The City Council gave moral support Tuesday to a proposal that would protect thousands of acres of wilderness and other scenic areas in Southern New Mexico.
Council members voted 6-0 for a resolution backing a bill introduced last month by New Mexico's Democratic U.S. senators, Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall.
The legislation would designate 259,000 acres in Doña Ana County as wilderness and another 100,000 acres as national conservation areas. Uses such as hiking, hunting and cattle grazing would still be allowed.
Protected areas would include the Organ, Potrillo and Robledo mountains.
"If you've ever hiked in the Organ Mountains, you know why New Mexico is called the Land of Enchantment," Mayor John Cook said.
Cook sponsored the resolution because he said it was important for the city to weigh in on an issue of regional importance.
Nathan Small, a Las Cruces City Council member and conservation coordinator for the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, attended the meeting. Small said the bill would allow the region to continue to grow while protecting some its most spectacular natural resources.
The new designations could also bring additional funding for these scenic areas and possibly boost tourism, Small said.
The bill also would release about 16,000 acres along the New Mexico-Mexico border from a wilderness study area. This would give border law-enforcement additional flexibility, Small said.
El Paso city Rep. Carl L. Robinson said he grew up in the concrete of Cleveland and stressed the importance of protecting scenic areas.
"This is the last frontier. We need to do all we can to preserve it," he said.
Bingaman, New Mexico's senior senator, praised the El Paso City Council for endorsing his bill.
"Las Cruces and El Paso enjoy a close relationship," Bin gaman said in an e-mailed statement.
"We appreciate the El Paso City Council's acknowledgement that the proposed wilderness area in Doña Ana County will benefit the entire region."
David Burge may be reached at dburge@elpasotimes.com; 546-6126.
