Image: Susan Torres, New Mexico Wildlife Federation

The People’s Monument

Organ Mountains-Desert Peak National Monument

By Susan Torres & Gabe Vasquez

The first time I saw the Organ Mountains, I was blown away. I came into Las Cruces in the middle of the night for work. I didn’t realize they would be sitting imposingly right outside my hotel when I woke up in the morning.

That’s one of the amazing things about the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument, they’re the backyard for thousands of families in Las Cruces and the rest of Dona Ana County. This unique monument gives all New Mexicans the opportunity to hunt, camp, bike, and hike in an area of significant ecological and historical importance.

The New Mexico Wildlife Federation worked for years to get this monument designated, working with a diverse coalition that included sportsmen and women, local businesses, outdoor recreationists, Native American groups, and elected officials. I’m not lucky enough to have the Organ Mountains right in my backyard, but that doesn’t stop me from taking in every opportunity I can to hop in my car, load up the dog, and head down to this unique and rugged landscape.

Every time I’ve stood in the monument I’ve wondered how anyone can want to deny the community of this treasure.

Since the start of the Interior Department’s monument review period, I’ve spent more and more time in the monument, and met more and more people who are invested in keeping it as it is. The night before we organized a community hike in the monument, my husband and I camped at the Aguirre Springs natural area and woke up to the sun shining on the desert peaks of the mountains. We had only left Albuquerque in the afternoon, but we felt like we were a world away in a few hours. Later that day we joined our partner organization, the Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project, along with more than 30 members of the community to learn about the unique geological features at Kilbourne Hole in the Desert Peaks portion of the monument. This piece of the monument is a volcanic crater — a breathtaking geological wonder on the border of New Mexico and Texas.

A month later I was down in the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument again, this time for a Matanza cook out. With the mountains as a perfect backdrop, I heard from veterans, sportsmen, elected officials, nonprofit leaders, and more community members who are passionate about this place. Whether they want to hunt in the monument, protect it for cultural purposes, or see the benefits it has on the local economy, one thing was clear — this is a place that unifies the community. Sure, the hikes are spectacular as are the hunting opportunities, but there’s so much more at play here. The monument holds important clues to Native, Spanish, and Mexican history that young people are still discovering and connecting to today.

Every time I’ve stood in the monument I’ve wondered how anyone can want to deny the community of this treasure. The desert peaks are accessible to everyone — you don’t need to be rich to hunt or hike in these mountains — you just need a tank of gas and your favorite outdoor snack. Protecting this area for wildlife and the economy is really only the beginning — by protecting this place we’re protecting a community’s history, culture, and traditions.

Susan Torres is the Communications Director for the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. Susan earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Northeastern University and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Biology from Miami University. After spending a lifetime on the East Coast, Susan moved to New Mexico to take advantage of the amazing outdoor opportunities the landscape has to offer.

Gabe Vasquez serves as the Southern NM Outreach Coordinator for the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. An avid outdoorsman who grew up fishing the waters of the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico, Gabe has a passion for increasing diversity within New Mexico’s public lands. Gabe has a wide range of experience working in underrepresented communities in Southwest New Mexico and throughout border communities across the state. As a citizen advocate, Gabe lobbied the administration for the creation of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, and as a member of Senator Heinrich’s staff, helped pave the path to its creation.

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