildlife and ecosystems. But a change in course by DHS or significant action by Congress in an election year do not seem likely to happen without significant outside pressure. Construction of a border fence is also a states’ rights issue. No matter how one feels about illegal immigration, it cannot hurt to slow down and properly assess the probable impact, in all its complexity, of this wall on our borderland. Contacting our governors is a crucial first step.
Please take the time to call your governor and urge him/her to call on Congress to implement a moratorium on additional fence building along the U.S./Mexico border until DHS conducts proper environmental analysis and allows for orderly public input.
NM Governor Bill Richardson at 505-476-2200
TX Governor Rick Perry at 512-463-1782
AZ Governor Janet Napolitano at 602-542-1318
CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at 916-445-2841
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS STATE PARK NEWS
All the latest news and information about upcoming events at the Park are available at the Park’s great website. Check it out!!
LONE STAR LEGACY
You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to "Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation" can be sent to: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Attention: Lone Star Legacy, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.
FMWC IN CYBERSPACE
This is the electronic version of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter. To be added to or removed from the distribution list, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
Many of you also receive the paper version of this newsletter. If you wish to help us save paper and postage by receiving the e-newsletter only, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
Borderland Mountain Bike Association * Border Toasters, Toastmasters International * Celebration of Our Mountains * Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition * Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue * El Paso Archaeological Society * El Paso Cactus and Rock Club * El Paso Native Plant Society * El Paso Regional Group of the Sierra Club * El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society * Friends of the Rio Bosque * Jolly Elders * League of Women Voters of El Paso * Mesilla Valley Audubon Society * Mountain Park Community Association * Photography Enthusiasts of El Paso * Skyline Optimist Club of El Paso * Southern New Mexico Group of the Sierra Club * Southwest Environmental Center * Trans-Pecos Chapter, Texas Master Naturalists
Saturday, March 1, 2008
March 2008
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS COALITION
http://www.franklinmountains.org/
NEXT MEETING: March 19, 2008
The next meeting of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition is Wednesday, March 19 at 7 p.m. The meeting takes place in Room 411 Burges Hall on the UTEP campus. Burges Hall is at the intersection of Sun Bowl Drive and University Ave. on the west side of campus. Please be prompt. The building entrance locks automatically in the evenings. If you arrive late and no one is at the door to let you in, call 861-4361 and someone will come to let you in. For more information, contact Scott Cutler (581-6071).
A gentle reminder to Coalition members: FMWC dues should be paid each January. If you misplaced your membership application, you can find one on our website. Please get those dues in.
2008 POPPIES CELEBRATION
It's time for the Second Annual Poppies Celebration, and it looks like the poppies are going to grace the mountain slopes for this year's event. Be sure to come out on Saturday, March 15th, from 10 AM to 6 PM at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Transmountain Road. Free Admission, Family Fun! The program includes nature talks and walks, wildlife displays, educational exhibits, and demonstrations from 10 AM to 3 PM; live music, tequila tasting, and dancing from 3 PM to 6 PM. Invited guests include Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Congressman Silvestre Reyes, and local elected officials.
For safety reasons, please spread the word: park at Cohen Stadium (space donated by Diablos) and take the handicapped accessible shuttle (donated by Sunwest Transportation Systems). That way, people will not have to do a dangerous U-turn when they get to the Museum of Archaeology and find there is no parking available.
FMWC will have a booth set up at the event, and we are looking for VOLUNTEERS to help. It's easy and fun to meet and greet visitors. Please contact Scott Cutler at 581-6071 if you have some time to help staff the booth.
Exhibitors/vendors interested in participating please contact Marc Thompson, at 755-4332 or thompsonmx@elpasotexas.gov
POPPIES PROCLAMATION
City Council Representative Melina Castro will propose the FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS POPPIES DAY Proclamation in honor of the Celebration at the El Paso City Council Meeting at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, March 11th. FMWC President Scott Cutler will accept the proclamation, and FMWC members will present poppies postcards to council members.
SPEAKING OF POPPIES…
The El Paso Times featured a great article by Nathan Coleman in Sunday's paper promoting the Poppy Photo Contest hosted by the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. The deadline for entries is 5:00 PM on April 1, 2008. Entries should be mailed or delivered to the Archaeology Museum at 4301 Transmountain Road. Contest rules state that photos must be taken on the grounds of the museum; entries should be 8X10 images; and participants must include name, address and phone number. The cost to enter is $5.00 per photo. All entries will be displayed at the museum between April 1 and May 3. Winners will be announced April 8. The first prize winner will be awarded a $100 gift certificate to the museum store; second prize will be a $50 gift certificate, and the third prize will be a $25 gift certificate. The winners, including honorable mention, will be recognized in the museum and on the museum's web site. So, you photog buffs out there, what better time to scout for poppy photo ops than the Poppies Celebration! See you there!
EL PASO ZOO VOLUNTEERS
Rick LoBello
The El Paso Zoo is holding monthly Volunteer Training for people interested in volunteering at the Zoo on either weekdays or weekends. Volunteers will be learning about the exciting new education stations that the El Paso Zoo will be setting up for the general public featuring interactive activities, live animals, bio-facts and other facets of the animal world.
WHAT: El Paso Zoo Volunteer Training (No Cost)
WHEN: Saturdays as scheduled below, 10 AM to Noon
March 8 Animal Handling Training (need TB test completed), Instructor: Rick LoBello
April 5 Discovery Station Training, Instructor: Antonia Alvarado
May 10 Introduction to the Asian Animals at the Zoo, Instructor: Rick LoBello
June 7 Animal Handling Training (need TB test completed), Instructor: Valerie Hearn
July 12 Introduction to the Americas Animals at the Zoo, Instructor: Rick LoBello
August 9 Behind the Scenes at the Zoo, Instructor: Rose Janice
WHERE: Meet at Zoo's Front gate ticket office by 9:45 AM - Training ends at 12:00 pm.
EL PASO ZOO LOCATION: El Paso Zoo, 4001 E. Paisano, El Paso, Texas 79905-4223
CONTACT: For more information and to RSVP call Anne Langenfeld: 351-5340. Complete and bring with you the volunteer application found on the zoo's website. For the sessions on March 8 and June 7, bring proof of current TB test (taken within past 12 months).
PARTY FOR THE PLANET AT THE EL PASO ZOO – EARTH DAY CELEBRATION
Rose Janice
Dear Friends,
Greetings from your El Paso Zoo. Recently we met and discussed our upcoming special event, "Party for the Planet" to be held here at the Zoo on April 19th from 9:30am to 4:00pm. We would appreciate your ideas and overall input on how we can make this year's Earth Day celebration better than ever.
Please take a moment to let us know about how you feel we can best reach people about our 'Mother Earth' and show them how to treat her right. Please help us make "Party for the Planet" a fun, educational, and hands-on experience for our zoo guests.
This year our emphasis will focus on recycling, different ways people can save energy, and how people can get involved in protecting habitats.
If you are interested in being an exhibitor this year all you have to do is e-mail us back with a few lines describing what you would like to do at the zoo as a participating organization. Since we have a gift shop at the Zoo that helps support our operating expenses, give-a-ways with monetary value are not permitted, but informative brochures are OK. Tell us what kind of activities or demonstrations you would like to have during the event. We will also need to know the number of presenters, their names and number of tables/chairs needed by April 1.
If you know of someone who would be a great presenter or an exhibitor, please forward this message on. We are also looking for experts who can help present different ways people can save energy with their personal vehicles and restaurant owners who use sustainable seafood to help maintain healthy oceans. Please also let us know if you have any suggestions.
Rose Janice
El Paso Zoo Education Specialist
915-521-1861
JaniceRA@elpasotexas.gov
OTERO MESA
Adam Guss, Southwest Environmental Center
Recently I had the pleasure of exploring the wildness of one North America's largest remaining desert grasslands with several concerned elected officials and citizens from around the region. I think they would agree that the endless view of grassland on Otero Mesa is something that must be witnessed first-hand to truly understand the raw power that the area possesses. From the herds of pronghorn antelope that race across the thick blades of grass, to the endangered Aplomado Falcons who soar overhead, Otero Mesa truly is the wildest grassland left in the Southwest.
Unfortunately, the federal government is willing to trade our natural heritage and our environmental future for a small amount of non-renewable natural gas. In 1997 the Harvey E. Yates Company (HEYCO) was allowed to drill two natural gas test wells right in the heart of Otero Mesa's black grama grasslands. One well struck a commercially viable amount of gas and subsequently opened the door for further exploration of this wild and remote landscape. Fortunately, many elected officials, conservation groups, and concerned citizens recognized the extreme dangers of mineral exploration in such an environmentally sensitive area and decided to form a coalition to help advocate for the protection and preservation of Otero Mesa.
Located in south-central New Mexico, Otero Mesa stretches over 1.2 million acres, roughly half of which is grassland. It is home to over 1,000 native wildlife species, including black-tailed prairie dogs, mule deer, mountain lions, golden and bald eagles, over 250 grassland bird species, and what is likely New Mexico's last native pronghorn herd. The area's extraordinary values are unmatched in the region. In addition, lying underneath Otero Mesa is the Salt Basin Aquifer; this aquifer contains the region's largest untapped fresh-water supply. Conservative estimates show that this aquifer could provide water for a population of 1 million people for over 100 years.
The Coalition for Otero Mesa has now been working for over a decade to protect Otero Mesa from oil and gas development. Our efforts thus far have been successful. No drilling has occurred since the initial test wells back in 1997, and every day we're finding new individuals who are willing to advocate for the protection of this special place. As of right now, the coalition is working on a proposal that would protect almost 600,000 acres of Otero Mesa from drilling. The current proposal focuses on protection of Otero Mesa's grasslands and wildlife through what is called an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). An ACEC is best described as an area that receives special recognition because of the quality, uniqueness and significance of its natural and cultural resources. The benefit of ACEC designation is that is can be put into play by local Bureau of Land Management (BLM) personnel, which allows us to by-pass the political boundaries of getting federal legislation passed.
We're currently seeking groups and individuals to sign on in support of the ACEC proposal. We must send a clear message to the BLM that protection of Otero Mesa is a priority for the citizens of New Mexico. If you are interested in joining the fight to protect Otero Mesa or would like more information please contact the Southwest Environmental Center at (575) 522-5552.
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS STATE PARK NEWS
Congratulations to Cesar Mendez on his selection as the new superintendent for Franklin Mountains State Park and Wyler Aerial Tramway State Park!
All the latest news and information about upcoming events at the Park are available at the Park's great website. Check it out!!
LONE STAR LEGACY
You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to "Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation" can be sent to: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Attention: Lone Star Legacy, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.
FMWC IN CYBERSPACE
This is the electronic version of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter. To be added to or removed from the distribution list, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
Many of you also receive the paper version of this newsletter. If you wish to help us save paper and postage by receiving the e-newsletter only, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
Borderland Mountain Bike Association * Border Toasters, Toastmasters International * Celebration of Our Mountains * Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition * Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue * El Paso Archaeological Society * El Paso Cactus and Rock Club * El Paso Native Plant Society * El Paso Regional Group of the Sierra Club * El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society * Friends of the Rio Bosque * League of Women Voters of El Paso * Mesilla Valley Audubon Society * Mountain Park Community Association * Photography Enthusiasts of El Paso * Skyline Optimist Club of El Paso * Southern New Mexico Group of the Sierra Club * Southwest Environmental Center * Trans-Pecos Chapter, Texas Master Naturalists
http://www.franklinmountains.org/
NEXT MEETING: March 19, 2008
The next meeting of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition is Wednesday, March 19 at 7 p.m. The meeting takes place in Room 411 Burges Hall on the UTEP campus. Burges Hall is at the intersection of Sun Bowl Drive and University Ave. on the west side of campus. Please be prompt. The building entrance locks automatically in the evenings. If you arrive late and no one is at the door to let you in, call 861-4361 and someone will come to let you in. For more information, contact Scott Cutler (581-6071).
A gentle reminder to Coalition members: FMWC dues should be paid each January. If you misplaced your membership application, you can find one on our website. Please get those dues in.
2008 POPPIES CELEBRATION
It's time for the Second Annual Poppies Celebration, and it looks like the poppies are going to grace the mountain slopes for this year's event. Be sure to come out on Saturday, March 15th, from 10 AM to 6 PM at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Transmountain Road. Free Admission, Family Fun! The program includes nature talks and walks, wildlife displays, educational exhibits, and demonstrations from 10 AM to 3 PM; live music, tequila tasting, and dancing from 3 PM to 6 PM. Invited guests include Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Congressman Silvestre Reyes, and local elected officials.
For safety reasons, please spread the word: park at Cohen Stadium (space donated by Diablos) and take the handicapped accessible shuttle (donated by Sunwest Transportation Systems). That way, people will not have to do a dangerous U-turn when they get to the Museum of Archaeology and find there is no parking available.
FMWC will have a booth set up at the event, and we are looking for VOLUNTEERS to help. It's easy and fun to meet and greet visitors. Please contact Scott Cutler at 581-6071 if you have some time to help staff the booth.
Exhibitors/vendors interested in participating please contact Marc Thompson, at 755-4332 or thompsonmx@elpasotexas.gov
POPPIES PROCLAMATION
City Council Representative Melina Castro will propose the FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS POPPIES DAY Proclamation in honor of the Celebration at the El Paso City Council Meeting at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, March 11th. FMWC President Scott Cutler will accept the proclamation, and FMWC members will present poppies postcards to council members.
SPEAKING OF POPPIES…
The El Paso Times featured a great article by Nathan Coleman in Sunday's paper promoting the Poppy Photo Contest hosted by the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. The deadline for entries is 5:00 PM on April 1, 2008. Entries should be mailed or delivered to the Archaeology Museum at 4301 Transmountain Road. Contest rules state that photos must be taken on the grounds of the museum; entries should be 8X10 images; and participants must include name, address and phone number. The cost to enter is $5.00 per photo. All entries will be displayed at the museum between April 1 and May 3. Winners will be announced April 8. The first prize winner will be awarded a $100 gift certificate to the museum store; second prize will be a $50 gift certificate, and the third prize will be a $25 gift certificate. The winners, including honorable mention, will be recognized in the museum and on the museum's web site. So, you photog buffs out there, what better time to scout for poppy photo ops than the Poppies Celebration! See you there!
EL PASO ZOO VOLUNTEERS
Rick LoBello
The El Paso Zoo is holding monthly Volunteer Training for people interested in volunteering at the Zoo on either weekdays or weekends. Volunteers will be learning about the exciting new education stations that the El Paso Zoo will be setting up for the general public featuring interactive activities, live animals, bio-facts and other facets of the animal world.
WHAT: El Paso Zoo Volunteer Training (No Cost)
WHEN: Saturdays as scheduled below, 10 AM to Noon
March 8 Animal Handling Training (need TB test completed), Instructor: Rick LoBello
April 5 Discovery Station Training, Instructor: Antonia Alvarado
May 10 Introduction to the Asian Animals at the Zoo, Instructor: Rick LoBello
June 7 Animal Handling Training (need TB test completed), Instructor: Valerie Hearn
July 12 Introduction to the Americas Animals at the Zoo, Instructor: Rick LoBello
August 9 Behind the Scenes at the Zoo, Instructor: Rose Janice
WHERE: Meet at Zoo's Front gate ticket office by 9:45 AM - Training ends at 12:00 pm.
EL PASO ZOO LOCATION: El Paso Zoo, 4001 E. Paisano, El Paso, Texas 79905-4223
CONTACT: For more information and to RSVP call Anne Langenfeld: 351-5340. Complete and bring with you the volunteer application found on the zoo's website. For the sessions on March 8 and June 7, bring proof of current TB test (taken within past 12 months).
PARTY FOR THE PLANET AT THE EL PASO ZOO – EARTH DAY CELEBRATION
Rose Janice
Dear Friends,
Greetings from your El Paso Zoo. Recently we met and discussed our upcoming special event, "Party for the Planet" to be held here at the Zoo on April 19th from 9:30am to 4:00pm. We would appreciate your ideas and overall input on how we can make this year's Earth Day celebration better than ever.
Please take a moment to let us know about how you feel we can best reach people about our 'Mother Earth' and show them how to treat her right. Please help us make "Party for the Planet" a fun, educational, and hands-on experience for our zoo guests.
This year our emphasis will focus on recycling, different ways people can save energy, and how people can get involved in protecting habitats.
If you are interested in being an exhibitor this year all you have to do is e-mail us back with a few lines describing what you would like to do at the zoo as a participating organization. Since we have a gift shop at the Zoo that helps support our operating expenses, give-a-ways with monetary value are not permitted, but informative brochures are OK. Tell us what kind of activities or demonstrations you would like to have during the event. We will also need to know the number of presenters, their names and number of tables/chairs needed by April 1.
If you know of someone who would be a great presenter or an exhibitor, please forward this message on. We are also looking for experts who can help present different ways people can save energy with their personal vehicles and restaurant owners who use sustainable seafood to help maintain healthy oceans. Please also let us know if you have any suggestions.
Rose Janice
El Paso Zoo Education Specialist
915-521-1861
JaniceRA@elpasotexas.gov
OTERO MESA
Adam Guss, Southwest Environmental Center
Recently I had the pleasure of exploring the wildness of one North America's largest remaining desert grasslands with several concerned elected officials and citizens from around the region. I think they would agree that the endless view of grassland on Otero Mesa is something that must be witnessed first-hand to truly understand the raw power that the area possesses. From the herds of pronghorn antelope that race across the thick blades of grass, to the endangered Aplomado Falcons who soar overhead, Otero Mesa truly is the wildest grassland left in the Southwest.
Unfortunately, the federal government is willing to trade our natural heritage and our environmental future for a small amount of non-renewable natural gas. In 1997 the Harvey E. Yates Company (HEYCO) was allowed to drill two natural gas test wells right in the heart of Otero Mesa's black grama grasslands. One well struck a commercially viable amount of gas and subsequently opened the door for further exploration of this wild and remote landscape. Fortunately, many elected officials, conservation groups, and concerned citizens recognized the extreme dangers of mineral exploration in such an environmentally sensitive area and decided to form a coalition to help advocate for the protection and preservation of Otero Mesa.
Located in south-central New Mexico, Otero Mesa stretches over 1.2 million acres, roughly half of which is grassland. It is home to over 1,000 native wildlife species, including black-tailed prairie dogs, mule deer, mountain lions, golden and bald eagles, over 250 grassland bird species, and what is likely New Mexico's last native pronghorn herd. The area's extraordinary values are unmatched in the region. In addition, lying underneath Otero Mesa is the Salt Basin Aquifer; this aquifer contains the region's largest untapped fresh-water supply. Conservative estimates show that this aquifer could provide water for a population of 1 million people for over 100 years.
The Coalition for Otero Mesa has now been working for over a decade to protect Otero Mesa from oil and gas development. Our efforts thus far have been successful. No drilling has occurred since the initial test wells back in 1997, and every day we're finding new individuals who are willing to advocate for the protection of this special place. As of right now, the coalition is working on a proposal that would protect almost 600,000 acres of Otero Mesa from drilling. The current proposal focuses on protection of Otero Mesa's grasslands and wildlife through what is called an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). An ACEC is best described as an area that receives special recognition because of the quality, uniqueness and significance of its natural and cultural resources. The benefit of ACEC designation is that is can be put into play by local Bureau of Land Management (BLM) personnel, which allows us to by-pass the political boundaries of getting federal legislation passed.
We're currently seeking groups and individuals to sign on in support of the ACEC proposal. We must send a clear message to the BLM that protection of Otero Mesa is a priority for the citizens of New Mexico. If you are interested in joining the fight to protect Otero Mesa or would like more information please contact the Southwest Environmental Center at (575) 522-5552.
FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS STATE PARK NEWS
Congratulations to Cesar Mendez on his selection as the new superintendent for Franklin Mountains State Park and Wyler Aerial Tramway State Park!
All the latest news and information about upcoming events at the Park are available at the Park's great website. Check it out!!
LONE STAR LEGACY
You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to "Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation" can be sent to: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Attention: Lone Star Legacy, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.
FMWC IN CYBERSPACE
This is the electronic version of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter. To be added to or removed from the distribution list, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
Many of you also receive the paper version of this newsletter. If you wish to help us save paper and postage by receiving the e-newsletter only, contact: j.p.ackerman@sbcglobal.net.
The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition
Borderland Mountain Bike Association * Border Toasters, Toastmasters International * Celebration of Our Mountains * Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition * Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue * El Paso Archaeological Society * El Paso Cactus and Rock Club * El Paso Native Plant Society * El Paso Regional Group of the Sierra Club * El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society * Friends of the Rio Bosque * League of Women Voters of El Paso * Mesilla Valley Audubon Society * Mountain Park Community Association * Photography Enthusiasts of El Paso * Skyline Optimist Club of El Paso * Southern New Mexico Group of the Sierra Club * Southwest Environmental Center * Trans-Pecos Chapter, Texas Master Naturalists
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