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DONA ANA COUNTY
LAND PROPOSALS - COMPARE & KNOW THE REALITIES
Understand the differences between Federal Wilderness designations
and the Rangeland Preservation Areas supported by the Coalition for the
Dona Ana County Planned Growth, Open Space and Rangeland Preservation Act
of 2008.
|
|
Federal
Wilderness Areas |
Rangeland
Preservation Areas |
|
Permanent retention of open space |
YES |
YES |
|
Legislative protection from
development, mining, and mineral leasing |
YES |
YES
(identical
legislative language) |
|
Prevention of the unlawful use of
motorized vehicles off designated roads |
YES * |
YES |
|
Continued vehicular access for
hunters, campers and the general public using designated roads |
NO |
YES |
|
Allows for planned economic and
population growth |
NO |
YES |
|
Unrestricted access for law
enforcement, fire management, search & rescue operations |
NO |
YES |
|
Unrestricted access for homeland
security and Border Patrol operations |
NO |
YES |
|
Access for flood control and water
capture projects, including monitoring and maintenance/construction of
control structures |
NO |
YES |
|
Opportunities for proactive
conservation, stewardship and wildlife management projects |
NO |
YES |
|
Opportunity for additional funding for
area management |
NO
(prohibited by law **)
|
YES |
|
Local advisory board input into the
existing land disposal process |
NO |
YES |
|
Perpetuation of historic ranching
operations |
UNLIKELY *** |
YES |
* It is currently illegal to
operate motorized vehicles off designated roads in the areas in question.
** Section 2. (b) of the
Wilderness Act of 1964 states: "No appropriation shall be available for
the payment of expenses or salaries for the administration of the National
Wilderness Preservation System as a separate unit nor shall any
appropriations be available for additional personnel stated as being
required solely for the purpose of managing or administering areas solely
because they are included within the National Wilderness Preservation
System."
*** The original Wilderness
Act of 1964 contains “special provisions” for grazing in Section 4. (d).
However, history has shown that the restrictions and regulations in
federal Wilderness areas create substantial hardships for ranching
operations, often resulting in the loss of economic viability.
Preserve the land FOR the people, not
FROM the people
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