Obama Designates Half-Million Acre National Monument in New Mexico
Obama Designates Half-Million Acre National Monument in New Mexico
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This undated photo provided by Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument shows the landscape at the Organ Mountain Desert Peaks National Monument, near Las Cruces, N.M.Lisa Mandelkern—AP
President Barack Obama Wednesday signed a proclamation turning half a million acres of land in New Mexico into a national monument protected from development.
The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument is now the largest national monument created during Obama’s tenure in office, twice the size of what was formerly the biggest, the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, also in New Mexico. The protected area, near Las Cruces, includes petroglyphs from three indigenous societies, canyons, mountains and desert grasslands, a volcanic field and a petrified forest.
Some Republicans, including Utah Republican Rep. Rob Bishop, chair of the House Natural Resources subcommittee on public lands and environmental regulation, criticized the move as one that will harm national security along the border with Mexico. “National Parks, monuments, and wilderness areas along our southern border have become prime drug-trafficking corridors for violent criminals and drug cartels,” Bishop said in a letter urging the president not to sign the proclamation.
The decision to bypass Congress and turn the region into a federally protected natural area by presidential proclamation fulfills a promise Obama made to do just that in the State of the Union address.
Photos: Every National Monument President Obama Has Declared
The Organ Mountain Desert Peaks National Monument (New Mexico): The 496,000 acre land near Las Cruces, N.M. holds rich scientific and historical value. The land was a training site for the Apollo Space Mission and World War II aerial targets, as well as a heritage site containing early pictographs from Native Americans Les McKee—APThe San Juan Islands National Monument (Washington): A chain of 450 islands located in Washington State's Puget Sound, the monument offers visitors the chance to experience the natural beauty of the undeveloped, rugged landscape.Craig Hill—MCT/Getty ImagesThe Río Grande del Norte National Monument (New Mexico): Located northwest of Taos, the Río Grande del Norte contains stretches of the Río Grande Gorge and is known for its spectacular landscapes, recreational opportunities, and for serving as an important habitat for many birds and wildlife.Robert Alexander—Getty ImagesThe Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument (Maryland): A new national park, located on Maryland's Eastern Shore, commemorates the life of the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad.
MPI/Getty ImagesThe First State National Monument (Delaware): This new monument will tell the story of the early Dutch, Swedish, Finnish and English settlement of the colony of Delaware, as well as Delaware's role as the first state to ratify the Constitution. Shown above: Mill buildings standing along Brandywine creek north of Wilmington, Del.Walker Evans—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImageThe Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument (Wilberforce, Ohio): The home of Col. Charles Young, a distinguished officer in the United States Army who was the third African American to graduate from West Point and the first to achieve the rank of colonel.MPI/Getty ImagesCesar E. Chavez National Monument (California): The home of the famous civil rights activist and labor leader, known as La Paz, spans 116 acres in Kern County, Calif. The property was also the former headquarters of the United Farm Workers. Arthur Schatz—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesChimney Rock National Monument (Colorado): Located in the San Juan National Forest in southwestern Colorado, the monument encompasses 4,726 acres and an archaeological site. The site is the ancestral home of the Pueblo Indians.Hyoung Chang—Denver Post/Getty ImagesFort Ord National Monument (California): Fort Ord served as an army post from 1971 to 1994. It was one of the most desirable posting locations because of the scenic views and proximity to beaches. Fort Ord is now a beautiful recreational area with unique landscape features that everyone can enjoy. Vern Fisher—APFort Monroe National Monument (Virginia): Fort Monroe is a former U.S. military base, but its history goes back much further. The land was integral to the original Jamestown colony settlers and was set up as a key defense point under John Smith, Christopher Newport, and the Virginia Company in the early 1600s. Stephen M. Katz—APPrehistoric Trackways National Monument (New Mexico): Prehistoric Trackways is the 100th U.S. National Monument and the first designated by Barack Obama. Located in the Robledos Mountains of southern New Mexico, the monument site includes a vast array of fossilized footprints, plants, and petrified wood from the Paleozoic Era. AP
