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The Caja del Rio Protection Act: S 4458 and HR 8616 covers about 85,000 acres of a wildlife corridor that runs along the Upper Rio Grande from New Mexico to Colorado. BlueRibbon Coalition opposes the Caja del Rio Protection Act because it creates new federal land-use designations that are intended to lock up public land, restrict multiple use, and ultimately eliminate motorized access in perpetuity.
The bill will designate 67,163 acres of Federal land in the Santa Fe National Forest as “Caja del Rio Special Management Area” and approximately 17,837 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in the State as “Caja del Rio-National Conservation Area”. While the bill gives specific acreage for both the conservation area and special management area, Wilderness and anti-access groups are touting that this bill will protect approximately 107,000 acres of land. Where that number is coming from is unclear and shows us that there is more in play than meets the eye.
While supporters frame the legislation as a conservation measure, BRC knows these types of designations as part of a broader effort to transfer traditionally multiple-use public lands into increasingly restrictive management schemes. The legislation prioritized non-motorized use and give the secretary power to close existing trails. History has shown that once special designations are established, land managers and activist groups frequently use them to justify new travel restrictions, route closures, and limitations on recreational access over time. Once an area is designated as a national conservation area, for example, when they embark on travel management they close motorized routes because it falls within a NCA. After roads are closed then Wilderness groups will make a push that it is pristine land and need to remain as such with a Wilderness designation.
The bill explicitly states:
Roads that are not on the map will be closed. Currently, there is no map for this bill, as it would be created once the bill is passed and signed. If there are errors on current maps that don't reflect all the roads on the ground, those roads would be permanently decommissioned. When travel management is completed, any road the agency feels is not in compliance with the purpose of the bill (conservation) will be decommissioned.
The Caja del Rio area has long supported a wide range of uses, including motorized recreation, hunting, grazing, camping, and other recreational activities. BRC believes these lands can continue to be managed responsibly under the many existing laws and regulations without creating additional federal designations that place recreation and access at risk.
The bill is being sold as a way to prevent the sell off of public lands. However, the bill itself gives specific language on land transfers and transferring land between the federal government and the state of New Mexico.
The long-term consequence of measures like the Caja del Rio Protection Act is the gradual removal of motorized recreation opportunities, multiple use and increased federal control over lands that should remain open and accessible to the public.
Send a comment to your representatives below encouraging them to oppose the Caja del Rio Protection Act. As always, you can add in your own comments and experiences to make your comment more meaningful.
Continue reading...
The Caja del Rio Protection Act: S 4458 and HR 8616 covers about 85,000 acres of a wildlife corridor that runs along the Upper Rio Grande from New Mexico to Colorado. BlueRibbon Coalition opposes the Caja del Rio Protection Act because it creates new federal land-use designations that are intended to lock up public land, restrict multiple use, and ultimately eliminate motorized access in perpetuity.
The bill will designate 67,163 acres of Federal land in the Santa Fe National Forest as “Caja del Rio Special Management Area” and approximately 17,837 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in the State as “Caja del Rio-National Conservation Area”. While the bill gives specific acreage for both the conservation area and special management area, Wilderness and anti-access groups are touting that this bill will protect approximately 107,000 acres of land. Where that number is coming from is unclear and shows us that there is more in play than meets the eye.
While supporters frame the legislation as a conservation measure, BRC knows these types of designations as part of a broader effort to transfer traditionally multiple-use public lands into increasingly restrictive management schemes. The legislation prioritized non-motorized use and give the secretary power to close existing trails. History has shown that once special designations are established, land managers and activist groups frequently use them to justify new travel restrictions, route closures, and limitations on recreational access over time. Once an area is designated as a national conservation area, for example, when they embark on travel management they close motorized routes because it falls within a NCA. After roads are closed then Wilderness groups will make a push that it is pristine land and need to remain as such with a Wilderness designation.
The bill explicitly states:
Roads that are not on the map will be closed. Currently, there is no map for this bill, as it would be created once the bill is passed and signed. If there are errors on current maps that don't reflect all the roads on the ground, those roads would be permanently decommissioned. When travel management is completed, any road the agency feels is not in compliance with the purpose of the bill (conservation) will be decommissioned.
The Caja del Rio area has long supported a wide range of uses, including motorized recreation, hunting, grazing, camping, and other recreational activities. BRC believes these lands can continue to be managed responsibly under the many existing laws and regulations without creating additional federal designations that place recreation and access at risk.
The bill is being sold as a way to prevent the sell off of public lands. However, the bill itself gives specific language on land transfers and transferring land between the federal government and the state of New Mexico.
The long-term consequence of measures like the Caja del Rio Protection Act is the gradual removal of motorized recreation opportunities, multiple use and increased federal control over lands that should remain open and accessible to the public.
Send a comment to your representatives below encouraging them to oppose the Caja del Rio Protection Act. As always, you can add in your own comments and experiences to make your comment more meaningful.
Continue reading...